How Do I Test the pH Level of My Pool?
pH level is a key factor for water balance, comfort, and the proper functioning of a robot pool cleaner, so be sure to keep your levels proper. An imbalanced pH in the swimming pool can not only result in skin irritation and scaling, but also poor filtration which makes the work of your pool vacuum, skimmer, and vacuum cleaner for the pool harder to perform.
So in this blog, we will discuss how to check the pH level of your pool why you should know what the importance of pH is for the maintenance of your pool, and how your pool cleaning robot, including Beatbot models like the Beatbot AquaSense Pro and Beatbot AquaSense works.
How pH Testing Matters for Pool Health
The pH of your pool refers to the acidity or basicity of the water. The ideal pH for pool water is 7.4 to 7.6, which is slightly basic. There are a host of reasons why this is important, in particular:
Water Comfort: Keeping a balanced pH minimizes eye and skin irritation, making for a more enjoyable swim.
Upon finding out we had a pH imbalance, it can lead to ineffective pool cleaning, especially if you are using a swimming pool robot cleaner (aka pool vacuum robot or pool robotic pool cleaner).
Scaling and Corrosion Prevention: If the pH level is too low, your pool and surrounding surfaces can become corroded, or if too high, your pool can start to scale, compromising your pool equipment and surfaces for the long term.
CHLORINE WORK EFFICIENTLY AT PROPER PH: Chlorine functions best at a balanced pH. If the pH is extremely high or low, it will prevent chlorine from effectively sanitizing the pool.
How to Test Your Pool Water’s pH Level
Measuring the pH of your pool is easy and only takes a couple of minutes. Here’s how to do it:
Get the Right Testing Kit: A test strip, liquid test kit, or digital tester can all be used to test your pool’s pH. Test strips are fast and easy to use but a liquid test kit is more accurate.
Take a water sample: Take a sample of water approximately 18 inches under the surface. That way, you’re testing water that represents the pool as a whole, not just water that’s at the surface.
Test the pH: Experiment with your test kit. For test strips, dunk the strip in the water, wait a few seconds, and then compare the color change with the chart on the packet. For liquid test kits, mix a few drops of the reagent into the water sample and check for color change.
Interpret the Results:
If the level is between 7.4 and 7.6, your pool is balanced.
If the pH is higher than 7.6, your pool is too alkaline and may need acid to reduce the pH.
Below 7.4 indicates your pool is too acidic and may require a pH increaser (sometimes called soda ash).
Balance the pH: If required, use proper chemicals (either a pH increaser or pH decreaser) as per the instructions on the product label. We have to add these chemicals step by step and test the water several times before getting the desired pH.
How Does pH Affect The Cleaning?
Your pool’s pH level impacts the effectiveness of your robot pool cleaner, from standard pool vacuum robots such as Beatbot AquaSense and Beatbot iSkim Ultra. Here’s how:
Efficiency of Pool Cleaner Robots: Having a balanced pH makes sure that your pool cleaning robot works efficiently. If the pH is too low, your robot won’t be able to pick up debris as often, and if it’s too high, it will lose its cleaning power.
Filtration System Efficiency: Having the wrong pH can affect how well your pool filtration system (not limited to its skimmer and vacuum cleaner for the pool) works. The debris may not be properly collected by the skimmer, and the vacuum system may more easily become clogged.
Enhance Equipment Life: A balanced pH in your pool water will help protect your equipment. For pool robots to work effectively and last longer, the water needs to be balanced — this minimizes the corrosion or scaling that can occur inside the cleaner, says Beatbot AquaSense Pro.
Other Pool Maintenance Tips
Along with checking your pool in the pH regularly, here are a few more tips to help maintain your pool:
Check Your Pool Skimmer: Your pool skimmer should be cleaned often, to deter any disruption of proper water flow through the filtration system. It would also allow your robot pool cleaner to move without obstruction.
Test Chemical Levels Beyond pH: Testing for your pool’s alkalinity, calcium hardness, and chlorine levels will ensure balanced water.
Test Your Pool Water Weekly: When you routinely test your pool water, you weather any imbalances and prevent them from affecting your pool, its cleaning equipment, and cost-effective, crystal-clear quality.
Running Your Robot Pool Cleaner: Even if your pool is properly balanced, it is still advisable to run a swimming pool robot cleaner, such as the Beatbot iSkim Ultra, to keep your pool free of excess dirt and debris — reducing manual cleaning and maintenance.
THE P E R F E C T PH & CLEAN POOL.
A critical aspect of both water quality and how well your robot pool cleaner performs a job is testing and balancing your pool pH. An even pH level keeps your vacuum pool working well, enables your skimmer to function properly, and helps your pool robotic pool cleaner to perform its job to perfection.
Consistent pH testing and adequate maintenance will preserve the luxury of your pool and prolong the life of operational pool devices including your pool cleaning robot (like Beatbot). Check your pool’s pH regularly and take action to keep it in the sweet spot for the best pool care results.
