Balanced water is the difference between a pool that’s clear, comfortable, and gentle on equipment and one that’s cloudy, irritating, or quietly corroding. You don’t need a chemistry degree — just a handle on a handful of numbers and what each one does. Here are the targets and why they matter.
Chlorine kills bacteria and algae. Keep free chlorine at 1–3 ppm. In Georgia’s hot summers, heat and swimmers consume it quickly, so test often and shock the pool (a temporary high dose) after heavy use, storms, or whenever the water looks dull.
pH measures how acidic or basic the water is; target 7.4–7.6. Too low and the water turns corrosive and stings eyes; too high and chlorine loses its punch and scale forms. pH drifts up naturally, so you’ll usually be adding acid to bring it down.
Alkalinity keeps pH stable; target 80–120 ppm. When alkalinity is right, pH stops bouncing around. Always bring alkalinity into range first, then fine-tune pH.
This is the one Georgia owners most often get wrong. Cyanuric acid protects chlorine from being destroyed by sunlight; without it, our intense summer sun can burn off your chlorine in hours. Keep it around 30–50 ppm for a traditional pool (a bit higher, 60–80 ppm, for saltwater systems). Too much, though, and chlorine becomes sluggish — so don’t overdo it.
Target 200–400 ppm. Too low and the water leaches calcium from plaster and grout; too high and you get scale. It matters most for gunite/plaster pools.
Salt pools follow the same chemistry — the salt cell just makes the chlorine for you. Balanced water also makes cleaning easier and protects everything downstream. When in doubt, bring us a water sample.
High pH (cloudy water, scale, weak chlorine): add muriatic acid or dry acid in small doses and retest. Low chlorine (algae risk, dull water): shock the pool and check that your stabilizer isn't burning it off in the sun. Cloudy water with good chlorine: usually a filtration or balance issue — clean the filter and bring alkalinity and pH into range.
Salt pools follow the same numbers — the cell just generates the chlorine. Keep salt around 3,000 ppm, run a slightly higher stabilizer (60–80 ppm) to protect the chlorine the cell makes, and clean the cell of scale once or twice a year. Everything else — pH, alkalinity, calcium — stays in the standard ranges.
Test strips are fast and fine for a quick daily check. Liquid drop kits are more accurate for dialing in balance. Digital testers split the difference with easy readouts. Whatever you use, test consistently — and when something looks off and won't correct, bring a water sample to a pro who can run a full panel.
The core four are chlorine (1–3 ppm), pH (7.4–7.6), total alkalinity (80–120 ppm), and cyanuric acid/stabilizer (30–50 ppm). Calcium hardness matters too for plaster pools.
Georgia's intense sun destroys unprotected chlorine in hours. Keep your stabilizer (cyanuric acid) in range so the chlorine lasts.
No — a salt cell makes chlorine from dissolved salt. The chemistry targets are the same; you just handle far less stored chemical.
CraftYourPool designs and builds custom in-ground pools across Northeast Georgia from our home base in Braselton — factory-direct pricing, a full 3D design of your actual backyard before you commit, and pool-ready in 6–8 weeks. We’re a licensed Georgia residential contractor and certified Pentair installer. See financing options or get a free consultation — call (762) 425-9249.
