If your pool’s pH is too low, it typically causes all sorts of headaches. This includes everything from irritated eyes and itchy skin to reduced chlorine effectiveness and even damage to the pool surface that needs renovation.
However, raising pH without messing up the water’s total alkalinity requires a delicate balance of skill and judgement, especially for saltwater pools.
In fact, many pool owners think adding baking soda or other alkaline substances is the best fix for calcium hardness. But if not done correctly, the alkalinity can rise too much.
This guide will show you how to increase the pH level in your pool water the right way, to enjoy happy swimming all year round.
Key Takeaways
- Balancing your pool’s pH levels without disrupting alkalinity is key to clean, comfortable water.
- Use the right chemicals, like soda ash for pH, and test regularly with a reliable kit.
- Stay on top of water chemistry and follow best practices to avoid cloudy pool water, corrosion, and wasted chlorine.
What Is pH and Why Does It Matter for Pool Water?
Maintaining the right current pH level in your pool is one of the most important parts of pool maintenance. Not only does it help keep your water safe, clean, and comfortable for swimmers, but it also protects your equipment from corrosion or scale buildup.
Let’s break down what pH really means and why it matters so much for your pool water.
What is pH?
The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. It runs on a scale of 0 to 14, with seven being considered neutral.
Your pool’s pH level tells you where your water sits on this scale and affects all aspects of water chemistry. Anything below 7 is acidic, and anything above is alkaline.
Ideal pH Range for Swimming Pools
For most pools, the ideal pH range is between 7.2 and 7.8. This band keeps your water comfortable to swim in while allowing sanitising agents like chlorine to work effectively.
Why pH Balance Is Important for Swimmers and Equipment
Low pH levels can lead to skin itchiness, eye irritation, and the corrosion of metal parts. On the other hand, high pH often causes cloudy water, scaling, and the reduced effectiveness of chlorine.
Keeping the pH level of your pool in the correct range proactively helps avoid these negative effects.
What Causes Low pH in a Pool?
If the pH level in your pool dips below the ideal range, there are several reasons why this might have happened. They include the following:
Environmental Factors
Rainwater is naturally slightly acidic, especially in areas with pollution. When heavy rain enters your pool, it dilutes the water and lowers the pH.
On top of that, falling leaves, dirt, and other debris break down in the water. They release organic acids that also reduce the water’s pH levels.
Overuse of Chlorine or Acidic Chemicals
Using too much chlorine, muriatic acid, or sodium bisulfate (pH decreaser) can skew the balance. While these chemicals help keep your pool clean, overdoing it can make the water too acidic. Even stabilised chlorine can slowly lower pH over time.
Poor Water Circulation or Filtration
When your pool pump or filter isn’t running effectively, carbon dioxide can build up in the water. This can lead to a lower pH. Stagnant water also makes it harder for added chemicals to circulate evenly, which potentially leaves certain areas with more acidity than others.
Signs Your Pool’s pH Is Too Low
Aside from being a scientific issue, low pH in your pool water can lead to visible damage and uncomfortable swimming conditions.
Thankfully, there are a few clear signs that your pool’s pH is too low. They include the following:
Eye or Skin Irritation
Some of the most common signs of low pH are itchy skin, burning eyes, or irritation of the mucous membranes after swimming. Acidic water can strip the natural oils from your skin and make your pool less enjoyable for everyone.
Corrosion of Pool Surfaces or Equipment
Low pH water is aggressive and corrosive. It can eat away at metal fixtures, damage your pool surface, and reduce the lifespan of equipment like ladders, filters, and heaters.
Unstable Chlorine Levels
Low pH also influences the effectiveness of your pool’s chlorine, which causes it to break down too quickly. This leads to inconsistent sanitising, cloudy water, and the need to constantly add more chlorine, which costs you time and money.
How to Test the pH Level in Your Pool
Before you start Googling terms like “how much baking soda to use” or adding chemicals like hydrochloric acid or cyanuric acid to your pool, it’s important to know where its pH currently sits.
Regular testing helps you maintain the correct pH and avoid the negative effects of water that’s too acidic or too alkaline. There are a few different tools you can use, including the following:
Using Test Strips
Test strips are a handy tool for quick results. Simply dip a strip into a water sample from elbow-depth, wait a few seconds, and compare the colours to the chart on the packaging. These are ideal for regular checks but may not be as precise as other methods.
Using Liquid Test Kits
Liquid kits involve adding a few drops of reagent to a small sample of pool water and observing the colour change. These kits are more accurate than strips and can also measure alkalinity levels, chlorine, and other elements of your water chemistry.
Using an Electronic Meter
Electronic pH meters give the most accurate pH readings of all these methods because they use electronic sensors. Just dip the probe into a water sample and let the screen display the pH level.
How Often Should You Test Your Pool’s pH?
It’s best to test your pool’s pH level at least two to three times a week, especially during the swimming season.
However, factors like rain, the chemicals added, and how often you use the pool can shift its pH levels quickly, so there is no harm in doing so more regularly.
How to Raise pH in Pool Water (Step-by-Step)
If your pool’s pH is too low, you’ll need to raise it carefully without disrupting the total alkalinity. Here is what you should do.
Step 1: Retest & Confirm pH Reading
Use a reliable test kit, test strips, or an electronic meter to confirm that your pH is below the recommended 7.2–7.8 range.
Step 2: Choose the Right Chemical (Soda Ash or Baking Soda)
To raise pH, use soda ash (sodium carbonate). Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is better for raising alkalinity, not just pH.
Step 3: Measure the Correct Amount to Add
Check the manufacturer’s instructions and your pool size to determine the right dose. Always measure carefully.
Step 4: Safely Add the Chemical to Your Pool
Dissolve the chemical in a bucket first, then pour it evenly around the pool while the pump is running.
Step 5: Allow Water to Circulate & Retest After 4–6 Hours
Let the water circulate fully, then retest the pH level in your swimming pool to ensure it sits within the ideal range.
How pH and Alkalinity Are Related
When managing your pool water, pH and total alkalinity go hand in hand. Therefore, it is important to get one right without upsetting the other.
What Is Alkalinity?
Alkalinity refers to the water’s ability to neutralise acids. It acts as a buffer to stabilise pH levels.
How Alkalinity Affects pH Stability
If alkalinity is too low, pH levels can swing up and down easily. High alkalinity, on the other hand, makes it difficult to adjust pH at all.
How to Raise Alkalinity Without Overshooting pH
Use baking soda, not soda ash, to raise alkalinity gently without spiking the pool’s pH.
Safety Tips for Handling pH Chemicals
When adjusting your pool’s pH, you’re working with chemicals that can be hazardous if not handled properly. Follow these safety tips to protect yourself and your pool during maintenance.
Always Use Gloves & Goggles
Always protect your skin and eyes when handling soda ash, muriatic acid, or other pH products because accidental splashes can cause irritation or burns.
Add Chemicals Slowly and Safely
Never bring water to chemicals. Instead, do it the other way around. Pour slowly near a return jet and do not add multiple products at once.
Keep Chemicals Stored in a Cool, Dry Place
Make sure you store products securely away from children, pets, and direct sunlight. Regularly check containers for leaks or damage.
pH Maintenance Best Practices
The process of how to increase pH in pool water is much easier when you build a simple routine into your pool maintenance plan. These best practices keep the chemistry of your water stable, your equipment protected, and everyone safe while swimming.
Test Water Weekly
Use reliable test strips or a liquid test kit every week to track pH, alkalinity, and chlorine loss. It is important to catch pH increaser imbalances early before they become bigger headaches.
Check After Heavy Rain or Pool Parties
Storms and extra swimmers dilute chemicals, introduce debris, and affect hydrogen ions. Be sure to retest and adjust the pH straight after bad weather or a big gathering to avoid sudden drops.
Maintain Proper Chlorine & Alkalinity Levels
Keep free chlorine in the recommended range and total alkalinity between 80–120 ppm. Balanced alkalinity prevents pH swings and helps chlorine work efficiently.
