It’s certainly true that taking a swim in a backyard swimming pool is one of the best things in the world. It’s not only relaxing, but it also provides a bit of respite from the heat and provides the swimmer with some exercise. And that’s not even mentioning the obvious fact that it’s a whole lot of fun. Which probably explains why so many people are eager to add one to their backyard.

Owning a pool isn’t all fun and games, however. There’s quite a bit of work that goes into maintaining the pool so that its water is safe and swimmer friendly. And one of the most important things any person can do to ensure their pool is in the best condition is to use the right chemicals in it. Some of the best pool chemicals for maintaining the integrity of a pool is listed below.

Best Pool Chemicals

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10Natural Chemistry Pool Perfect+

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Thanks to this high-quality pool chemical product from Natural Chemistry, the dream of owning an algae-free pool can be brought into fruition. That’s because this product will destroy all algae and bacteria types and help return the pool’s water to a more natural state. When this product is used according to directions, it will eliminate skin and eye irritation of swimmers in the pool, help water feel silky smooth, and help clarify the water. And it does it while being a natural and non-toxic formula that uses the power of enzymes to keep pool water nice and clean.

9Clorox Pool & Spa Shock Xtra Blue

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Contained within easy-to-use pour bottles, Clorox Pool & Spa XtraBlue Shock is designed to make proper pool maintenance a snap. A 16-ounce bottle is capable of treating up to 12,000 gallons of water and return the pool to a healthy state. This product will not only kill bacteria instantly but will also kill a variety of algae types include green algae, black algae, and mustard algae. Using this product will also reduce chlorine odor and the eye irritation that far too many swimmers have to put up with. And it won’t affect the pool’s pH levels as it improves the pool’s filter performance.

8Clorox Pool & Spa pH Up

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Some people believe that Clorox is a company that only makes bleach products, but that’s simply not the case at all. They make a wide range of different products and for proof of that fact, the pool owner needs to look no further than their Pool And Spa pH Up Formula. This product is designed to not sanitize the pool, but to raise the pH levels of acidic pool water. Maintaining a proper pH level ensures that the pool’s chemicals all work as effectively as they’re designed to work, and helps to prevent eye irritation among swimmers using the pool.

7Robarb Super Blue Clarifier

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Super Blue Clarifier is a water polisher that is capable of clearing cloudy water and preventing the water from becoming hazy in the future. Cloudy water is due to microparticulate in the pool’s water, and this product helps these small particles to come together, so they’re large enough for the pool’s filter to remove. That causes the pool to instantly clean and also helps to sanitize the pool because dirt particles have been removed. Since this is a concentrated formula, it only takes an ounce to treat a 5,000-gallon pool, so it’s a very economical solution to a cloudy water problem.

6Robelle 5-In-1 Multipurpose 3-Inch Chlorine Tablets

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This 5-pound bucket contains 10 3-inch chlorine tablets that are designed to keep a person’s swimming pool nice and clean. By using this product, the average pool owner will be able to reduce the number of chemicals they add to their pool regularly and still keep the pool nice and clean. One to three of these tables is added to a pool up to 10,000 gallons in size to keep its water in good condition. This product will not only sanitize the pool but will also kill algae, help inhibit stains from forming, descale the liner and clarify the pool’s water, too.

5HTH Pool Shock Super Shock Treatment

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Although most ordinary shock treatments do a fine job of keeping a pool healthy, sometimes the pool owner needs a formula that’s a little bit stronger. A formula that does a lot more than destroy common algae formations or bacteria. A concentrated formula such as this one from HTH. This super shock treatment goes above and beyond what other shock treatments are capable of doing. It not only kills algae and bacteria, but it does it super quickly. It’s also designed to prevent scale formation, helps to soften water, and makes the water crystal clear in 24-hours or less. And best of all, it won’t over stabilize pool chemistry, a condition that can cause chlorine to lose its effectiveness.

4Clorox Pool & Spa Super Water Clarifier

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Although a pool technically doesn’t need a water clarifier to be safe for swimmers to use, it’s really easy to tell pools that use it from the pools that don’t use it. That’s because pools that don’t use a clarifier tend to be hazy and/or cloudy. Fortunately, a good clarifier will prevent that from happening and will keep the pool’s water sparkling clear. This product is designed to be such a clarifier. When added to the pool according to directions, it will cause small particles to form larger particles that are easier for the filter to remove. The result is pool water that’s crystal clear and ready for swimmers.

3In The Swim Super Pool Opening Startup Kit

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Opening a pool for the start of the summer season can not only be a labor-intensive process but it can be expensive as well. This is especially true for a new pool owner who has to suddenly buy a bunch of different pool chemicals before they can open their pool for the season. Fortunately, this kit makes that process a whole lot easier. Designed for pools up to 30,000 gallons in size, this pool kit contains everything needed to open a pool. This includes 4-pounds of chlorine shock, a quart of clarifier, two quarts of stain & rust preventer, a 1/2-gallon of non-metallic algaecide, one Sun Sorb, and a 10-pack of test strips.

2Pool Essentials Shock Treatment

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Anyone who owns a pool or who has ever owned a pool in the past knows about the process called pool shocking. It’s the process of raising the free chlorine levels in a pool high enough that they can instantly kill algae, chloramines, and bacteria. It’s recommended that pool owners add shock to their pool at least once a week during the pool season to keep it in good condition. And they can do that by adding a shock product such as this one from Pool Essentials. It’s a great pool chemical that helps the pool owner keep their swimming pool in good condition for the swimming season.

1Clorox Pool & Spa Chlorine Stabilizer

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Clorox makes so many different chlorine-based cleaning agents that it is enough to make just about anyone’s head spin. They not only make chlorine products for cleaning inside the home, but they also make products that are useful for keeping a pool in tip-top condition, so it’s not surprising that they know a thing or two about keeping chlorine stable in a swimming pool. And that’s exactly what this product does for the pool owner, it keeps the chlorine they put in their pool stable for longer periods and helps prevent it from being broken down by UV radiation from the sun.

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A Basic Guide To Pool Chemicals

When people purchase their first pool they’re overcome with happiness. Unfortunately, that happiness is soon tempered by the chores required to keep the pool in good condition. This is especially true for new pool owners who might not be familiar with what’s required to keep a pool healthy and in good condition. That’s where this guide comes can help. In this guide, we’re going to go over some of the basics of maintaining a pool, so new pool owners have a better idea of the process and can keep their pools up and running.

Tools & Chemicals Required For Proper Pool Maintenance

Even though there are many different tools a pool owner can have in their pool maintenance shed, in this guide we’re only going to focus on the tools that are absolutely necessary. Below are the tools and pool chemicals that every pool owner should own.

Tools: 

  • Telescoping Pole
  • Algae Brush
  • Manual Vacuum
  • Skimmer
  • Proper Fitting Pool Cover
  • Water Test Strips

Chemicals:

  • Pool Shock
  • Pool Sanitizers
  • Pool Stabilizers
  • Pool Algaecides
  • Pool Chemical Sets

Balancing Your Pool’s Water

The first thing that pool owners need to keep in mind is that their pool has to be balanced in order for the pool to be in a state that we’ll call perfectly balanced. Below are the three main things that the pool owner needs to balance to keep their pool in good condition. These three things include:

  • pH Levels
  • Calcium Hardness Levels
  • Alkalinity Levels

Even though there are other factors that a pool owner is going to need to balance going forward, the above factors are probably the most important factors to be considered.

Pool Shocks Are Extremely Important

The foundation of any pool maintenance routine begins with Pool Shock. This chemical mixture is added to water to destroy and deactivate harmful organic contaminants such as viruses and bacteria. Pool shock is often used to “shock” the pool water at the beginning of the season, or after the pool has seen a lot of use. Pool shocks come in two varieties: Chlorine Pool Shock and Non-Chlorine Pool Shock.

Next, Let’s Talk About Pool Sanitizers

Another important part of keeping a pool clean and healthy are Pool Sanitizers. Even though there are a variety of different sanitizers on the market nowadays, Chlorine Tablets are among the most popular ones sold. Other types of pool sanitizers include granular, liquid, and stick sanitizers.

Some people aren’t big fans of chlorine, so sometimes people use Bromine. Bromine is capable of cleaning the pool’s water, but it does it without the eye irritation and skin irritation often caused by chlorine.

Of course, there’s another option for people who don’t want to use either chlorine or bromine. For people looking for a more natural solution, there are a number of green pool sanitizers that use enzymes to keep the pool in good condition. They take a little more time to work, but they can be used effectively to keep a pool clean.

Pool Algaecides Are Also Important

Brown, yellow, and green algae not only makes the pool look horrible, but they also pose a distinct risk to humans and animals. That’s why the pool owner needs to make sure that they keep a good Algaecide on hand at all times. When used correctly, these pool chemicals not only destroy algae, but they also keep algae from reforming.

Stabilizers & Balancing Agents

The next thing for pool owners to think about are some of the water balancing chemicals they’re going to need. Sunlight, rain, evaporation, and the presence of the oil from human skin can have a dramatic effect on pool water chemistry, so consumers are going to want to make sure they have balancing agents and stabilizing agents that can put the pool’s water back in proper order. Below are some of these pool chemicals that pool owners are going to want to have on hand.

  • pH Increaser
  • pH Reducer
  • Chlorine Stabilizer
  • Water Clarifiers

Chemicals That Prevent & Remove Stains

Another thing for pool owners to consider having on hand are the pool chemicals that prevent and remove stains. Metals such as manganese, copper, cobalt, lead, silver, and nickel can discolor water and lead to scaling. That’s why consumers are going to want to keep good Pool Stain Remover and Pool Stain Prevention chemicals on hand. Calcium buildup can also wreck pool chemistry and lead to the creation of scale, so these products are good towards solving that problem as well.

Pool Chemical Kits

The last category of pool chemicals that we’d like to talk about are Pool Chemical Kits. These kits are great for opening a pool at the beginning of the swim season or closing the pool for winter. These kits usually contain premixed chemicals such as shock, algae guard, metal, and stain prevention chemicals. Some of them also come with testing strips, so pool owners can make sure their pool chemistry is correct before moving on to opening or closing their pool.

Proper Pool Chemical Levels

We wanted to conclude this guide with some of the standard pool chemical levels that consumers should know to make sure that their pools comply. With that said, below are some standard chemical levels.

  • The pH level is usually between 7.4 to 7.6
  • For chlorine pools, chlorine should be kept at 1 to 3 ppm.
  • For bromine pools, levels should be kept at 3 to 5 ppm.
  • Calcium hardness should be at 175 to 225 ppm for standard pools.
  • Calcium hardness should be at 225 to 275 ppm for plaster pools.

And That’s All Of The Basics

The above guide should provide the new pool owner with everything they need to operate the pool—or at the very least, the basics of maintaining proper pool chemistry. As is always the case, be sure to read the directions of all of the chemicals used and your pool instructions to make sure that you’re doing everything correctly. Now all that’s left to do is for you to enjoy your perfectly balanced and clean new pool.