Owning a pool can be great, but the upkeep associated with it can seem like a lot.
Likewise, maintaining a pool and keeping it looking its best can be difficult. People often give conflicting pieces of advice, and doing the wrong thing can damage both your pool’s appearance as well as its wellbeing in general.
So what are some pool maintenance tips?
Keep reading for a list of 10 pool tips that’ll keep your pool looking crystal clear and inviting.
1. Keep Optimal Pool Chemistry
When you own a pool, you should be checking to ensure it’s chemically balanced once a week during periods of warmer weather.
To check it, purchase a test kit or strip, and you’ll see your pool’s chemical balance in no time.
The pH level of your pool should fall between 7.2 and 7.8. A pH level of 7.4 will give the best and safest experience for swimmers. Keep in mind that the higher the pH, the less effective chlorine will be. At 8.0, chlorine will be around 10% effective.
By maintaining pH levels, you’ll use less chlorine and your pool will look better.
2. Check the Water Level
Do you live in a hot and sunny place? Or did you recently have a large pool party with a lot of splashing?
If you did, your pool level might be lower than it should be. If your water level becomes too low, your pool’s pump may run dry and burn up. Keep in mind that natural evaporation occurs as well, with most pools losing around 1.5 inches of water a week. This number may be greater or less, depending on the climate where you live.
Contrarily, you should also ensure that your pool’s water level doesn’t get too high. When levels get too high, the skimmer can’t function, and debris can build up.
Keep the water levels at the center of your pool skimmer for it to work its best.
3. Run Your Filter
If you’re looking for a crystal clear pool experience, you’ll need to make sure your filter runs. In fact, if you’re using your pool, experts recommend that you run your filter for 8-10 hours every day.
If you don’t, the water doesn’t get a chance to move and becomes stagnant. This speeds up the growth of bacteria and other unpleasant things.
If you don’t want to spend time cleaning and scrubbing, make sure to consistently run the filter.
4. Skim Daily
Your pool filter works hard, but sometimes it needs a little extra help.
By skimming your pool every day, you’ll help eliminate bugs, debris, and whatever else seems to appear in your pool when you check it in the morning. When you don’t skim, the organic material lies around and then breaks down.
This not only makes the water dirty but will also make the water cloudier and less appealing. In some cases, it may be best to hire a professional to help clean.
5. Keep the Skimmer Close to Empty
In between you doing the skimming, you should also be checking to see how your skimmer is working.
It should do a good job of sucking in unwanted objects from your pool, but make sure that you empty it often. When you don’t, it won’t work as well, and objects and debris can start to build up at the bottom of your pool.
To keep it running its best, keep the basket almost empty of debris. You’ll appreciate the work it does if you do!
6. Empty the Lint and Hair Pot
If debris moves past the skimmer basket, it then makes its way to your pool’s hair and lint pot. This is located inside your pump.
If many people are using your pool, you may need to clean this more often. To clean it, turn off your pool’s pump and release the pressure. Most pools have a basket inside the lid of the pool pump.
You should also make sure that this basket is not damaged or broken. If it is, it can create problems for your pool’s system.
7. Inspect the Chlorinator
If your pool is chlorine-based, check the chlorinator to make sure it’s running properly. This can mean checking for loading, clogging, as well as the chlorine tablet levels.
Depending on the model and its features, you may be able to add extra chlorine in order to ensure a steady and consistent flow.
8. Inspect the Chlorine Generator
Do you have a salt-water pool or a pool that doesn’t have any chlorine? If you do, it has a chlorine generator which makes chlorine for salt-water pools. This piece of equipment can require some maintenance.
Make sure that no calcium deposits or other debris have built up. Keep it clean so that it can circulate the saltwater into the salt cell and generator.
9. Examine Your Pool’s Structure
Aside from making sure your water looks clear and beautiful, you should also be inspecting the structure of your pool.
Take a look at the walls. Are there any cracks or other signs of damage? Do they look weaker than they should? If there is a problem, it can lead to corrosion or rust, and you should resolve it as soon as possible.
Paying attention to your pool’s structure also means keeping it safe. Make sure any gates or fences are operating safely, and that the chemicals you use are stored away from children or animals.
10. Limit Shocking
Shocking can be a great way to get your pool looking nice, but doing it too often can be detrimental to its wellbeing.
When you do need to shock your pool, make sure to do it at night when no one is using it. Doing it at night will also ensure that the sun doesn’t diminish the effectiveness of chlorine-based shock.
You can also look into using non-chlorine based shock. This is a better option if people will be swimming soon, and will also not be degraded by the sun.
Splash Into a Beautiful Pool With These Pool Tips
Everyone loves a pool, and by taking care of yours, you can make sure that you’re getting the most out of it. Following these pool tips will also help it look its best.
If you have a pool problem or are in the market for a new one, contact us today and let us help you.
