Did you that rainwater is known to have acidic properties? Well it does, and this can negatively affect the overall health of your pool. The acidic rainwater can unbalance the water chemistry in your pool. The effects can range from pH balance to alkalinity levels, etc. The pH of rainwater varies across the USA, this is due in part to industrial gases, which produce nitric and sulfuric acid.
Apart from rainwater contaminating your pool, something else is much more corrosive and a bigger contaminate. When rainwater comes off of your landscape or surrounding deck area, this adds another water element that you have to deal with. When the ‘run off’ and rainwater both enter into your pool they have the ability to change the water’s pH, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids, alkalinity and other chemical levels. They also bring contaminants such as dirt and debris into your pool. Since rainwater is normally acidic, this can contaminate your pool water and the result is corrosive pool water that can damage the plaster and metal parts of your pool.
The degree of pool water chemistry issues that you might experience will depend solely on how much rain occurs. A light rain should have little to no effect on your pool water. Keep in mind that your pool water should be tested regularly to ensure that the chemistry is properly balanced at all times.
Your Next Steps
Stay ahead by testing your pool water frequently during periods of heavy rain. It’s also a great idea to drain any excess water that has occurred; maintaining the pool water at an appropriate level can help with proper skimming upkeep.
If rain is a frequent problem in your area, consider installing an outlet valve, after the pump, to pump water down to the proper skimming level. Be cautious in not draining the pool water below the skimmer as the pump could possibly run dry and cause other problems.