A Note About Ideal Water Chemistry:

All of the chemical parameters listed below must be considered in relation to all the other parameters. All of these parameters work together as a system, none stand alone. For instance, to maintain good water balance indexes, low pH in pool water must be offset by a higher calcium hardness. High Total Alkalinity makes pH more difficult to change, but pH will rise a bit easier than it will go down when pool water has high TA levels. Chlorine is more effective (i.e. produces more HOCL and a higher ORP) at a lower pH, but the lower pH affects water balance. In a sense, there is really no "ideal" chemical level; there is only "ideal" results from a combination of the different parameters that produce safe, effectively sanitized pool water with a good ORP and non-damaging water balance.