6 minute read
POOL CARE
11/12/2022
5 Simple Steps to Properly Maintain Your Pool
Cameron Hakim
Whether you’re using your swimming pool to relax, exercise or spend time with family and friends, proper maintenance is needed to fully enjoy and protect your backyard investment. Without proper maintenance a dirty pool can cause a number of issues such as recreational water illness, expensive repairs & replacements, damage and discolourization and can even cause slips and falls due to algae growth creating slippery surfaces. For a carefree swimming season, follow these key steps below.
1. Circulation
Your pool water must be circulated to maximize the effectiveness of sanitizers. Additionally, circulation moves your pool water through the filter, removing particles and debris from the pool. The more water that is constantly in motion, the harder it is for bacteria and algae to take hold and grow.
2. Filtration
Your filter is one of the most important pieces of pool equipment. Your pool filter will capture debris, dirt and bugs that end up in the water, helping your pool stay clean. Filter type, bather loads, and each pool’s exposure to debris may require filters to be cleaned more or less frequently. As a standard procedure you should follow the manufacturer’s recommendation based on your filter type.
3. Cleaning
Although an extremely important piece of your pool equipment, your filter won’t always catch everything. Some pools have areas with little to no circulation, which can create issues if regular cleaning is not performed. You should make a habit of brushing and vacuuming your pool wall and floors at least once a week to catch the debris that your filter misses. This will prevent bacteria and algae growth while ensuring debris doesn't harden and stick to pool surfaces.
Not cleaning and maintaining your pool on a regular basis can lead to the growth of algae, clogged drains, equipment corrosion, damage and even illness.
4. Testing
Testing, testing, testing! Regular water testing is an essential part in the overall maintenance of your pool. Every pool has characteristics that need to be regularly measured and adjusted. Among others, your pH, sanitizer, alkalinity, and calcium hardness levels will be the most important factors to check. Test your water 2-3 times per week with heavy to typical bather usage. We recommend using test strips like the BioGuard 5-Way Test Strips. These strips can test for total hardness, total bromine, free chlorine, pH, and total alkalinity!
5. Chemistry
The last key in pool care is applying the right products at the right time. This process goes hand in hand with water testing. When testing is showing either low or elevated levels, you’ll need to follow the chemical instructions and add to properly balance your pool’s water chemistry.
