Testing Your Pool’s Water: 5 Things To Know

Posted by  on 27 March, 2017

Pool testing is something that every swimming pool owner needs to do. Testing your pool’s water is a simple process if done correctly, and will ensure the safety of the pool’s users as well as keep your pool in good shape. Before you start, there are five things to know to ensure you’re testing the water properly.

  1. Get a Good Kit

    Although there are many good pool test kits on the market, avoid the cheap ones. These will only test for chlorine and pH levels and may not be totally accurate. This doesn’t mean you have to get the most expensive kit at the store, but ask the clerk to recommend the best one for the type of pool you have. Have a pool professional test the water at least once per month. The retail team at Solda Pools would be happy to assist you.

  2. Know What You’re Testing for

    When testing your pool’s water, it’s important to know what you’re testing for. You should be looking for chlorine levels, bromine levels (or other sanitizers), total alkalinity, calcium hardness and pH changes.

  3. Don’t Test too Often but Test Often Enough

    The key to testing your pool’s water is knowing when to test it without overdoing it. You do not have to test the water daily. That’s overkill. Commercial pools require chlorine level checks every hour but since you’re not running a swim club, you can check your backyard or indoor pool two to three times weekly. For alkalinity levels, that test can be performed once a week. Calcium and Cyanuric tests need only be done monthly as their levels take longer to fluctuate and should be done by a professional.

  4. Read the Instructions and Don’t Deviate from Them

    The test kit will have strict instructions for you to follow when testing your pool’s water. Do not do anything that is not mentioned in the kit’s instructions. Moreover, in between tests, keep your kit clean and rinse out the sample comparator after each use. If you don’t you will dilute your pool’s water sample each time you test it. Also, avoid leaving the kit in direct sunlight in the summer and keep it from getting too cold in the winter.

  5. Balance the Water

    It’s important to know the amount of water you’ll be balancing so you know how much of each chemical to add. Read the instructions carefully before adding chemicals to your pool.

If you’re unsure about pool testing, call a professional. For people who are new to pool ownership, having a professional pool company come in and show you how to perform tests could be very helpful. That way, in the future, you’ll be able to easily test your pool yourself.