By Josette Keelor — Daily Staff Writer

Anyone who owns a pool knows that it takes a lot to keep that cool, clean water staying that way. Just a simple breeze can quickly add pollen, leaves and even dirt to the pool, and only a few swimmers in the water can make it unsanitary.

Never fear, though. You can keep your summer sanctuary safe and crystal clear, with a few tips from the professionals.

Check pH levels

The pH level of a pool measures how acidic or alkaline the water is and ultimately how safe it is. According to Jim Butcher, co-owner of The Pool & Ski Stop Inc. in Winchester, it takes only a simple test to know whether the pH in your pool is safe and efficient. The test can be administered by two methods, dipping a strip of paper into the pool water and then comparing colors on the strip, or collecting pool water in a vial and comparing colors on the side of the cylinder.

"The ideal pH is 7.4. So we say from 7.2 to 7.6," says Butcher. "That's very critical when it comes to a chlorine pool, because getting out of that balance means that the sanitation is diminished."

Too much chlorine can be poisonous, though, Butcher says.

"It also causes burning eyes," he says. A good indication of a pool that has too much chlorine is if it has a strong smell, he says.

Adding city or well water to a pool might also raise the pH of the water to unsafe levels, Butcher says, because treated water already has a high pH to kill bacteria and plant organisms.

Joe DeFrange, of Stephens City, had a pool for about six years before having a new one built this year. Along with his new pool, he purchased an automatic system that adds chemicals to the pool daily. Having the automatic system removes the guesswork from the equation, says DeFrange.

"We were kind of overmedicating," he says of how he and his wife cared for their first pool. "I used to have to do it all the time," he says of testing the water.

The automatic system does it for him, which he says not only saves him time but also does a more thorough job of cleaning the pool.

"Even though I have the automatic system, I still take the water down and they test it for me," he says of taking samples to The Stop about every two months. "They tell me what I need, I come home, adjust it; I'm good to go," says DeFrange.

Automatic systems are not for everyone, though. Julie Teets, of Stephens City, has an automatic system for her pool, but she doesn't use it anymore, preferring to add the chemicals and test the pH herself with a strip test.

Filter out debris

Even with the right pH, pool water might not seem inviting if it's cloudy or murky. Often the cloudiness is caused by turbidity, which Butcher describes as particles suspended in water. As sunlight hits the water, he says, it creates the cloudiness.

"Turbidity can come from people using [the pool], from algae, from dirt; it can come from minerals," says Butcher.

"A lot of dirt in the air; [it] makes the water cloudy," says DeFrange. He uses a sand filter, which Butcher says will filter the water at a rate of 98 gallons per minute and will turn over all the water in DeFrange's pool within four hours.

"That's the secret to a clean pool — filtration," says Butcher.

Sand filters are the most common type of filter that Butcher sells at The Stop, and what both DeFrange and Teets use in their pool systems. Butcher says that pool owners might also consider diatomaceous earth filters, which have to be replenished every few weeks, or cartridge filters, which he says are better for smaller pools.

Cloudy water has other causes than just turbidity, says Butcher.

"Minerals can cause it, too," Butcher says, naming iron as a likely suspect. Other minerals that might show up in a pool are copper, manganese and calcium.

"Calcium is pretty prevalent in water around here," Butcher says. It will affect the chemical balance in water if it's too high, he says.

As Teets found out a few years ago, gardens close to the pool might also contaminate it.

"It was the red mulch," she says, which she did not immediately discover. "The thing is, we weren't getting mulch in the pool." Mold spores from the mulch were tracked into the pool by swimmers, she says, and the spores contaminated the water.

"We fought that for two years," she says.

After trying many sanitizers and eventually destroying the mold spores, Teets decided to drain the pool, just to be sure it would be safe.

Safe chemistry

The best way to prevent algae or other growths in a pool is by using the correct sanitizers in the right amount.

"Preventative maintenance is pretty simple and less costly," Butcher says.

The first and most common pool sanitizer is chlorine. Chlorine oxidizes and sanitizes a pool by chemically removing organic debris, such as body waste, and destroying organisms that are harmful to people, according to Butcher.

"Chlorine, of course, is a harsh substance," he says. "In the water, because it's so small an amount, it's not that aggressive."

It should, however, be handled with caution, Butcher says. Following the label on the bottle is the best way to ensure safety, he says. Chlorine in powder form is the most convenient, Butcher says. Next is liquid, followed by gas, which he says is very dangerous to handle.

"There are a few sanitizers that are a little more friendly than chlorine," he says. "We have several nonchlorine sanitizers that are friendly enough that they don't even harm the body."

One is biguanide, which Butcher says is used in hospitals and in contact lens solution. The brand of biguanide that The Stop sells is Baquacil.

"It's a chemical that has to be treated with caution but does not have a danger label," says Butcher. Any chemical, even those considered benign, should be treated per instruction, he says.

Butcher says that some pool owners might find the chemical more useful than chlorine because it does not evaporate.

"Chlorine is a gas and will gas off the water," he says. "That's why you smell it." The hotter the weather the faster chlorine evaporates, so the more you need, Butcher says.

If your pool water is cloudy, test it to determine if the problem is turbidity or a growth, Butcher says. If it is a growth, you will need to use a chemical to fix the problem; if the problem is turbidity, filtration is the answer.

"What you normally see in water is algae and some fungus," Butcher says of plants growing in a pool. The most common kind is green algae, he says, and it will turn your pool green. Other kinds that might grow in your pool are black and pink algae, Butcher says.

He recommends using an algaecide to rid your pool of algae, though the type you need will depend on the type of algae, he says.

"You need to kill it and then filter it out," he says. "If you can see it, there's a lot ... and algae will double in itself in 20 minutes," he says.

*Contact Josette Keelor at jkeelor@nvdaily.com