Understanding Swimming Pool Maintenance
So you've spent all that money and got yourself a pool for your home.
Whether you've gone for an indoor or outdoor pool the chances are it cost you quite a bit of money.
But if you look on it as an investment both for your physical well-being and longer term, for increasing the value of your property, then in order to get the most out of your pool you need to perform regular pool maintenance as well as pool safety.
Often the two go hand in hand.
For example if you have young kids running around it is crucial to install and then maintain a high fence around the pool to stop them going in there unsupervised.
Equally, you need to maintain the swimming pool area to make sure it is a hygienic and healthy place to swim.
Most importantly, you need to maintain the level of chlorine in your pool to ensure the water has no bacteria in it.
This can be done using either chlorine sticks, chlorine tablets or chlorine powder which you mix in (according to the instructions) every few days into the pool.
You must also add calcium to the pool so that there is between 175 to 225 ppm and so that the water is balanced in order to prevent corrosion and cloudy water.
Next, you must make sure you don't let algae get established in the pool.
Algae loves to breed in swimming pools.
Mixing in algaecides prevents this.
Algaecides or algae inhibitors are liquids which you add to the water and distribute evenly across the pool in order to kill off over 15,000 types of algae.
Copper based algaecides are normally best for pools as they arrest the growth of green algae and maintain the water color.
Whilst you are adding chlorine and algaecides, you should also be checking the pH level of your swimming pool.
The pH level should be between 7.
2 and 7.
6 and you should check this level regularly.
A low pH level means your pool is too acidic whilst a high pH means the pool is too alkaline.
Water with higher alkalinity will become cloudy and difficult to clean, affecting the powerfulness of the chlorine.
Water that is too acidic will be too corrosive.
Another tool in your pool maintenance arsenal is to use shock treatment from time to time.
This oxidizes the water and removes all the 'bather waste' such as body oil, cosmetics, dry skin, sweat and urine and all sorts of other nasties that could pollute your swimming pool.
Remember also to keep your pool pump running as often as possible and to backwash every few days.
Get the pump checked every year or two and you should probably think about changing it every seven to 10 years, or at the very least getting the seals changed so that you maintain optimum pressure.
Finally, remember to keep all the chemicals away from children and to follow the instructions on the packets.
When dissolving chlorine into the pool, for example, always mix it with water before adding it to the pool.
Follow all these swimming pool maintenance instructions and you will have many years of happy swimming.
Whether you've gone for an indoor or outdoor pool the chances are it cost you quite a bit of money.
But if you look on it as an investment both for your physical well-being and longer term, for increasing the value of your property, then in order to get the most out of your pool you need to perform regular pool maintenance as well as pool safety.
Often the two go hand in hand.
For example if you have young kids running around it is crucial to install and then maintain a high fence around the pool to stop them going in there unsupervised.
Equally, you need to maintain the swimming pool area to make sure it is a hygienic and healthy place to swim.
Most importantly, you need to maintain the level of chlorine in your pool to ensure the water has no bacteria in it.
This can be done using either chlorine sticks, chlorine tablets or chlorine powder which you mix in (according to the instructions) every few days into the pool.
You must also add calcium to the pool so that there is between 175 to 225 ppm and so that the water is balanced in order to prevent corrosion and cloudy water.
Next, you must make sure you don't let algae get established in the pool.
Algae loves to breed in swimming pools.
Mixing in algaecides prevents this.
Algaecides or algae inhibitors are liquids which you add to the water and distribute evenly across the pool in order to kill off over 15,000 types of algae.
Copper based algaecides are normally best for pools as they arrest the growth of green algae and maintain the water color.
Whilst you are adding chlorine and algaecides, you should also be checking the pH level of your swimming pool.
The pH level should be between 7.
2 and 7.
6 and you should check this level regularly.
A low pH level means your pool is too acidic whilst a high pH means the pool is too alkaline.
Water with higher alkalinity will become cloudy and difficult to clean, affecting the powerfulness of the chlorine.
Water that is too acidic will be too corrosive.
Another tool in your pool maintenance arsenal is to use shock treatment from time to time.
This oxidizes the water and removes all the 'bather waste' such as body oil, cosmetics, dry skin, sweat and urine and all sorts of other nasties that could pollute your swimming pool.
Remember also to keep your pool pump running as often as possible and to backwash every few days.
Get the pump checked every year or two and you should probably think about changing it every seven to 10 years, or at the very least getting the seals changed so that you maintain optimum pressure.
Finally, remember to keep all the chemicals away from children and to follow the instructions on the packets.
When dissolving chlorine into the pool, for example, always mix it with water before adding it to the pool.
Follow all these swimming pool maintenance instructions and you will have many years of happy swimming.
