Maintaining the cleanliness and clarity of your swimming pool is a lot of work. Sure, the fact that you were able to afford a pool must mean that you have the funds for professional cleaners as well. However, it is always helpful to know how to do correct pool maintenance yourself to ensure that whoever is handling your pool maintenance is doing it properly.
Fortunately, there are now so many products available for pool maintenance. For example, the best pool vacuum is very easy to find because nearly all the information you need is online.
All that is left for you to do is go over these 10 pool maintenance tips that will keep your pool clean, crystal clear, and in mint condition.
{ 1 } Shock regularly
If you are new to owning a pool or bothering to learn about good pool maintenance just now, you need to know what shocking means, how it is done, and how often it is done. Shocking means killing pool bacteria by spiking the chlorine levels of your pool for a quick period of time. This measure gets rid of sweat, cosmetics, and other particles that cannot be filtered out of your pool water.
As to how often “regular” shocking is, that depends on who uses your pool and how often it is used. With moderate or average usage, a best above groung pool should be shocked at least twice per season. Shocking too often can damage the siding.
{ 2 } Use the tennis ball hack
The natural oils produced by our skin, together with lotions, cosmetics, hair products, and other substances that your pool regularly comes into contact with, tend to leave a thin film of disgusting slick on top of the water.
Depending on the size of your pool or the amount of residual oil, throw in one or a few tennis balls to take care of it. The fibers on the balls absorb these oils well.
{ 3 } Trust the experts
DIY-ing your pool maintenance is fun and practical. However, there will always be tasks that only trained and properly equipped professionals can do. Have trusted pool maintenance experts check your pool and its devices at least once a year.
Before their visit, take a look at your pool, and list any abnormality or defect. Are there sounds coming from one of the filters? Do you smell anything weird in a particular corner? Are there leaks or holes? Report all of these to your pool maintenance service person so they know where to start.
{ 4 } Skim daily
You won’t believe how many pool owners skip skimming. This should be done daily to ensure clarity and cleanliness of the water. If you let dust, leaves, and other impurities accumulate for days before skimming, the water will have become too dirty already and may now require more than simple skimming.
Scrub the sides of your pool at least every other week, and keep an eye out for any growth every now and then. If you feel a little lazy but have some cash to spare, buy a robot vacuum instead. The best models can scrub the bottom and sides of your pools well without exhausting you.
{ 5 } Watch those chemical levels
Keeping the chemical levels of your pool water balanced is tricky but crucial. Inconsistent or unbalanced pools tend to irritate the skin and eyes. Moreover, the water tends to appear cloudy and becomes home to various types of bacteria.
Test your water at least once a week, and ensure that the following are at the right levels: free chlorine, total alkalinity, cyanuric acid, acidity/alkalinity, and calcium hardness. Stock up on pool testing kits, which are cheap and available in pool supply stores.
{ 6 } Mind your filter
Your swimming pool filter is vital because it removes impurities, from leaves to toys and everything in between. A typical filter can be cleaned by turning it off, removing its cap, taking out the basket, and unloading all debris before replacing the parts. The filter should be cleaned at least once a week.
Now, your filter uses pipes, and those have to be cleaned at least once a month. This is commonly done through backwashing.
{ 7 } Try baking soda
The chemicals needed for pool maintenance can be quite expensive. Fortunately, you can always try baking soda as an alternative to sodium bicarbonate, which helps correct the alkalinity of pool water without compromising pH.
The sodium bicarbonate solutions available in pool supply stores have nearly the same concentration of sodium bicarbonate as ordinary baking soda. That means the amount you have to put in should nearly be the same as well.
{ 8 } Maintain the right water level
The water and chemical levels of your pool affect each other. This means that it is not only the chemical level that you need to keep an eye on. Make sure that your water is always up to around half of your skimmer’s opening.
Water can simply be added using a garden hose, and excess water can be drained using submersible pumps that home improvement stores typically rent out.
{ 9 } Pressure wash
Do a thorough cleaning of the deck regularly because this is where much of the impurities that contaminate your pool come from. An efficient way to do this is through power washing. You can rent equipment from home improvement stores near you.
{ 10 } Prepare for winter
Make sure that your swimming pool remains in tip-top shape during the long weeks it will be spending under its cover for winter. Check for leaks, chemical and water levels, plumbing problems, and debris lodged wherever they are not supposed to be in. Remove or correct anything that can develop into a problem during the winter months to avoid headaches and expensive repairs.
Conclusion
Your child surely wants a swimming pool in your backyard. However, having a pool is a huge responsibility, and this includes its maintenance. However, if you have the right supplies, such as the best pool vacuum, and follow the right pool maintenance procedures, you can easily pull off having your kid’s dream pool.