Photo Credit: Courtesy of HACH CO./ETS-AQUACHEK
What happens when a routine water analysis indicates the water in a swimming pool or hot tub is chemically balanced, but the water appears less than perfect? Too often a pool operator’s solution is to blindly add more chemicals and perform unscheduled maintenance on equipment, which can waste precious time and money. Additional testing is often forgotten about unless it is to verify the initial result. Performing a secondary test can easily identify the root problem, making treatment more simple and cost-effective.
Let’s assume that primary routine testing includes chlorine (free and total), pH, total alkalinity, total hardness and cyanuric acid (for outdoor pools). Although not performed as frequently, cyanuric acid and hardness testing are certainly of primary importance, and should be performed on a regular basis. Additionally, if a swimming pool is maintained with phosphate-removal chemicals, the testing of phosphates is also of primary importance. Other testing is considered secondary, and often gets overlooked. Therefore, if all of the regular primary tests appear to be within specification, yet the water is still less than optimal, it is time to consider some of these secondary tests. Here are a few of the most common to consider:
- Nitrates
