The safety of your swimmers and the lifespan of your pool kits – such as your robotic pool cleaner must have calibrated water chemistry. High alkalinity may be a prevalent problem in pool maintenance. So, one might ask: Can you swim in a pool with high alkalinity? In this blog post, we’ll explore the dangers of high alkalinity, what it does to your pool, and how you can keep both your pool and your pool cleaning robot in good working order.
Why is Alkalinity Important in Pool Water?
Alkalinity is your pool water’s resistance to changes in pH; it also works like a buffer against acidity. This matters because when the alkalinity is just right, it keeps the pH stabilized so you’re less likely to have fluctuations that cause issues such as skin irritation, cloudy water, and scale buildup. In a pool, alkalinity should be around 80–120 ppm (parts per million).
Excessively high alkalinity levels can lead to a host of problems for swimmers and pool equipment alike, including pool cleaning robots.
High Alkalinity in Pool: What Does It Mean & How to Deal With It?
If your pool’s alkalinity is too high, however, there can be a few adverse effects that can reduce the quality of the water and the efficiency of your robotic pool cleaner.
Impact on pH Levels
High alkalinity is generally associated with high pH. If pH exceeds the acceptable range (7.2–7.8), water may become too alkaline and cloudy, making swimming unpleasant. This can also make it more difficult for chlorine to sanitize the water effectively, which can lead to possible bacterial or algae growth.
Scaling and Cloudy Water
Calcium Scaling: This is one of the most obvious effects of high alkalinity. Calcium deposits can build up on pool surfaces and tiles when the alkalinity is too high, including on your pool skimmer or robot pool vacuum. This thins may lower the capacity of your swimming pool robot cleaner, demanding added upkeep.
And high alkalinity can make the water cloudy — not comfortable to use, and it may take additional time to filter that out.
Irritation to Skin and Eyes
Water with high alkalinity can irritate the skin or eyes when swimming. It is not as dangerous as swimming in extremely low-pH water, but it is still uncomfortable for swimmers. After a while, high pH can also cause your pool’s chlorine to be less effective at killing harmful bacteria, making your pool more susceptible to contamination.
However, weekly management of pool chemistry, cleaning, and repairs can become problematic.
If your water is high in alkalinity this can also make it difficult to raise and lower your pool’s pH levels appropriately. High alkalinity will resist change even if you add chemicals to lower the pH which will make trouble for pool maintenance after a while. The more challenging your pool water is to balance, the greater the chance that your robotic pool cleaner may not be able to do its job well due to cloudiness or scaling that might block its systems.
If There Is High Alkalinity, Is It Safe to Swim in a Pool?
Generally, it’s safe to swim in a pool with increased alkalinity, but it’s less than ideal. High alkalinity isn’t going to be a big health risk like high levels of chlorine or contaminated water, but it can cause discomfort and lead to long-term pool maintenance issues. Here are reasons why it may not be the best idea:
Irritation to Skin and Eye: High Alkalinity causes higher pH levels which can cause irritation and can make swimming less enjoyable.
Ineffective Chlorine: High pH levels affect the effectiveness of chlorine in your pool, which means your pool is not sanitized as it should be. This heightens the risk of infections or the spread of germs in the water.
Cloudy Water: Extreme alkalinity can cause cloudy water, which may prevent your pool robot cleaner from effectively completing its job. Cloudy water can also deter swimmers from entering a pool.
Scaling: Prolonged exposure to high alkalinity can cause scale to form on pool surfaces, which can make the water feel slimy and make it more difficult to keep the pool clean.
If the alkalinity is only a little higher than ideal, it’s generally safe for short-term swimming, just better to get it adjusted before using it over the long term. If the alkalinity is very high then it is best to balance it before swimming as it will be a lot more comfortable to swim in.
How to Reduce the High Alkalinity of Your Pool?
You may find out if the alkalinity in your pool is too high if you have tested it. Here are several ways to lower alkalinity and achieve proper water balance again:
Step 5: Add Muriatic Acid or Sodium Bisulfate
Muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate (dry acid) can be added to your pool to lower alkalinity. These chemicals will also drop both pH and alkalinity. You’re better off when using muriatic acid to add it slowly and test the water frequently so you don’t overcorrect.
Aeration to Lower pH
After you’ve got your alkalinity under control, you can aerate (running a pool vacuum robot or swimming pool robot cleaner) to help lift the pH. Aeration introduces oxygen to the water, raising pH without regard to alkalinity.
Dilution
Draining some of the water from the pool and replacing it with fresh water may help to reduce the alkalinity, but this should only be done if the alkalinity is extremely high. This will also reduce the calcium sediment levels in the water.
What Does High Alkalinity Mean For Your Robotic Pool Cleaner?
High alkalinity can reduce the efficiency of your robot pool cleaner, especially if it results in scaling or cloudiness. Beatbot AquaSense Pro, for instance, functions best in limpid water with a balanced PH level. High alkalinity in the pool can lead to pool scaling or clouds in the pool:
Clogged Filters: Build-up of scale in the pool can get caught in your robotic pool cleaner’s filter system, forcing it to require service more often.
Reduced Effectiveness: If the water is cloudy, or the pool’s surfaces are scaled, a pool cleaning robot may not be able to fulfill its cleaning tasks efficiently.
Damage to your pool equipment: High alkalinity can result in calcium scaling not only on the surfaces of your pool but also on your equipment, like your pool skimmer or your robot pool vacuum. Over time, this can cause scuffing or corrosion.
Properly managing your pool’s alkalinity levels will ensure your robotic pool cleaner operates optimally so that your pool is attractive to swimmers.
Conclusion
Although you technically can swim in a pool with high alkalinity, it’s not advised long-term as it may cause skin and eye irritation, cloudy water, and less effective chlorine. Robotic pool cleaner performance can also be affected positively or negatively by the hydraulic efficiency of the pool.
Test alkalinity regularly and adjust accordingly to maintain the cleanliness and safety of your pool. A consistent pool maintenance routine including a technological asset like the Beatbot AquaSense Pro allows your pool to be at its best all year round, a relaxing and safe experience for swimming thereafter.