STEP 3/7
0%
Step 3
Balance Your Water
Balanced water lets chlorine work and protects your surface. Adjust only what your test results show is out of range. Random products cost money and can make things worse.
What You'll Need
- Your written test results
- Only the products your results call for (alkalinity increaser, pH increaser or pH reducer)
- Pool volume (use the Pool Calculator)
- Gloves and safety goggles
- Measuring cup kept only for that product
What To Do
- 1Check TOTAL ALKALINITY first. If it's low, alkalinity increaser (sodium bicarbonate) is the usual product. If it's high, it's typically lowered gradually with pH reducer — follow the product label.
- 2Then check pH. Low pH → pH increaser. High pH → pH reducer (acid). Pick ONE product for the one parameter that's off.
- 3Read the label dose. Labels say how much to add per a stated volume (for example, per 10,000 gallons) to change a reading by a stated amount.
- 4Enter that label dose and your pool volume in the Pool Calculator to scale it.
- 5With the pump running, add the product exactly as the label says (broadcast, near a return jet, or through the skimmer — only if allowed).
- 6Wait the time printed on the label with the pump running, then test again. Do not add a second product until you've retested.
Never mix chemicals together — especially chlorine and acid, which can release toxic gas. Add one product at a time to the pool water (never water to chemical). Use separate, labeled scoops. Store products closed, dry, and apart.
Photo Guide
Why the order matters
- Alkalinity holds pH in place. If alkalinity is off, pH will keep drifting no matter how much you add.
- Chlorine is far weaker at high pH, so getting pH into range first means sanitizer you add next actually works.
- Big corrections are safer in smaller portions with retests in between. Overshooting means buying the opposite product.