Pool parties make hot summer days worthwhile; but once the pool is opened, the work doesn’t end. Don’t let the hassles of maintaining a pool seem greater than the pleasures. Get a handle on the following pool maintenance steps and it will become a habit you’re happy to do:
- Skim regularly. Clear away leaves and debris floating on the surface of your pool. Keep up with removing debris as they can stain the bottom of your pool.
- Vacuum the bottom of your pool every day. You can set your pool vacuum to go off daily. Most pools require about thirty minutes of vacuuming.
- Run your pool filter on a daily basis. Especially during hot months, all the water in the pool needs to get through the filter once. This is very important in maintaining a clean pool and preventing algae growth.
- Empty and clean your skimmer on a daily basis. Remove any dead frogs, debris, leaves, or even animals that can get into the skimmer. The skimmer is essential for clean swimming water and will not work properly if it is constantly clogged.
- Brush the sides of your pool. This moves algae and debris towards the center of the pool so the vacuum can filter it out easily.
- Test the water on a regular basis. Depending on how frequently you use your pool, testing the water’s pH and chlorine should be done daily or weekly. Chlorine should be 3 parts per million.
- Shock the water at least once a month. If the chlorine test is below 1 part per million, or alkalinity less than 90 part per million, you should shock the water. If you have a pool party or many people have been swimming in your pool, it is a good idea to test the water afterwards to see if it needs to be shocked.
- Keep an eye on the water level. You do not want the pool water to drop below the skimmer intake. If you do notice the water level looking low, toss the hose in the pool and add more chemicals.
Maintaining a clean pool during the summertime is not only important for its appearance, it’s important for the health and safety of those swimming in it. Follow these steps to have a fun and healthy summer in your pool.
If maintaining your pool is something you could use help with, contact the professionals of Continental Pools at 1-800-640-0062.
Helpful tips! I believe having your own pool requires effort in maintaining it – it’s not all pleasure. The pool needs to be maintained so you could really enjoy it.
Great tips! Automatic pool cleaners really do make more time for pool enjoyment and less time cleaning. If you have a lot of people swimming in your pool during the summer, it’s best to shock the pool at the end of each pool party.
Really useful tips
Btw, no jokes about dead frogs — thought I was swimming toward a leaf on my first trip in my pool this year and found it was a frog!! Not only this, it was alive. I dutifully put it on the edge… for it to turn around and jump at my face, consequently this was also back into the pool. This caused much entertainment for the kids… me not so much!