Tips on Controlling & Managing pH

Managing pH Levels in Pools, Spas, Cooling Towers, & Facility Equipment

The level of your pH is a critical component of creating a balance within your water. When this is out of whack, bad and unwanted things can take place. Not to mention that nasty tile line that can build up over time and if your water is too acidic, ugly things can happen to your pool equipment causing unwanted repairs - and hundreds of dollars spent unnecessarily.

The water's pH is a measure of its total acid-alkalinity balance, the relative proportion of acids and alkalis in the water. Simply put, water that is either too acidic or too alkaline will cause undesirable chemical reactions. If the water is too acidic, it will corrode metal equipment, cause etching on the surface materials and cause skin irritation. If the water is too alkaline, it can cause scaling on the pool surface and plumbing equipment and can cloud the water.

Additionally, both high acidity and high alkalinity alters the effectiveness of the chlorine. The chlorine won't destroy pathogens as well if the water is too alkaline, and it will dissipate much more quickly if the water is too acidic.

ECMI helps clients manage pH levels in pools, spas, ponds, cooling towers, holding tanks, etc. by implementing AquaKLEAR - P Series units on associated systems.

Do pH levels seem to fluctuate widely in your system? Much of this is directly due to bio-organisms within the system, the disinfection methods used to control them, and the chemical compounds formed in doing so. Some of these compounds can be quite hazardous, and are called Trihalomethanes (THM's). Trihalomethanes are listed as carcinogens, and are considered dangerous cancer causing agents. While swimming pools and spas are rarely checked for THM's, it is of significant concern, especially with newer filtration systems such as DE filters where traditional backwashing is significantly extended and these compounds can form in high numbers.

AquaKLEAR helps manage pH levels by enhancing flocculation, managing bacteria and other bio-organisms such as algae, within the system, and also by breaking chloramines down into free chlorine. Free chlorine is 70% more effective than chloramines in disinfection applications. Keeping chlorine (an unstable compound) in the free chlorine state and reducing backwash times can reduce chlorine usage by as much as 2/3rds. Commercial pools and spas using AquaKLEAR see a very quick and noteworthy results. Bacteria levels drop, THM's drop, and pH levels stabilize. Our best case in point scenarios are the results found with heavily used pools and children pools and spas, where these problems are often most significant. Results can be seen within days.

While claims to kill specific strains of bacteria must be backed by research and lab testing, some common forms of bacteria have been tested against in laboratory conditions with very good results, averaging in the 3-log reduction range. (99.9% kill).

The interaction of AquaKLEAR with chlorine provides significant benefit within these applications. We will continue to test against various forms of bacteria to determine what areas AquaKLEAR with Hydropath Technology can be effective, where it may not be, and how it can improve the performance of other disinfection technologies.

AquaKLEAR should be considered a secondary disinfection system! (such as Ozone or UV technologies) Primary disinfection must be incorporated to prevent risk of cross-infection. Further research is being conducted in this area. Pool and spa owners should note that in field case studies on operating systems, bacteria levels have been significantly reduced with no explanation other than the implementation of the AquaKLEAR-P unit. At this time we simply say "try it, and see the results for yourself". We recommend the best place for an organization, such as hospitality service, to start may be with a "children's pool" or spas, where bacteria and pH levels have been a more significant problem. Once you see the results, you will be very impressed.

AquaKLEAR:

Acts to stabilize pH levels in various applications.
Has been observed to Kill various types of bacteria an organisms of concern as it passes the AquaKLEAR unit.
Continues to control bacteria if the associated system cycles the water at a faster rate than various forms of bacteria can propagate.
Will remove limescale from the piping system.
Continues to keep limescale from forming within the system.
Keeps equipment operating at peek efficiency.
Reduces costs for chemicals to control pH and bacteria and reduces scheduled cleaning cycles of facility equipment.
Reduces backwash time considerably.