The idea of a pool in your backyard sounds impressive, right? Imagine a hot summer’s day and the cool breeze of a swimming pool cooling you down in the heat. But there’s safety to think about…
For instance, a pool gate should be 54 inches off the ground to keep children safe.
This makes the swimming pool safe and secure if you have infants around. Are you thinking about how to maintain a pool and keep clean pool water on your property?
Thankfully, this article will guide you through the basics of pool maintenance to ensure that all your swimming trips are clean and safe.
How to Maintain a Pool
Most of the time, the last thing on people’s minds when buying a swimming pool is “how to maintain a pool,” but it’s crucial if you want to keep the area in perfect condition.
Otherwise, you’ll end up with dried leaves or green mold growing on the pool’s perimeter. And, no one wants to deal with grime and dirt during a hot summer heatwave.
So, the first thing to include on your pool care checklist is buying a brush and skimmer.
Buy a Brush and Skimmer
A swimming pool requires daily attention and care, like maintaining healthy oral hygiene. A brush and skimmer are the best tools for cleaning out frequent debris and other dirt.
You should also consider getting a manual pool vacuum if you have little time but want to keep your custom pool looking nice. On holiday, you can see these robotic machines cleaning larger pools.
But they work great on custom pools and smaller areas as well. Plus, you don’t need to worry about cleaning out dead leaves and pieces of garbage that have made their way into the pool water.
The manual pool vacuum can take care of the cleaning duties for you.
If you prefer to trust old-fashioned methods and want to ensure that you catch every piece of dirt, then a brush and skimmer will do the trick at cleaning your pool.
These tools can eliminate algae forming on the rim and collect small pieces of debris that have been missed. Ideally, you should clean the pool thoroughly at least once a week.
In summer, you can clean several times a week as it’s the time that the pool will be used most frequently.
Shock the Pool
Shocking is a term used to describe the process of removing toxic chemicals and pathogens from pool water. To do this, you raise the chlorine level and wait until any harmful bacteria are killed.
As a general rule, you should shock your pool twice during the summer season and when the pool starts to turn murky and looks dirty.
You can use various chemicals to shock the pool, but the most common are calcium hypochlorite and chlorinated isocyanurates. Even though it can seem intimidating at first, this is a standard method used in swimming pools.
Luckily, you can do this at home. You should prepare the chemicals at home in a large bucket that can hold at least 5 gallons of liquid. Ensure the pool pump is running and pour the mixture into the pool’s edges.
Wait for 6 hours to ensure that all the harmful bacteria have been removed.
Although the pathogens are removed within 6 hours after the shock, you should wait a total of 24 hours before you dive back into the swimming pool.
To be safe, you can check the pH and chlorine levels before entering the water.
A healthy chlorine level is between 1.0 and 4.0 parts per million. And a good pH level is 7.2 or 7.8. As long as the water tests at these numbers, you can continue to enjoy your swimming pool!
Don’t Forget the Pool Pumps and Filters
Filters and pumps are typically hidden in the pool’s structure, so it can be easy to forget them, especially if you’re using the pool continuously during hot weather.
But, if the pumps and filters become backlogged with leaves, dirt, and debris, it can cause issues for the overall functionality of the pool.
Also, you might have to get a professional to take a look which will cost money and time.
You should check the pumps and filters monthly to avoid unexpected bills or issues.
To clean these parts of the swimming pool, you can backwash the filter, which is when you reverse the water flow and redirect the water waste out of the valves. The aim is to remove the dirt and clean the blockages.
Alternatively, you can remove the filter basket if there isn’t a severe buildup.
The Importance of a Clean Pool
When you have a swimming pool, you want to enjoy the clear view of blue water sparkling in the sunlight, not murky, cloudy water with pieces of dirt floating on top of it.
Therefore, a regular pool clean with brushes, skimmers, and manual pool vacuums is essential. This prevents the development of toxic chemicals, harmful bacteria, and metals from infecting the water.
Also, you get a better swimming experience, and the maintenance costs will be lower. If you wait until there’s a severe problem, you’ll have to pay more for structural damages or complete remodeling.
So, save yourself the hassle and clean your swimming pool using our tips.
And, to ensure you have the best swimming pool design, let us take care of installing and creating a custom pool just for you. We also offer cleaning services that can help you with pool maintenance.
Add a Spectacular Swimming Pool to Your Home
Learning how to maintain a pool doesn’t need to be complicated; these tips break it down into simple and easy-to-follow steps that anyone can handle. The first step is having the right tools and creating a routine.
You’ll have the perfect, clean swimming pool when you establish the habit of brushing the rim for algae, clearing leaves with the skimmer, and shocking the water with chlorine.
Are you looking to install a custom swimming pool this year? Or do you need help with pool maintenance?
Get in contact with our team to find out how we can help you and make an incredible custom pool in your backyard.
