Now that we are into the summer months taking care of swimming pools can be a little bit more challenging because of the high temperatures. When the water is cold it’s hard for algae to grow and honestly taking care of the swimming pool is quite easy. It’s really as simple as keeping one chlorine tablet in your floater at a time. But, what happens when the water warms up for 3 plus months? Many people will ask us what are the necessary steps to keeping my pool looking great all year round? The easiest way to answer that questions is hiring a reputable pool service to take care of your pool weekly but everyone should be educated on basic needs of what it takes to take care of your swimming pool whether you have a pool service or not.
First, the swimming pool should be cleaned once a week. This can be done by brushing the water tile line, the steps, and benches of the swimming pool and the sides of the pool. After that is complete all debris should be skimmed out of the swimming pool. As soon as all the debris is skimmed out of the swimming pool it’s now necessary to empty out the skimmer and pump baskets. Then, one of the most important steps is to check the water chemistry. Typically, you will want to check the water for adequate levels of chlorine, proper pH levels, CYA and total calcium hardness.
Depending on the time of year the following is a guide to using for adequate levels:
Chlorine – 1-3ppm during the winter and 3-5ppm during the summer
pH – 7.4-7.8
CYA – 30-120ppm
Total Calcium Hardness – 250-400ppm
After checking the levels in the swimming pool you will want to add chlorine or acid as necessary. Make sure to run the motor for at least an hour when you add chemicals to the swimming pool. If you hire a pool service they should also be aware of phosphate levels, salt levels (for salt pools), when to backwash and problems with your equipment. During weeks when there are storms or lots of debris in the swimming pool make sure to remove it as soon as possible to prevent possible staining of the liner and chemistry issues.
Finally, make sure you replace the water in your swimming pool every two years due to increased calcium hardness. In certain parts of the country, you can actually recycle your swimming pool water which is the most optimal way to remove calcium from swimming pool water. This prevents calcium from staining the liner, the tile, causing equipment problems not to mention chemistry issues. As we stated above, having a swimming pool can be a lot of fun, taking care of…..not so much. So when in doubt hire a weekly pool service that truly understands how to keep your swimming pool looking great 365 days of the year.