When you bring us a water sample, we’re checking the things that actually determine whether your pool is safe, comfortable, and not slowly destroying itself.
pH tells us if your water is acidic or basic. Too low and it’s corrosive—eating away at your metal fittings, heater, and pump. Too high and your chlorine stops working, even if you have plenty of it. The ideal range is 7.2 to 7.8, which matches your body’s natural pH so swimming doesn’t burn your eyes or dry out your skin.
Chlorine is your sanitizer. It kills bacteria, prevents algae, and keeps the water safe. But free chlorine is what matters—that’s the chlorine still available to do its job. We measure that separately from total chlorine so you know if you actually have enough working sanitizer or if it’s all used up.
Total alkalinity acts like a buffer for your pH. When alkalinity is in the right range, your pH stays stable. When it’s off, your pH bounces all over the place no matter what you add. We test this because it’s the foundation of balanced water.
Calcium hardness matters more than most people realize. Too little calcium and your water gets aggressive, pulling minerals out of your pool surfaces and equipment. Too much and you get scaling—that white crusty buildup on your tile, in your filter, and on your heater element. Both extremes cost you money.
We also check cyanuric acid if you use stabilized chlorine. This protects your chlorine from burning off in the Georgia sun, but too much of it makes your chlorine ineffective. It’s a balancing act, and most home test kits don’t even measure it.