pH Made Easy

Note: A newer and more up-to-date version of this article can be found here.

This Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies video will teach you all about pH, and how to make sure it stays within the proper range.

Test your water using a test kit or test strips.
Adjust your pH until it reaches 7.4 – 7.6. To raise low pH levels use Leslie's Soda Ash and to lower pH levels apply Leslie's Dry Acid.
Having a low pH can damage your pool.
A high pH can cause cloudy water or scale formation.
Test your pH by using test strips, test kits, or bring a sample into your local Leslie’s store and have it tested for free.

If you have any other questions about water testing, visit lesliespool.com or reach out to one of our knowledgeable staff members at one of our 900 stores.

Video transcription:

In order to keep your pool water clean, safe and ready to enjoy you have to make sure that the water is properly balanced. Water chemistry is an important part of taking care of your pool. A proper water balance make sure that everybody's comfortable when swimming. That's especially important for pH. You may remember from science class that ph tells how acidic or alkaline a solution is.

Human tears have a pH of about 7.5. Lemon juice which is very acidic and has a pH between 2 and 2.5. That's why your eyes sting whenever you get lemon juice in. The Ideal range for pH for your pool water is between 7.4 and 7.6.

Now when your pH is out of balance it can cause a lot of discomfort for the people swimming in your pool. Itchy skin and red irritated eyes are the most common complaint but it can also damage your pool. Low pH can cause vital liners to stretch and stains and etching on the plaster. High pH can cause cloudy water or scale formation.

You’ll also notice that when your ph is out of balance your chlorine is not as effective. So you wind up using more chemicals. You can test your pH by using test strips or test kits that you can find in any Leslies store or you can bring in a sample of your water to one of our stores and have it tested for free.

If your pH is low, you can add Leslies Soda Ash to help raise it. If your pH is high, you can add Leslie's Dry Acid or Muriatic Acid which is a liquid to help lower the pH.

Always read and follow label instructions when adding any chemicals to your pool. They contain important safety information as well as proper dosage and application instructions.

Thanks for watching. Our goal at Leslie's is to make pool care easy. For more information visit any of our retail stores or our website lesliespool.com