5 Tips for Your Swimming Pool Maintenance
The idea of having a pool in your own backyard will always be exciting. It’s easy to dream of hosting parties, or a routine exercise revived by the pool while lounging watchtowers after working hours.
However, in these dreams often a crucial element of swimming pool ownership is forgotten and that is maintenance. Without a proper maintenance routine, your swimming pool could succumb to a number of conditions: green water, broken filters, and algae formation, to name but a few.
Here are some tips for maintaining the pool that you should try now. Whether you’ve opened your swimming pool for the first time or have been a proud owner for years, look at these tips to get you started on your summer season:
Make Skimming And Scrubbing Your Routine
The rejection of the leaves and remnants of the water surface is obvious, but it is worth repeating it. For a really pristine pool, the cleaning should be done every day. If you want to spend some money, you should buy a vacuum cleaner that cleans the bottom of the pool for you.
In addition, scrub the sides of the pool to prevent algae from accumulating. Fortunately, it does not have to be done with the same frequency. You can escape by rubbing once every two weeks. Just look for growth and use a brush to keep your liner clean and fresh.
Filter Is The Soul Of Your Pool
In the same way that your soul is necessary to live a life, filtering your swimming pool is essential for removing contaminants and impurities from the water.
Most of the time, the pool can be cleaned by turning off the filter. When removing the filter, it covers the pool deck, raising the basket and removing any debris before everything is replaced. It is best to clean your filter basket at least once a week.
Pools Need Constant Chemical Levels
Chemical concentrations are probably one of the most important facets of pool maintenance. An imbalanced water is cloudy, irritates skin and eyes and can make the pool a breeding ground for bacteria.
Ideally, you should try the water at least twice a week. There are six chemical levels that need to be considered to maintain chemical levels in your pool:
- Free chlorine: a disinfectant that keeps your pool water healthy and germ-free.
- Cyanuric Acid: Protects chlorine from sunlight and determines the level of free chlorine. An ideal value for outdoor pools is 30-50.
- Acidity / Alkalinity: Also referred to as pH. The acidity should be kept between 7.5 and 7.8 to avoid irritation and prevent erosion of the pool equipment.
- Calcium Hardness: Suitable amounts help prevent gypsum damage. Target for 220-350, but lower for vinyl-coated pools.
- Total Alkalinity: Helps maintain pH balance. Levels must be between 60 and 120.
Baking Soda As An Alternative To Expensive Chemicals
It cannot be denied that conventional chemicals can be expensive to purchase, so why not get help directly from the grocery store? Most pool shops suggest using baking soda to control the alkalinity of a swimming pool without significantly lowering the pH levels. They will try to sell expensive solutions to get the job done. As a result, sodium bicarbonate does the same job as baking soda for only a fraction of the price.
Monitor The Water Level
As important as the chemical composition of water, similarly the physical level of the water also acts critically. The levels do fluctuate after a strong storm or an afternoon when kids shoot cannonballs. All you need is to maintain a level halfway through the opening of your skimmer. If the water is too weak, simply use a garden hose to add the required amount of water. If the water level is too high, rent a submersible pump in a hardware store to remove the excess. However, if the swimming pool of vinyl or fiberglass jacket material is easily damaged by the weight of the pump, consider a person skilled in the art.