How Rain Changes Your Pool's Water Chemistry
If you live in the Phoenix area, you’ve probably experienced some rain in the past couple of days. Whether you loved every minute of it or got a little wetter than you would have liked, one thing is true—it probably affected your pool. Even if your pool is closed for the season, it’s wise to be aware of how rain (and whatever it brings with it) can alter your pool chemistry and what you need to do in response.
What Just Happened?
In order to know the best way to care for your pool after a storm, we need to know exactly what effect rain has on your water chemistry. As you likely know, the ideal pH level for your pool is between 7.4 and 7.6. However, because of pollution and other factors, rainwater has a much more acidic pH of around 5.0. That means when enough rain enters your pool, it’s bound to throw things off balance.
What to Do Now
If you only experienced light rainfall, a properly balanced pool is likely to bounce back. But, if your yard had more than an inch of rainfall, your water chemistry is probably out of whack. The first thing you should do in response is to test your water and adjust your pH level accordingly. Keep an eye on your other levels as well though, because runoff can bring with it more than just rain. Different contaminants that enter your pool will have different effects on your water chemistry, so look out for anything else out of the norm.
Lastly, be sure to check your pool for any debris that may have ended up in your pool. With heavy rain and high winds, you never know what could land in your pool, so treat it to a deep cleaning to help everything return to normal more quickly.
Hopefully, this is a helpful little field guide to caring for your pool after a storm. Take great care of your pool this off-season, and remember to tell your friends that now is the best time of the year to start a new build. If you know someone in the market for a new pool, have them contact us today by scheduling a free, in-home estimate. We’d love to help make their dreams a reality.
