Your pool needs regular maintenance. For this reason, whether you have an in-ground, above-ground, Intex®, or saltwater pool, it pays to develop a solid understanding of pool maintenance fundamentals.
Once you know how your pool works, how best to care for it, and how to plan for it, you'll be ready to solve almost any potential pool problem that comes your way.
Good pool maintenance starts with knowing your pool.
Before you can properly enjoy or maintain your pool, you may need to update everything.parts of your pool. By understanding the basic parts of your pool and their functions, you can keep everything running smoothly and more easily fix problems when they arise.
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The basic components of a swimming pool
Each type of pool is made up of four components that require periodic maintenance. These include:
1. Pool scrubber
It may seem obvious, but your pool water is the key to lasting pool bliss. Keeping it clean, clear and balanced protects you and your family from contaminants and contaminants. It also helps you avoid costly hardware repairs due to corrosion or mineral buildup and helps your pool last longer.
2. Inside the pool
The liner walls of your pool are in constant contact with the pool water and everything that goes into it. Keeping these surfaces in good condition and free of algae, mold and debris will help keep your pool clean and safe.
3. Filter media system
The heart of your pool is also its liver. Okay, that sounds a bit weird. But think about it: Your pool pump draws in water and keeps it circulating, just like your heart does blood. The pool filter removes dirt and other contaminants from the water, just as the liver filters out splinters from the night before's blood.
Both protect you and your pool from damage. Without a working filtration system, your pool will soon become a cloudy, polluted, unswimmerable mess.
Depending on your setup, you may have a cartridge filter, a sand filter, or a diatomaceous earth (D.E.) filter. Or, if you have a saltwater system, asalt water chlorinator.
4. Return of skimmers and pools
If the filter of your pool is the liver, the skimmers and returns are the veins and arteries. Your skimmers: not to be confused with oneDoes not shine, the cleaning tool attached to a telescopic wand, draws water into the filter for cleaning while the return pushes clean water back into the pool. And just like your veins and arteries, they work best when they're clean and free of blockages.
No two pools are the same, and you will no doubt encounter specific maintenance challenges for your pool over time. But if you master these four pool components well, you'll be well equipped for most maintenance challenges.
The three C's of proper pool maintenance
The foundation of effective pool maintenance is based on three simple but important concepts:Traffic,cleaning, michemical.
1. Good water circulation
In your swimming pool, running water is cleaner, clearer and safer. CorrectPool edgeis the key to healthy and safe swimming.
A pool with good circulation rarely presents problems such as cloudy water orpool algaeinfestation Run pump and filtration system daily to maximize circulation.
How long should you run your pool pump?? Ideally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But since this is not feasible for all budgets or teams,We recommend running your filter at least 10-12 hours a day.. This will circle the water several times and keep your pool safe and clean.
The other key component for good pool circulation is the frequencyhangoveryour filter Backwashing refers to reversing the flow of water through the filter and diverting dirty water and accumulated contaminants to the waste port for removal from the pool.
if you're not surehow to clean pool filter, it is imperative to learn it and make it part of your regular pool maintenance routine.
Principal:If your pool has a sand filter, add one cup of D.E. Powder to increase its filtering performance. Cloudy water clears faster when D.E. supports your sand filter in sieving fine particles.
2. A pool cleaning schedule
If it runs fine, you've done it.cleaning your poolvery easy. But you still need to apply some old-fashioned elbow grease. The basic tools you will need are:
Both Mother Nature and the people who use your pool bring all sorts of wild and wacky stuff into your pool, from leaves, mold, and the odd duck or frog to residue from shampoos, perfumes, and hair products. Add the risks ofbacterial contamination, and cleaning your pool becomes an absolutely essential part of swimming safely.
skimmed, chopped, etc.vacuum your poolweekly at least. This keeps dirt out of the water and the walls stay clean. Baking soda paste works particularly well as a simple cleaner that won't damage delicate tile or sheet vinyl when brushed on.
Aautomatic pool cleanercan significantly reduce pool cleaning time. It doesn't eliminate the need for regular brushing and brushing, but it makes both tasks easier, giving you the freedom to spend time enjoying your pool instead of cleaning it.
You, too, can make your cleaning life easier with a few unorthodox additions to your pool. Pop a few tennis balls into the skimmer basket, or even directly into the pool, and they'll absorb surface oils left behind by sunscreens, cosmetics, etc. You can also wrap skimmer baskets in socks to create an extra-fine filter that traps more contaminants than a skimmer alone.
Just replace tennis balls and socks when they show signs of wear.
Principal:If you have an inground pool, the built-in drains in the bottom of the deep end help direct water into the filter and make it easy to remove loose debris during cleaning. Above ground pools do not have these drains, but you can get the same cleaning boost from your water with a handheld pool vacuum.
Simply connect the cleaner to the filtration system and place it in the center of the above ground pool to ensure the cleaner is in place.head down. Turn it on and it will act as the main drain so you can clean up cloudy water faster.
Even cloudy pool water can be quickly cleaned with flocculants. But remember, this only treats the symptom, not the cause, so it's only a temporary fix.Click herefor more information on using poolfloc.
3. Balances water chemistry
Stay away from the Bunsen burner. Pool chemistry can seem intimidating and complicated, but there's no need to worry. While theYan essential part of effective pool and water maintenance,Basic Pool Chemistryit's surprisingly easy.
The most important tool in your water care bag of tricks is your water analysis kit. You wouldn't season your stew without trying it. So before you pick up the chemicals, do someTest the pool water. Understanding what is and what is not in the water is the first step in balancing it.
The three most important parts of pool water chemistry are:
- pH values:to measurelike acid or basicthe water in your pool is Low pH values are acidic, while high pH values are basic. The ideal range for your pool is7,4 a 7,6.
- Alkalinity:It acts as a pH buffer, helping to prevent large alkaline or acid spikes. The ideal range is100 to 150 parts per million (ppm). and you canUse Baking Soda to Increase the Alkalinity of Your Pool.
- Sanitizer levels:The amount of chlorine, bromine, etc. in the water of your pool. The proper amount depends on the type of sanitizer you choose.
Once you know your pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer levels, you can start adding chemicals to optimize your water balance. Take your time, follow all instructions, and make sure you know what each chemical does and how it affects the water and the people who swim in it before adding them.
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Don't forget to add Pool Shock!
Every once in a while your sanitizer needs a little help, especially after a storm or when a lot of people are using the pool. To make sure your pool stays clean even after you run out of sanitizer, add Pool Shock regularly.
Always shock your pool at night
If it is discharged during the day, the ultraviolet rays of the sun will consume the chlorine before it can do its job.Add shock to your water, then run the pump for at least eight hours to ensure full circulation.
Create a maintenance plan
As you learn more about your pool and how to care for it, your to-do list can seem a bit daunting. Creating a pool maintenance schedule makes it easy to stay organized and ensures that important tasks are not overlooked.
Not only can you keep track of basic maintenance, but you can also plan ahead for more advanced pool maintenance tasks, such as closing your pool, keeping it in the off-season, or preparing your pool for use when the season returns.
keep it simple
Write down your pool maintenance schedule and post it on the wall, on the fridge, or even anywhere near your pool. If other people in the household are available on certain days to do some of the simple maintenance tasks, write a name next to each task and share the workload.
3 tips for pool maintenance on vacation
Since most of our readers are on summer vacation and have pools of their own, I thought I'd share some vacation pool maintenance tips. I was asked this question many times when I was working in the pool business. It's not as difficult as you think.
1. Find a neighbor or friend
This is the key to success when it comes to keeping your pool clean while you're away.
The ideal candidate is someone who owns a swimming pool.You may already know what to do. Tell your friend or neighbor to check your pool once a day and give them a simple checklist that includes:
- Empty the skimmer basket(s)
- slide pool surface
- Check filter pressure (backwash if necessary)
- Test the water with a test kit ortest strips
- Add the necessary chemicals (only if they know what they are doing)
2. Get a pool pump timer
Hopefully your pump already has a timer. If not, I would invest in one. They are an essential part of proper pool maintenance.
Set the timer so that the pool runs at least 8-12 hours a day. If you can share the times, great! If not, no problem, it works 24 hours a day. Running your pump and filter is very important to keeping your pool clean, and it's better to set a timer than a human.
3. Check your water before you go
Take a sample of your pool water to your local pool store and have it checked by a professional.
Be sure to fix any issues before you go if you checked out. You want to make sure your pH and alkalinity are properly balanced and your sanitizer levels are correct.
- PH value:7,4 a 7,6
- Alkalinity:100 parts per million (ppm) to 150 ppm, 125 ppm being ideal
- Calcium Hardness:175 ppm to 225 ppm or 200 ppm to 275 ppm for concrete and plaster pools
- For chlorine pools:1 ppm a 3 ppm
- For bromine pools:3 ppm a 5 ppm
- For biguanide pools:30 ppm a 50 ppm
- For saltwater pools:0,5 ppm Cloro
- For mineral system pools:0,5 ppm Cloro
Also, make sure your pool is sparkling clean before you leave it.
Come on in, the water's fine, thanks to you.
Owning a pool is one of the most rewarding ways to have fun in the sun at home. Yes, it needs regular maintenance, but that doesn't mean you'll spend your life tied to a vacuum or messing with your chemistry kit.
In fact, when you know how your pool works, understand the required maintenance, and plan ahead, you may well be able to pride yourself on your pool maintenance skills. Not only will you enjoy your swim, but you'll also enjoy the peace of mind that comes with regular and thorough pool maintenance.
Have fun swimming!
Matt Giovanisci is the founder of Swim University® and has been in the pool and spa industry since 1995. Since then, his mission has been to make pool and hot tub maintenance easier for everyone. And every year he helps more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and problem solving.
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