A swimming pool can add great appeal to your home, no doubt. You might visualize yourself helping your kids learn how to swim, spending an afternoon relaxing on a raft in the pool or hosting neighborhood barbecues.
In addition, a swimming pool can add to the overall value of the property.
To enjoy these benefits, though, pool maintenance is necessary. Pool maintenance involves skimming, vacuuming, chlorination, cleaning filters, and adjustment of chemicals.
So is pool maintenance cumbersome and daunting?
No, it really isn’t!
You just have to stick to a schedule and know what you need to get done.
If you are a homeowner or landlord, here is everything you need to know about pool maintenance.
How to Properly Maintain Your Pool
1. Skim debris and clean out baskets.
This is one of the fastest and easiest ways to keep your pool looking clean. It involves skimming the pool’s surface by hand every few days.
Skimming benefits your swimming pool in two ways:
1. It lowers the amount of chlorine needed.
2. It significantly increases the efficiency of your pool’s circulation system.
Ensuring strainer baskets are clean also lowers chlorine demands and helps circulation.
2. Vacuum the pool and brush walls and tile.
To keep the pool water clear and reduce the number of chemicals needed, weekly vacuuming is crucial. Brushing the walls and tile also require weekly maintenance. This will help minimize calcium and algae buildup.
3. Clean the pool filter.
Three types of pool filters exist diatomaceous, sand and cartridge. Although each has a different maintenance procedure, all need regular cleaning. You’ll know the pool’s filter requires cleaning when the difference between the pressure gauge and flow meter reaches ten to fifteen pounds per square inch.
4. Professionally service the heater.
Typically, pool heaters need minimal maintenance than other pool equipment. The efficiency of the heaters reduces when there is a buildup of scales inside the heater’s tubes. To remove the scales, parts of the heater need to be disassembled. That’s why professional cleaning is recommended. Generally, expect to pay around $100 monthly for this.
5. Check and maintain water level.
Evaporation and normal wear and tear resulting in the gradual loss of pool water. Be in the habit of checking the pool water level each time you are doing your weekly pool maintenance tasks. Low water levels could result in pump damage. You’ll know the level has reduced if it falls below the skimmer’s level. Use a garden hose to bring it up to safe levels.
6. Maintain good pH levels.
A pH scale runs from zero to fourteen. It measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. For a swimming pool, a reading of between 7.2 and 7.8 is ideal. Essentially, this reading means that the pool water is clean and healthy for swimming.
7. Superchlorinate water.
Superchlorination is the process of adding large quantities of chlorine to kill algae and microorganisms. It’ll ensure you of safe pool water. Pools are different. So, follow the instructions of the manufacturer before super chlorinating it.
8. Find and repair leaks.
As already told, maintaining proper water levels in your pool is important. To identify whether or not your pool has a leak, you need to do a simple bucket test. If your pool is indeed leaking, call a professional to fix the problem.
9. Winterize your pool.
Lastly, if you live in a cold climate, winterizing your pool is necessary. It helps prevent pipes from getting damaged when it freezes.
If you don't want to worry with the hassles of pool maintenance, simply call our service department at (704) 878-6699 and we can talk to you about weekly route maintenance to take it off your hands.
BY: Marina Gorbounov
