If you’ve owned a pool for a while, you know, as summer approaches, your mind turns to all of the things you’ll need to do to get ready for the upcoming pool season. If you’re new to pool ownership, you’re entering an experience that is unknown and can, at times, seem daunting. Especially when it comes to pool cleaning.
As the weather gets warmer, pleasant thoughts of soaking up the sun, lounging by the water, lap swimming and workouts, and poolside parties appeal to pool owners. Along with all the fun stuff, however, comes the necessary task of pool cleaning and maintenance.
When this is allowed to become an afterthought, filters get clogged with leaves, walls turn slimy and green, and more. No one wants to swim in that pool!
Sure, pool cleaning and maintenance takes time and money. But avoiding it, or not doing it enough, will cost far more time and money down the line. We’re going to share some tips and tricks with you to lead to a more enjoyable pool experience.
The best piece of advice we can give, frankly, is to thoroughly relax and enjoy your pool or spa. The only true way to do that – carefree and without stress – is to leave the pool cleaning and maintenance up to a pool cleaning company.
1. Take Care Of The Chemistry Of Your Pool
You didn’t have to get A’s in high school chemistry to take care of your pool. So, it doesn’t get out of hand, you do, however, have to stay on top of things. First things first: Get a good water testing kit. The main things to look for are as follows:
- Sanitizer – depending on what you’re using, levels vary. But to kill microorganisms such as bacteria, you’ll need bromine, chlorine, or something else.
- Alkalinity – the ideal range is between 100 and 150 ppm. You need a pH buffer that prohibits spikes in basicity or acidity.
- PH levels – a 0 to 14 pH scale is used to test how acidic or basic your water is. A neutral zone between 7.4 and 7.6 is where your pool water should be kept.
2. Pool Filters and Pumps
For the best filtration results, all summer long, 24 hours a day, your pump should be running. This is the best way to keep your water healthy and clean. Can’t afford that? At least eight hours a day, run your pump.
You should backwash your filter, depending on how much debris it collects, at least once a month. How often you backwash will, in part, be determined by the type of pool filter you use.
3. Your Skimmer and Brush Are Your Best Friends
To keep things clean, on a daily basis, you should use your net skimmer to rid your pool of debris, leaves, etc. If it’s in the budget, you may even consider a robotic pool vacuum. That said, basic, on-hand equipment consists of the following:
- Manual pool vacuum
- Pool brush
- Net skimmer
Automatic cleaners miss things. To dislodge stuck-on debris and algae, at least once a week, manually brush the stairs and walls of your pool.
Note: A telescoping handle is basically the Swiss army knife of pool tools. You will very likely use it with your pool vacuum, pool brush, net skimmer, and maybe more.
4. A Shocking Experience
Even if you’ve never owned a pool before, you may already have heard of “shocking”. When you do this, you kill bacteria by raising the chlorine levels.
After a big pool party, following a major storm, or whenever your pool looks murky – at least twice a season – your pool should be shocked. Make sure you know what you’re doing because this can be a touchy process if done wrong. Yet another reason to leave it to the professionals!
Leave Your Pool Cleaning and Maintenance to AquaVision Pool & Spa
Chances are, you installed a spa or pool at your home for relaxation, exercise, stress reduction, recreation, etc. What you did not have a pool or spa installed for was to cause stress, anxiety, hassles, and more.
Pools don’t have to be a source of intensive labor and worry. How can you avoid the downside of pool ownership? Easy…
Entrust pool cleaning, troubleshooting, and maintenance of your pool or spa to the professionals at AquaVision Pool & Spa.
Got questions? Would you like to set up pool maintenance? Contact us today for more information.
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