There’s no better feeling than waking up on a hot and sunny day after a week of tedious work and relaxing by a beautiful, scintillating pool with your drink of choice.
Of course, only two factors come into play in order to make this possible.The first is, of course, the weather. Unfortunately, that’s not something that can be controlled. Nevertheless, the second factor that comes into play is having a pool that is well maintained. You don’t want to spend your first morning off from work cleaning your pool for hours on end! That’s why, below you will find tips on how to properly maintain your pool to the end that it will become the envy of the entire neighbourhood.
Consistent Chemical Levels
It’s impossible to come across an article about pool maintenance without coming across the mention of chemical levels. That’s because if your pool water’s chemical levels are not properly maintained, the water will look murky, algae will grow, and it may even become hazardous for the skin and eyes. This makes chemical levels the most critical aspect of pool upkeep. If you are unfamiliar with chemical levels, Hayward’s water chemistry calculator should be extremely helpful. So make sure you test the water with your test strips once a week at the very least, and keep an eye on the following chemical levels:
- Salt levels should be kept between 2700 to 3400 ppm
- Free chlorine levels should be kept between 1.0 to 3.0 ppm
- Cyanuric Acid (otherwise known as stabilizer) levels should be kept between 30 to 50 ppm
- pH levels should be kept between 7.2 to 7.8
- Total alkalinity levels should be kept between 80 to 120 ppm
- Calcium hardness levels should be kept between 200 to 400 ppm
Proper Water Level
Although consistent chemical levels are important, perhaps another equally important factor that contributes to clean and beautiful pool water is proper water levels. That’s because if the water is too low, you can burn out the pool pump. If it is too high, your skimmer won’t be working as efficiently and you’ll have to clean up all of the debris yourself. You might think water levels can’t possibly change that much, but you would be surprised by how many factors can contribute to their fluctuation. Evaporation, rain, splashing around, among other factors all affect water levels. So consistently check to make sure it’s kept halfway up the opening of your skimmer. After making adjustments, don’t forget to test your chemical levels again.
Pay Special Attention to Your Pool’s Structure and Its Equipment
One of the ways in which you can keep your pool properly maintained is to pay special attention to your pool’s structure and its equipment. A pool structure that is compromised will incur a ton of problems like leaks (which affects pool levels and ultimately chemical balance), cracks, and weakened walls. If any of these issues arise, it would be best to call a professional to take care of the problem as quickly as possible.
It’s equally important to check on your equipment. After all, how can you rely on unkempt equipment to keep your pool running efficiently? Make sure you frequently empty the skimmer basket of debris, clean out the hair and lint pot inside your pool pump every couple of weeks, and keep your pool chemicals in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. If you have a saltwater pool system, then make sure salt cell is clean of calcium deposits.
If you feel too inexperienced and would rather not risk taking care of your pool yourself, rest assured that you can always ask a pool expert for help and advice, or you can hire professionals to take care of your pool on a weekly basis. Nevertheless, these tips will ensure that your pool water will be kept clean and, more importantly, safe. Before you know it, neighbours will come knocking on your door just to get at chance at taking a dip in your perfect pool!
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