Summer is here! We can finally go out and lounge around the pool. If you have a pool or are planning on adding one, we want to make sure you know how to properly care for them. That is why we have this guide that goes over the basics of pool maintenance.
The Basic Components to a Pool
Just like any other amenity you add to your home, you have to learn how to use it and its basic components. When looking at a pool, here is what they all will have:
- Pool water
- Pool interior wall or liner
- Pool’s filter system
- Pool’s system of skimmers and returns
After that, you can add other features like lighting, waterfalls, steps, etc.
Proper Pool Maintenance
When looking into proper pool maintenance, you need to remember the three C’s — circulation, cleaning and chemistry.
- Circulation
This is where you make sure the pool’s water is constantly moving to ensure safe and healthy swimming. If a pool has bad circulation, you may see it become cloudy or grow pool algae. It is best to run your pool filter system 24 hours, seven days a week, but not everyone has that budget. If you cannot do the whole day, 10 to 12 hours a day will suffice.
Another key component to the circulation of your pool is backwashing. Backwashing is where you reverse the flow of water through your filter system and shunting dirty water and built-up contaminants to the waste port, which then carries them out of your pool. Make sure to check out your filter to find the right backwashing tool for it.
- Cleaning
If your pool’s circulation is good, then you have already lightened your cleaning load. However, that does not mean you can skip out on getting all the nooks and crannies. The supplies you will need include a net skimmer, pool brush and a pool vacuum. An open pool can get many things blown into them — leaves, hair, fur, trash and other debris. All these items carry bacteria, which can linger in your pool. To avoid this, you need to skim and vacuum your pool at least once a week.
- Chemistry
Put away your beakers and your goggles because pool chemistry is way easier than school chemistry. The main item you need is a water testing kit, which will focus on the alkalinity, pH levels and sanitizer levels. Alkalinity is a pH buffer that helps reduce the rise in basicity and acidity. You want it to be 100 to 150 ppm. pH levels are where you measure how acidic or basic your water is. The ideal range for your pool is 7.4 to 7.6. The sanitizer levels are the amount of chlorine, bromine and other chemicals in your pool.
Shock Pool Water
Shocking your pool water does not involve electricity. Instead, you will be raising the pool’s chlorine level to help keep the pool clear and keep bacteria away. Here are the steps to shock your pool water:
- Choose the right amount of pool shock. Typically, it is one pound every 10,000 gallons.
- Remove debris (leaves, bugs, trash, etc.) from the pool.
- Test the water’s pH levels.
- Circulate the water through the pump and filter system.
- Add the shock.
- Brush the pool’s walls.
- Run the pump and filter for at least eight hours or overnight.
Call for Help
Understanding the proper care and maintenance for a pool can be confusing and a tedious task. For example, mixing the wrong chemicals or putting too much of one solution may cause serious harm and in worst cases death. If you do not understand how to care for your pool, we recommend hiring a pool specialist to come over. While we do not handle pools at Valor Home Services, we can refer you out to a trustworthy and high-quality team in your area.
Even though we do not work on pools, we can still help around it. For example, if you would like to build a deck around it, we are here to help. For more information, please call us today.
