Introduction; Water Chemistry - IPS Controllers M920CA Owner's Manual

M920 & M920W pH/Dual ORP Controller Owner's Manual
CA CA
I. Introduction
A. Water Chemistry
Water chemistry is a complex science that contains many variables.
These variables not only affect the water environment itself, but they
can have adverse effects on your equipment as well as your health.
These are only some of the factors which we follow closely to ensure the
most healthy water interactions:
pH is the measurement of the acidity or basicity in an aqueous solution.
A measurement below 7 is considered acid, while a measurement above
7 is base or alkaline. It is a significant factor in determining the water
quality as it affects sanitizer levels, water color, and human reaction to
the water.
ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) is the measurement of the oxidizing
capacity present in water. ORP cannot be fooled by the effects of pH,
total dissolved solids (TDS), stabilizers, and non-chlorine oxidizers.
A typical ORP sensor measures Hypochlorous Acid (HOCI), which is
the more effective component of free chlorine. A higher ORP reading
equates to the sanitizer working more effectively.
Water balance is comprised of pH, calcium hardness, total alkalinity,
temperature, and TDS. When water is balanced, the Langelier Saturation
Index is 0. Values above +0.3 lead to scaling and cloudy water, while
values below -0.3 can cause corrosion of pool equipment and surfaces. If
the water balance is not fixed in a timely manner, secondary effects can
lead to rapidly declining water conditions that can affect the health of
the water occupants.
pH and ORP work conversely to one another, and are affected by other
factors such as temperature, Cyanuric Acid, and TDS that can increase
the negative impacts of unbalanced water.
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