Orlando Pool Chemistry: The Numbers That Matter

Common target ranges: free chlorine 2–4 ppm, pH 7.2–7.6, total alkalinity 80–120 ppm, calcium hardness 200–400 ppm, cyanuric acid 30–50 ppm. Follow test-kit and product instructions.

Central Florida tap water is hard and alkaline out of the tap — expect to fight rising pH more aggressively than owners in soft-water regions.

Test more frequently during hot months and after tropical storms. Keeping the basics in range makes most other Orlando pool problems easier to solve.