With the first day of summer looming, it’s time to start thinking about pool maintenance. That’s right… along with lounging poolside in the heat of the day, enjoying the pool you’ll also be working weekly to keep your private swimming site in tip-top shape. Are you ready and able to give your pool the best of upkeep this summer? To make it easy on you, we’ve compiled a short list of do’s and don’ts on pool maintenance, helping you take great care of this leisurely investment.
DO check the chemistry of your pool often. Alkalinity, pH and calcium hardness all affect the water quality and sanitation of your pool, so be sure to check at least twice a week during the height of summertime usage.
DO check and adjust the pH level of the pool before adding any chlorine to the water. pH levels drastically affect the effectiveness of chlorine, therefore pH levels should be optimum before adding this important water-balancing chemical.
DON’T forget to brush down the tiles and walls of your pool, which can help prevent the buildup of algae. Algae growth can turn your pool a sickly shade of green, and become a slick cover on the walls and tile of the pool. Algae can be killed by a strong application of chlorine shock. Dead algae should be vacuumed instead of sent through a filter, which can be clogged by the dense material.
DO clean out filters regularly–though not too often! Backwash sand filters to remove buildup of waste materials, and improve filter efficiency. Also clean out any lint or hair trap baskets, which can also reduce filtration efficacy when clogged. Don’t backwash filters unnecessarily, which can waste water and actually prevents the filters from doing their most effective cleaning.
DON’T replace your pool water all at once. Replacing pool water in increments (say, after cleaning out filters or just before chemical analysis) keeps the pool water fresh, and can prevent a myriad of water quality issues.
DO use a flocculent or coagulants (also known as “floc agents”) if you are experiencing clouded water due to microscopic particles in the water. If you’ve ruled out all other causes of cloudy water, these minute particles–too small to be picked up by sand filters–may well be the culprit.
DON’T rely solely on chlorine to keep your pool safe and clear from contaminants. Not only are high levels of chlorine toxic to younger swimmers, excessive chlorine alone cannot kill every type of contaminant that can make you and other swimmers sick. Modern research has yielded some newer and more effective anti-bacterial and anti-viral agents such as silver and copper products, which can be used by pool owners to combat illness, and these options should be explored if you are encountering water quality or sickness issues.
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