Please explain "sparkling"

[davethomaspilot]

Ok, I'm an engineer...

Can someone explain what is meant by "sparkling" water?

I understand water clarity. It can easily be measured. Does "sparkling" mean "apparently perfect" clarity?

Or is this referring to reflections that occur on water ripples when the sun is shining?

If it's the latter, how/why does "sparkling" depend on water chemistry?

Thanks!

 

[RobbieH]

Refraction and reflection of sunlight. When the water is properly balanced and extremely clear, it will sparkle. Think of a very clear diamond vs. an occluded gem.

Between the look and smell of the pool water, I can tell if everything is in balance without testing.

And yes, I still test.

 

[paulmaz]

Does pH affect the look of the water? I thought I read that somewhere.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I still want a "like" button. Well said RobbieH!

 

[Razorhog]

Here is my pool sparkling:

 

[RobbieH]

Does pH affect the look of the water? I thought I read that somewhere.

It can. If pH is off, I have found that it can cause cloudiness, especially if CH is high. If I walk out and my water isn't sparkling, pH is the first culprit that comes to my mind, and most of the time it has been the issue. That or I haven't been running my robot.

This is an old picture before the deck grout repair, replaster, and new waterline tile, but this is my idea of sparkling. Note, that main drain you see there is 9 FEET below the surface.

 

[Mr Bruce]

Another one

When it's calm it looks empty, when it's rippling it looks like a diamond.

 

[davethomaspilot]

So, can the water clarity be identical, but one pool "sparkle" and the other not?

When the water is properly balanced and extremely clear, it will sparkle

So "sparkle" is just a synomym for extremely clear?

What I think of as "sparkling" depends not only on water clarity but on pool bottom color, ambient light, and surface wavelets. Reflections, in other words.

Asking a different way, if water clarity between two pools is identical, can one sparkle and another not? Because of ph? Any theory behind this?

 

[poolnewbies5874]

Good explanation and picture Robbie! That's what I had in my mind when I referred to sparkling water in another post...

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[RobbieH]

Asking a different way, if water clarity between two pools is identical, can one sparkle and another not? Because of ph? Any theory behind this?

Yes, as stated above. If balance is off, including pH, it will make a difference. And as stated, if pH is off, it can cause clouding, especially if CH is high. I see cloudy water, I immediately think pH.

 

[JVTrain]

Ok, I'm an engineer...

Funny how I knew that just by reading the thread title! engineers!

 

[RobbieH]

"Is the glass half empty or half full?"

Engineer: It has a 50% safety factor.

 

[Philo]

A Pool Guy: The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[RobbieH]

A Pool Guy: The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

I was thinking he would say "Throw a trichlor tablet in it and it'll be fine"

 

[pooldv]

Re: Please explain "sparkling"

A Pool Guy: The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

LOL!!!!!!!

In the words of Emeril. Sparkling is ANOTHER notch, TFPC style. Once you see it you will know. I have sparkling water pics and stupid clear night time pics in my build thread below.

 

[censored]

Friggin engineers... lol

 

[poolneophyte]

Refraction and reflection of sunlight. When the water is properly balanced and extremely clear, it will sparkle. Think of a very clear diamond vs. an occluded gem.

Between the look and smell of the pool water, I can tell if everything is in balance without testing.

And yes, I still test.

Well said. I do the same. If I'm in the water and get my nose right down to the surface, I can smell if there is a problem. The other side of having perfectly clear water is that you can see every spec of dirt (or liner wrinkle) on the bottom and that can drive a person crazy!

 

[RobbieH]

Took some pics tonight. Reminder, that robot is 9' under. If you look closely, you can see the stone and shell in the Primera Stone even in the deep picture. Those are TINY stones. (and polished!)

 

[pooldv]

Nice pool!

 

[mgmoore7]

Another one

When it's calm it looks empty, when it's rippling it looks like a diamond.

What is floating in your pool?