10 Pool maintenance tips

Without a proper maintenance routine, your pool could succumb to a variety of less-than-luxurious conditions such as green water, broken filters and algae build up, just to name a few.

Here are 10 pool maintenance tips that you need to try.

1. Make skimming and scrubbing a part of life

For a truly pristine pool, skimming leaves and debris off the surface of the water should be done daily. If you have a bit of money to spend, consider buying a robot vacuum that will clean the bottom of the pool for you. In addition to skimming, you need to scrub the sides of the pool to prevent algae build-up. You can get away with scrubbing once every other week. For those particularly stubborn spots fill an old sock with chlorine and let it sit on top of the spot for a few hours before scrubbing once more.

2. Think of the filter as your pool’s kidneys

Just as your kidneys are constantly working to remove impurities from your body, your pool’s filter is responsible for removing impurities from the water – think dirt, leaves, and even small toys. Most of the time, the pool can be cleaned by turning off the filter, removing the filter cap located on the pool deck, lifting out the filter basket, and removing any debris before replacing everything. It’s best to clean out your filter basket at least once a week. Once a month you’ll also want to clean out the pipes used by your filter system, which you can do by backwashing. To do so, simply set your filter to backwash, remove the leaf basket and clean it out. Then turn on your pump and let it run until the waste pipe ejects clear water. Turning the filter on and off too often can cause the filter’s mechanics to crack, so set your filter on a timer and allow it to run for at least six hours a day.

3. Pools need consistent chemical levels

Chemical levels are arguably one of the most important facets of pool maintenance. Improperly balanced water looks murky, irritates skin and eyes, and can cause your pool to become a breeding ground for bacteria. Ideally, you should test the water at least once a week. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are six chemical levels that need to be considered:

* Cyanuric Acid – protects chlorine from sunlight and determines the required free chlorine level. An ideal reading for outdoor pools is 30 to 50.
* Free chlorine – a sanitizer which keeps your pool water safe and free of germs.
* Acidity/alkalinity – also known as the PH level, acidity needs to be kept between 7.5 and 7.8 to prevent irritation and protect the pool equipment from eroding.
* Total alkalinity – helps keep the PH in balance. Levels should be within range of 60 to 120.
* Calcium hardness – appropriate levels help prevent plaster damage. Aim for 220 to 350, but lower for pools with vinyl siding.

Testing the water is easy. Simply buy a few testing kits from your local pool store and fill it with a sample of your pool’s water. Add the provided solution to the testing kit and close the vials. After a few seconds, your sample water will change color and a comparison of the sample water to the colors shown on the testing kit should allow you to determine the current chemical levels. You should adjust the levels, as needed, to achieve an ideal balance. When all the chemicals are properly balanced, the water should be crystal clear, have no scent and leave very little residue on your skin.

4. Try baking soda instead of chemicals

Most pool stores suggest using sodium bicarbonate to control the alkalinity of a pool without drastically reducing the PH levels. Regular baking soda does the same job as sodium bicarbonate for only a fraction of the price. All baking soda boxes even have sodium bicarbonate listed on their ingredients label. Baking soda has the same concentration of sodium bicarbonate per pound as the solutions, so the amount you’d need to add to your water would be identical.

5. Don’t be afraid to shock a cloudy pool

Shocking refers to drastically raising the chlorine levels for a short period of time to kill bacteria. It’s done by diluting three to five times the normal amount of chlorine or other chemical sanitiser with water, slowly pouring it into the pool’s return line, letting it filter throughout the pool, and then slowly refilling the pool with water over time. While shocking too often would risk damage to your pool’s siding, you should aim to shock the pool at least twice every season.

6. You need to keep an eye on the water level

You want to maintain a level that is halfway up the opening of your skimmer. If the water is too low, simply use a garden hose to add the necessary amount of water back in. If the water level is too high, rent a submergible pump from a home improvement store to drain the excess. However, if you’re pool’s liner is a vinyl or fiberglass material that could be easily damaged by the weight of the pump, consider consulting a professional. When you’ve reached the appropriate water level, remember to recheck the chemicals. The water level fluctuations will have thrown them off balance.

7. Use a tennis ball to absorb oils

When swimmers exit the pool, certain oils can get left behind in the water – suntan lotion, hair product and the natural oils produced by our skin. Simply throw a tennis ball into the water. The fibers used to make the tennis ball will help absorb the oils and keep them from leaving a slick sheen on top of the water.

8. Power wash to make the pool deck shine

You can help keep your pool deck shining by power washing. Power washing, also known as pressure washing, will help get rid of any rust or weather stains that occur over time. You can rent a power washer at any home improvement store. Start by sweeping the deck free of any errant dirt or leaves first. Set the machine on a weak to medium power spray and remove the surface debris in layers, repeating the process until the surface is clean. Overlap the areas you’ve cleaned in order to help prevent streaks. You’ll want the nozzle of the power washer several feet off the surface of the pool deck and maintain this height to prevent gouging.

9. Schedule a yearly service appointment – whether you think you need it or not

Sometimes you need to trust an expert. When it comes to your pool’s mechanical equipment, such as pumps, filters, heating systems, you may not have the proper knowledge for care. At least once a year, have a pool service professional come out to check your devices. Before your appointment, take a thorough look at your pool as a whole, making sure to use all of your senses. Compile a list of any leaks you see in the piping, holes you notice in the linear, loud sounds coming from the mechanisms, or odd smells coming from the water. Mention them to your service person in order to give him or her an idea of where to start. In the event that there is nothing amiss with your pool, the yearly service appointment may seem like a waste of money and it can be tempting to cancel, but detecting and fixing a small problem now can save you from having to fix a huge crisis later.

10. Learn how to properly winterise to prevent damage

As important as pool care is during the summer, it’s even more important to make sure that you properly secure it for winter. After all, no one wants to remove a pool cover at the start of summer only to find out that their pool has a leak or that their water is full of dangerous bacteria. Taking the right steps to properly winterise your pool can save you lots of time and money on repairs for next season. Before closing up shop in autumn, buy a water testing kit to ensure your chemicals are correctly balanced. Then blow any excess water out of your plumbing lines and invest in a cover to keep the pool free of debris.

By incorporating these pool maintenance tips into a regular cleaning routine, you can ensure that you’ll spend more time sunbathing than doing chores.

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