It’s important to keep the water in our home swimming pool clean, clear, and safe. Here are some swimming pool maintenance tasks that you will need to tackle if you own a pool.
1. Clean the Pool Filter as Recommended
A swimming pool filter should be cleaned as the manufacturer recommends. Generally, the filter will need to be rinsed once a week and replaced every year. However, this depends on how much you use your pool.
Don’t let the filter become clogged with dirt, leaves, and sticks. The filter should be cleaned when the level between the flow meter and the pressure gauge climbs to between 10 and 15 pounds per square inch.
2. Maintain the Water Level
Water in the pool is lost through evaporation. The pool also loses water as people splash around. One way to know that the water is at the right level is to check the skimmer when it is cleaned. The water should never fall below the level of the skimmer. If it does, simply refill the pool with a garden hose.
3. Don’t Let a Swimming Pool Stand Empty
If you drain your in-ground pool as part of swimming pool maintenance don’t allow it to stand empty for long. If the pool is not going to be used for a few months, there should at least be enough water in it to balance the weight of the soil around it.
4. Balancing the pH is Part of Swimming Pool Maintenance
Regularly test the pool’s pH level, which is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is. The best pH for a pool ranges from 7.2 and 7.8. Testing the pH is easy and kits can be found at big box or pool equipment stores.
5. Shock the Pool
If your pool smells very strongly of chlorine, it is a result of chloramines, compounds that are made from chlorine disinfectants and contaminants. The smell is a sign that the pool needs to be shocked. Follow instructions on the shock chemicals when adding them to the pool.
6. Swimming Pool Maintenance Includes Vacuuming and Brushing
During the swimming season, the pool needs to be vacuumed at least once a week as part of regular swimming pool maintenance. The pool vacuum is pushed back and forth in overlapping strokes. After vacuuming, also check the filter and brush the walls of the pool to get rid of algae and limescale. The type of brush that’s best for the pool depends on what your pool walls are made of.
Inspect it Neil Home Inspections offers pool inspections to New Jersey. Contact us to schedule an appointment.