pH is an abbreviation for “potential Hydrogen,” and is the measure of water acidity.
The scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic and above is alkaline.
For concrete and vinyl liner pools, the ideal pH is 7.5, while for fibreglass pools it’s 7.2.
Hydrochloric acid or pH decreaser is used to lower pH in your pool and soda ash or pH increaser is used to raise the pH.
The pH of our eyes typically ranges from 7.0 to 7.3, so acidic water (below 7.0) can cause stinging and redness. Acid also removes natural oils from the body, resulting in itchy and dry skin.
Over time, acidic water can corrode metal surfaces, screws, etc, inside your pool, pump, filter and heater. It can also etch plaster, grout, stone, concrete tiling, while plastic on cleaners, toys, or other equipment may become brittle and prone to breaking.
If the pH drops much below 7.0, the amount of available chlorine is greatly reduced, creating an environment that promotes bacteria and algae growth.
When the pH is too high (above 7.8), the chlorine in your pool will no longer be effective in sanitising and killing harmful bacteria.
A high pH can also increase the amount of chlorine consumed, cloudiness of your pool water & cause scaling along the sides of your pool.