Table Of Contents
The Importance Of Pool Maintenance
Pools are important places, especially for recreational purposes. They also add a fantastic look to homes and could be a great sign of prestige. However, this is only possible if the pools are clean. Indeed, no one would like the sight of a pool with green and murky water.
A dirty pool, say with algae growth, tough calcium deposits, and other debris, may not only give an unpleasant look but could also be harmful to your health and that of your family. Similarly, dirt, debris, and algae could reduce the life span of your pool. Looking after a pool requires commitment and proper maintenance.
With the right tools, knowledge, and skills, you can never go wrong in effectively maintaining your pool and keeping it in good condition. Today we bring you the best approaches in pool care.
Pool Water Circulation
Circulation of your pool water is one of the first considerations in effective pool maintenance. Pool water circulation is essential in keeping a clean water pool. This is because when the water is stagnant, it encourages the growth of algae in the pool.
A pool circulatory system comprises a pool filter, a pool pump, a skimmer, and jets. Each of these parts is essential in keeping a clean pool and maintaining good water quality.
You need to run the pool pump for about 8-12 hours a day for efficient pool water circulation. Frequent operation of the filtration system reduces the growth rate of algae. In the same vein, it would be best to run the pump more frequently during warm seasons or when you live in warm regions.
Furthermore, it is a great idea to clean the pool filter often. Always ensure to backwash your filter, and if you prefer using a cartridge filter. Another step for efficient pool water circulation is cleaning the skimmer basket. The skimmer easily catches debris.
Skimmer baskets need to be clean to facilitate the efficient operation of the pump. Clogging in the baskets would interfere with pump operation. Before cleaning the skimmer basket, you need to turn off the pool pump. Remove the basket under the lid of the skimmer, clean it thoroughly, then replace it.
It will help if you clean the pump basket after some time, though not frequently. Lastly, it is always best to angle the pool jets to facilitate efficient pool water circulation. To enable water circulation circularly, you need to ensure that the pool jets face away from the pool skimmer.
Circulation of water in this manner allows the water to rotate, thus efficient removal of debris. Further, the circular motion enables the angling of the jets downwards for adequate circulation at the bottom of the pool. You can angle the pool’s jets to point towards any direction of the pool that does not receive enough water.
Effective Pool Cleaning
Pool cleaning is the next vital step in effective pool maintenance. There are various approaches to cleaning a pool; vacuuming, shocking, brushing and skimming the leaves and debris off the pool. Most people carry out manual pool cleaners, while others opt for robotic pool cleaners.
Skimming off leaves and debris
Leaves and debris are prone to getting into the pool, especially if the pool is in the backyard. However, you can easily remove these by skimming them off the pool. To remove leaves and debris, use a leaf skimmer with a long handle to gather all the leaves, dead insects, or debris off the surface of the water. You could also use a net if you do not have a skimmer.
Always ensure that you remove all the debris before they sink to the bottom of the pool, where removing them is difficult. Other people prefer not having trees around the pool to prevent debris from getting into the pool water. However, if you choose this option, it would be best to trim the trees to reduce the number of debris and leaves that can get into the pool water.
Brushing the walls of the pool
The walls of the pool, ladders and other fixtures are prone to algae and scaling. These could interfere with the appearance and cleanliness of your pool, making it look unpleasant.
However, through brushing, it would be possible to remove and prevent algae growth and scaling on the walls of the pools, steps, ladder, or below the skimmer. It will help if you brush the dirt towards the main drain for easy and efficient vacuuming.
Vacuuming the pool
Pool vacuuming helps in removing debris that stains the pool and reduces water circulation. There are two ways of pool vacuuming; manual vacuuming and automatic vacuuming. When using a manual vacuum, it is best to submerge the hose and head of the vacuum before fixing the vacuum to the filter.
Then, hook the vacuum to the filter while ensuring that the hose does not float. After that, vacuum the bottom of the pool in the same manner as mowing the lawn. It would help to move slowly to ensure you remove all the debris. Using automatic vacuums is easier since you only need to plug in the pool cleaner, which will do the rest.
There are three types of automatic vacuums; pressure, robotic, and suction. A pressure vacuum uses a pressure line from a filtration system to move all over the pool. The operation of pressure vacuums requires pool pumps. Robotic vacuums use electric power and do not depend on the pool’s filtration system. Finally, suction vacuums rely on the pool’s filtration system and work best when attached to a skimmer or a suction port.
Pool Water Balancing
Another factor to consider in the effective maintenance of a pool is maintaining the proper chemical balance.
pH Level
The first factor is maintaining the correct pH of the pool water. Pool water should have a pH range of 7.0 to 7.6. Low pH would lead to much acidity, which could, in turn, corrode the pool. On the other hand, a higher pH would lead to too much alkalinity, contributing to problems such as scaling, growth of algae, and loss of chlorine effect.
It will help if you check your pool’s pH every week. There are commercial pool balancers that are effective in balancing the pH of the pool water. However, it would probably be best if you were keen to ensure you read and understand the directions of use on the label.
Similarly, ensure you have the proper attire before using such substances since some could be toxic when misused.
Phosphates
Have you ever noticed the water in your pool or other people’s pools turning green and cloudy? Do you know what causes that? Phosphates are essential to maintain clean water in a pool. However, too many phosphates increase algae growth rate; thus, the green colour you see.
It is thus important to ensure you get the chemistry right for your pool.
Calcium
This is another vital chemical for the proper maintenance of a pool. Once again, it would help if you were very keen on balancing the calcium level in your pool. High calcium hardness levels lead to tough calcium deposits, which are a problem when brushing the pool. On the other hand, too low calcium hardness may damage the pool’s plaster finish.
Chlorine
Chlorine usable in pools exists in different varieties; powder, liquid, and tablets. It is easier to use chlorine tablets since you only need to drop the tablets in the dispenser, place the lid and leave it to float on the water. However, it would help if you did not panic when it comes to the other two varieties.
In most cases, there are always directions for use on the packages for each chlorine variety. It is best to strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions on using that specific type. Chlorine helps in breaking down hazardous bacteria in the pool water.
It is also an effective pool sanitiser. However, too much of it irritates the eyes and skin thus could be dangerous to you and your family. You could also use Bromine instead of Chlorine; however, Bromine is more expensive but is kinder to the skin and does not have a strong smell.
It is always best to keep stable levels of your pool sanitiser. There are several commercial test kits that you could use to check your pool sanitiser levels. However, if you are still not sure, it would help if you asked your pool manufacturer or a professional pool cleaner.
When To Contact A Professional
As mentioned above, you can entirely look after your pool by yourself. This not only saves time but also is cost-effective. However, remember that the DIY method always requires a high level of keenness and keeping the procedures right. Slight or gross errors could easily lead to damages or injuries, thus more expenses.
Other people may also not have the time to self-maintain their pools. Therefore, it would help if you hired a professional pool maintainer. Such experts use tested and effective pool cleaners to ensure the cleanliness and compliancy of your pool as well as your and your family’s safety.
