Your Swimming Pool Water
The Effects of Evaporation and Swimming Pool Chemicals on Your Water
OBJECTIVE
A brief explanation of why replacement through drain and refill or cleaning your pool water through reverse osmosis is considered a part of regular pool maintenance.
ARIZONA ONLY
When searching online or seeking advice from others, please consider pool services and recommendations vary from region to region. This document was created specifically for the Arizona desert.
EVAPORATION
The mineral and metal content of your pool water increases each time water is added to your pool. Evaporation removes only distilled water, so the minerals are left behind in your pool. The sum total of all the dissolved material in the water is called TDS. It includes harness, alkalinity, chlorides, sodium, sulfates, salts, and just about everything that has been put into the water. – When your water becomes oversaturated with these dissolved solids, phenomena like salty or bitter tasting water, colored but clear water, algae growth in high chlorine environment, corrosion of metallic parts, cloudy water, eye and skin irritation, and false readings of chemical tests can occur.
SWIMMING POOL CHEMICALS
Some of the pool chemicals that are used to keep your pool sparkling clean and clear also carry with them some compounds that add to the TDS and will start to interfere with the normal reactions we come to expect in balanced water. Phosphates, metals, calcium, salt & cyanuric acid are all included in some pool maintenance chemicals and as they too will not evaporate, they will increase until they start to interfere with normal water conditions. Things like staining, algae, high chlorine demand are all possible circumstances these increased chemicals can cause.
REMEDIES & PREVENTION
Simple water tests can help determine if your pool water needs cleaning or replacement. Consult your pool store or pool service professional for specific treatments for your pool. You may want to also consider the types of sanitization chemicals used and your water source on your pool to slow down the inevitable rise of your pools TDS, but water replacement or water cleaning will continue to be a crucial part of your pools health here in the desert southwest.