Now that it’s summer, everyone is using their pools more and more, meaning owners need to keep a stock of pool chemicals to maintain a clean pool this season. Like pool safety, water care is a necessity to ensure everyone has an enjoyable time at the pool. The right amount of chemical levels in pools is necessary to prevent harmful bacteria from growing in your pool during the warm summer months.
But which pool chemicals should you keep on hand throughout the summer? At The Pool People, we recommend you always have chlorine, balancers, and algaecide to keep your pool clean. You can stock up on all the pool chemicals and pool supplies you’ll need by visiting one of our Wisconsin locations or ordering from our online store.
Chlorine for Safety & Sanitization
Pools need chlorine (or a chlorine-alternative sanitizer) to stay safe for swimming. Without this crucial chemical, pools would become unsafe, and swimming in unclean water could easily make a person ill.
Pool chemicals such as chlorine prevent these negative swimming effects by fighting harmful bacteria and germs to keep water sanitized. You should test your pool weekly throughout the summer to ensure it has the right levels of necessary pool chemicals. For pools, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a chlorine concentration of at least 1-3 parts per million (ppm).
Keep Pool Chemicals Balanced with Balancers
Pool chemicals known as balancers are for keeping things like total alkalinity and pH levels in check. Maintaining the proper levels of these chemicals is almost as important as maintaining chlorine levels. Balanced pool water also helps to ensure your pool is safe for people to swim in.
When it comes to water care, making sure your pool is sanitized and has balanced levels are two of the most important things. Not only does a balanced pool keep the water clean and sanitized, but it also helps it look clean by preventing negative visual elements such as stains.
For pH, your levels need to be between 7.2 and 7.8. Alkalinity, pH, and calcium hardness levels should also be tested weekly in the summer to keep the pool comfortable for swimmers. Additionally, using chemical balancers to maintain pH levels ensures chlorine stays effective.
Prevent Green Water with Algaecide
Algae causes pool water to turn a greenish or yellow color. Even small amounts of algae can lead to a pool’s water looking off-color. To ensure your pool looks as good as it feels to swim in, you need to make sure to always have algaecide on hand. It’s an essential addition to your pool supplies.
As you can probably guess, algaecide stops algae from growing in your pool. Whereas the other pool chemicals on this list are all about balancing levels for safety, algaecide is used as a preventive or elimination chemical. Keep algae from growing in your water or clear it out with a quality algaecide if it happens to enter your water by way of storm or debris.
Algaecide is a necessity for prevention, especially in the summer. Heat is a contributing factor to the growth of algae and bacteria. Hot weather can mess up the chemical levels of a pool, which is why weekly testing in the summer season is so important.
Now that you know some of the most important pool chemicals, you can stop by The Pool People to stock up. Our knowledgeable associates can help you pick out the chemicals you’re looking for, and even offer some insight into water testing kits. And when it comes time to close your pool for the season, you can sign up for our pool closing packages. We’ll make sure all your pool chemicals are at the appropriate levels before closing your pool for the season.
