Chemistry & Water Balance
Why Is My Pool Cloudy? 7 Causes and How to Fix Each One
Cloudy water almost always traces back to filtration, sanitizer, or water balance, in that order. Here's how to figure out which one is yours and fix it without overdosing.
The Langelier Saturation Index: Is Your Water Balanced?
pH, chlorine, and alkalinity all being 'in range' doesn't guarantee balanced water. Here's what the Langelier Saturation Index actually measures and when it's worth checking.
Ideal Pool Chemistry Levels: The Complete Range Chart
Every pool chemistry number in one chart: ideal range, acceptable range, and what actually happens when each one drifts outside it.
What Is Cyanuric Acid and Why Does Your Pool Need It?
Cyanuric acid (CYA) is the stabilizer that keeps chlorine from burning off in sunlight, but too much of it can quietly weaken your sanitizer instead of helping it.
How to Raise Total Alkalinity in a Pool
Low total alkalinity makes pH swing unpredictably even when everything else looks fine. Here's how much baking soda to add, and why it belongs before pH on your to-do list.
How to Lower Total Alkalinity Without Crashing pH
Total alkalinity above 120 ppm makes pH stubborn and cloudy water more likely, but a rushed acid dose can send pH into a nosedive. Here's the muriatic-acid-and-aerate method that lowers one without wrecking the other.
How to Raise Pool pH (Without Overshooting It)
Low pH makes chlorine burn through faster and can etch plaster or corrode metal. Here's the calm, math-backed way to raise it with soda ash and keep it from swinging past target.
Why Won't My Chlorine Go Up No Matter How Much I Add?
If you keep dosing chlorine and the reading barely moves, the chemical usually isn't the problem. Here's how to work through the three most common causes in order.
What Causes pH Bounce and How to Stop It
If your pH swings high or low every few days no matter how often you correct it, the real problem usually isn't the pH, it's a total alkalinity level too low to hold it steady.
Salt Water Pool Chemistry: What's Different From Chlorine Pools
Salt water pools still run on chlorine, they just make it on-site. Here's what a salt cell actually does, and which numbers you still need to track by hand.
Superchlorination vs. Shocking: Is There a Difference?
Two terms, one process, and a lot of confusing product labels. Here's what superchlorination and shocking actually mean, and why the difference rarely matters to you.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in Pools Explained
TDS quietly climbs every season as chemicals, salt, and dirt build up in your water. Here's what the number actually means, and when it's worth a drain versus safe to ignore.
How to Lower Pool pH Safely
High pH scales your equipment and eats up your chlorine's effectiveness. Here's how to bring it back down with muriatic acid or dry acid, without overcorrecting.
How Often Should You Test Pool Water?
A simple testing rhythm for every season: how often to test at baseline, when to bump it up in summer, and why a hard rain changes the schedule.
How Much Chlorine to Shock a Pool
The breakpoint chlorination formula behind pool shock, in plain numbers: how the dose is calculated from your combined chlorine reading and what that means in actual gallons or pounds of product.
Green Pool to Clear: A Step-by-Step Recovery Timeline
A realistic day-by-day plan for clearing a green pool with the shock, filter, brush cycle, plus how to know when it's actually safe to swim again.
Free Chlorine vs. Combined Chlorine: What's the Difference?
Free chlorine is what's actually sanitizing your pool; combined chlorine is used-up chlorine that needs to be shocked away. Here's how to test for both and what the difference means for your water.
Calcium Hardness Too Low: Why It Matters and How to Fix It
Low calcium hardness doesn't turn water green or cloudy, but it can slowly etch a plaster pool's surface. Here's how to spot it and correct it with calcium chloride.
Calcium Hardness Too High: Scaling Signs and Fixes
High calcium hardness shows up as scale on tile and rough, cloudy water long before a test confirms it. Here's how to read the number correctly and the two real ways to bring it back down.
Best Time of Day to Test Pool Water
Sunlight and swimmers can shift a reading within hours. Here's the testing window that gives you the most trustworthy, comparable results.