Having the pool of your dreams is such an amazing accomplishment! Custom swimming pools can spruce up your backyard and make it the ultimate hangout spot for your friends and family. However, if you don’t perform proper pool maintenance, you might run into a few problems. We are here to help! It is essential to take the proper steps to care for your pool to help it last forever with no major issues. Here are a few tips and tricks we’ve gathered to help you properly maintain your swimming pool.
Water Circulation
The first step in pool maintenance is to ensure the water is circulating correctly. Running the pump for about eight to 12 hours each day helps prevent algae and bacteria growth. Circulating the water through the pool filter cleaner also helps trap contaminants and other particles that may have accumulated in your pool. The recommended time to run the pump is during the day and when adding chemicals to the water. Additionally, good water circulation mixes and disperses the pool chemicals throughout the system, ensuring that everything is good to go.
Chemistry
Next, you will want to add chemicals to your pool correctly. Clean water and balanced water chemistry are the keys to a perfect pool. Strive to establish a weekly routine to clean your pool and add pool cleaner. It is also necessary to incorporate a shock treatment that solves and prevents the majority of pool problems. You should also regularly test the pH, free available chlorine in the pool water, and shock-treat if necessary weekly. Be sure to plan an additional shock treatment if you encounter very heavy rains and windstorms, more swimmers than usual, foul-smelling water, extreme temperatures, swimmers with burning, red eyes, algae growth, or murky, slimy water.
Water Testing
After you have adequately circulated the water and put in all of the necessary chemicals, it is time to test your pool water pH level. You will want to check the pool’s water balance with a test kit. You can purchase these at any pool supply store. Start by dipping the test strip in the water and comparing it to the chart. The pH reading tells you how acidic your pool water is. Keep this value in check to prevent cloudy water and even eye irritation. The pH should be between 7.2 and 7.6. If it is not, use a pH increaser or decreaser according to instructions to adjust the pH. You will also want to check the pool’s sanitizer levels. Sanitizers either contain chlorine, salt, or bromine. Chlorine levels should be between 1 and 4 parts per million.
Shocking
After completing the steps above, you will need to shock the pool water. Pool shock helps destroy contaminants that may end up in your water. It also keeps your water clear and gets rid of any excessive chlorine odor. It’s best to shock weekly, as well as before and after pool parties, after storms, and during periods of high temperatures. We also recommend adding algaecide weekly as a preventative measure to slow down algae growth, especially in pools exposed to a lot of sun and heat.
Vacuuming
Once you have finished all of the previous steps, it is time to vacuum your pool to eliminate any excess debris at the bottom of your pool. First, you must prepare the pool walls and water surface before vacuuming. You can do this by skimming the water with a pool skimmer and brushing the pool walls with a pool brush. Then you can begin vacuuming. You need to make sure to vacuum all surfaces, especially areas that get little circulation, which are prime spots for algae growth.
Backwashing
The last and final step to the pool maintenance process is to backwash the pool. Backwashing keeps the pool filter cleaner by flushing out the built-up debris. It allows the water to be reversed through the filter out of the waste line and drain. You should check your filter’s directions to know how often you should backwash.
Overall, it can seem tedious to take care of and maintain your custom swimming pool. With these simple steps, you will notice a world of a difference in the look and feel of your swimming pool in no time. Since you have spent all of this time and money into creating the pool of your dreams, you need to make sure you are correctly taking care of it to avoid any future problems. Check out our website for more information on pool maintenance and repair.
