13/05/2016The Simple Pool Care Guide for the 2016 Season
No pool owner can get through the summer without a trustworthy pool care guide at their side. Summer is the perfect time to open up your pool and enjoy hot days cooling off in cold water, relaxing with family and friends, and having evening barbecues. Not taking the time to properly maintain your pool, however, can lead to expensive repairs and pose a hazard to your health and safety. Not maintaining your pool poses a threat to the environment and surrounding eco-system. A trustworthy pool care guide helps you avoid all of these issues.
Follow these tips in this simple pool care guide to keep your pool maintained this summer season.
1. Keep the pH Balanced
It is important to keep your pool’s pH level balanced. The pH level represents the concentration of Hydrogen ions in a body of water. A neutral pH level is considered to be 7, while an acidic level is between 8-14, and an alkaline level is between 1-6. Public pool pH levels must be checked several times a day, but you can use a home testing kit just twice a week to maintain your home pool’s pH level. Test that the chlorine level is maintained between 1.0 – 3.0 ppm to make sure it is safe to swim.
2. Keep the skimmers clean.
Keeping clean and unclogged skimmer baskets is essential to ensuring your pool runs efficiently. If your baskets are blocked by debris like twigs, bugs, and leaves, it will cause your pump to work harder to keep the chemicals balanced. This means your pool will take more effort to keep clean and properly balanced, and will cost you more in energy expenses each month. This should be done once or twice a week, or as needs be.
3. Vacuum the floor and brush the walls.
Vacuuming the floor is another important pool maintenance practice. It keeps debris from resting on the floor and blocking the drains or skimmers. This helps the pool run efficiently and allows for more time between cleaning. Consider investing in an automatic pool cleaner for “hands-free” cleaning on a daily basis.
4. Shock treatment.
Shock the pool once every one or two weeks. The shock product manufacturer or local pool maintenance professional should be able to provide specific instructions on how to shock the pool. In addition to regularly scheduled treatments, it is a good idea to shock the pool after a heavy rain storm or extended and extremely hot weather.
5. Algae inhibitors.
A good way to prevent the growth of algae in your pool water is to add an algae/antibacterial agent to it once a week. Algae consists of cyanobacteria and is classified as polyphyletic owing to its many forms, from micro-algae to large seaweed.
You should take a sample of your pool’s water to a professional Water Testing facility in your local area at least once a month while you’re using your pool. They can provide a full Swimming Pool Chemical Analysis for you. You should have your filters, pipes, and drains cleaned once a year to remove oil, grime, grease, and anything else that may have built up over time. After a rainy or windy day, always be sure to test your pool water and make chemical adjustments as necessary. If you follow these simple pool care guide tips, you will be able to enjoy your pool all season long!
