Optimal Swimming Pool Chemical Ranges for Pools

Keep your pool's chemical readings in these ranges:

PH: 7.2 to 7.8

Alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm

Calcium Hardness: 175-250 ppm

Cyanuric Acid or Conditioner: 30-50 ppm

Chorine residual: 1.0 to 1.5 ppm; up to 2.0 in the summer

Combined chlorine: 0 ppm.

Total Dissolved solid: 2500ppm

Chemicals needed
1. Sanitizers:
These are the chemicals that you use to keep water sanitized and disinfected. There should be a constant
level of chlorine (or bromine) in the water at all times, without a lot of peaks and valleys.

1. TriChlor: 3” tabs, or 1” tabs or sticks. With cyanuric acid. Add them to a chlorine floater or a
installed chlorinator.
2. DiChlor: granular. With cyanuric acid. Powdered form acts quickly to chlorinate pools, fountains or
spas.
3. Bromine: 1” tabs. Great for spas; works better in hot water, and can be regenerated by shocking.
More pH stable as well.
Cyanuric Acid: Liquid or dry chlorine stabilizer. Protects chlorine from damage by UV rays. Small
amounts are added to dichlor and trichlor; add extra if pool was drained, to maintain 30-50 ppm. Drain
some water and refill if CYA levels get much higher than 50 ppm.

4. Oxidizers:
Oxidizers are the secondary sanitizer, used every few weeks to kill algae and bacteria. Chlorine or Non-
Chlorine shocks are in a powdered form, just open the bag and pour it into the pool.

1. Calcium Hypochlorite: Called Hypo

Pool shock is used to quickly sanitize pool water, boost chlorine levels and kill algae. Works best with a low
pH level of around 7.2.
 2. Chlorine Free Shock:
Granular potassium monopersulfate (non- chlorine). A fast acting oxygen based sanitizer that burns
clean with no residue, and you can swim right after treatment. Potassium monopersulfate weekly at a rate
of 1 lb. per 10,000 gallons of pool water. Potassium monopersulfate is acidic, with a pH of 2.3 to 3.
Recommended pool pH levels should be at 7.4 to 7.6. If you use potassium monopersulfate to shock your
pool, you'll also need to raise its pH levels. Raise a swimming pool's pH by adding 6 oz. of sodium
carbonate per 10,000 gallons of water.

3. Lithium Shock:
Lithium hypochlorite. This one is great for pools with liners because it won’t bleach the liner, and also
dissolves right away so is safe to swim right after treatment.

 pH Increaser: Granular Soda Ash. Increase pH when levels fall below 7.2 ppm. 1 lb of pH Up will
raise pH about 1-click, from 7.2 to 7.3 for example, in 10000 gals of pool water.

 pH Reducer: Granular Sodium Bisulfate, or Dry Acid. Reduce pH when levels rise above 7.6 ppm.
Also used to lower total alkalinity.
1 lb pH Down will lower pH about 3-clicks, from 7.8 to 7.5 for example, in 10000 gals of pool water.

 Alkalinity Increaser: Granular Sodium Bicarbonate. Raise total alkalinity when levels fall below 80
ppm. 1 lb of Alkalinity Increaser will raise TA by about 10 ppm, in 10000 gals of pool water.

 Alkalinity Reducer: Sodium bisulfate will reduce TA by about 10 ppm, in 10000 gals of pool water.
1 lb of Alkalinity reducer will reduce TA by about 10 ppm, in 10000 gals of pool water

 Calcium Hardness Increaser: Granular Calcium Chloride. Raise Calcium hardness when levels
fall below 150 ppm. 1 lb. of Calcium Increaser will raise CH by about 10 ppm, in 10000 gals of pool
water.
The calcium hardness can be reduced by dilution with fresh mains water

 Chlorine Neutralizer: 1 lb. of Granular Sodium Thiosulfate. Use if chlorine concentration becomes
too high.
 1 lb. of Thiosulfate will lower free chlorine levels by about 10 ppm, in 10000 gals of pool water.
Water Balancers:
To keep your water in balance, you should test the pool several times per week for chlorine and pH levels,
and adjust as needed. Test total alkalinity every few weeks or if you have pH troubles, and test calcium
hardness and cyanuric acid levels every month.
Specialty Chemicals:
Algaecides:
Helps to prevent algae from growing in your pool – use pool shock to kill algae, and algaecides to keep it
from returning.
Clarifiers: Clarifiers
Coagulate tiny particles into bigger particles that can be trapped in the pool filter. Flocculants attract
particles into heavy clumps that sink to the floor for vacuuming to waste.
Enzymes:
Enzymes like Pool Perfect break down oils and other forms of non-living organic contamination from the
water, removing scum, oils and odors.
Filter Cleaners:
Used to clean sand, D.E., and cartridge filter elements to keep your filter working well. Removes oils,
minerals, metals and other filter clogging gunk.
Metal Magnets:
Sequestering agents are used to lock-up trace metals from the water and keep them in solution, so they
don’t stain your pool surfaces.
Phosphate Removers:
Products like PhosFree break down phosphates in the water. Phosphates are the primary food source for
algae. Without food, algae can’t survive.
Stain Removers:
Prevents or removes surface stains, scaling, and colored water due to minerals and metals in the water.
We have over 15 different pool stain chemicals.
Tile & Vinyl Cleaner:
Works great to help remove oils and grease build up around the water line, or on furniture, skimmers, diving
boards and slides. Cleaner won’t affect pool chemistry.
Start Up Kits and Closing Kits:
When it comes to opening and closing the pool, or stocking up for the season, check out our chemical
value packs that contains everything you need!
What Chemicals Should be Kept On-Hand?
 Chlorine tablets and pool shock
 Pool pH Up and/or pH Down
 Test strips or test kit

Every pool will also need other chemicals to raise calcium, cyanuric or alkalinity levels, usually once per
year – and clarifiers, enzymes, algaecides can be an important part of the overall routine, or are especially
handy when you’re in a pinch!