How to Ensure Your Swimming Pool Is Well-Maintained

By Tony Tanzi - M# 4621

Pool owners worldwide start considering when to open their pools for the season as summer draws near. Maintenance is often put off until the walls grow green slime or the filter starts to clog with leaves.

However, waiting until issues develop may cost far more time and money than just establishing a sound maintenance schedule. You should have a clear plan to maintain the pool throughout the season.

The only way to achieve that is to make sure you've covered all your bases with the following advice and techniques.

Shocking

Shocking doesn't necessarily mean shocking your pool if you're a beginner. To shock means to increase the chlorine level to destroy bacteria temporarily. At least twice per season, or if the water appears cloudy, such as immediately following a sizable pool party, it should be done.

In order to avoid over- or under-chlorinating and to avoid harming yourself, your pool liner, and your filter, you must do it correctly. The best shock technique is combining strong chlorine into a pail of warm water to dilute it. 

While donning safety goggles and gloves, thoroughly mix it to dissolve it uniformly. Pour it into your pool after that.

However, be careful only to shock the pool at night. At a rate of around one ppm per hour, the sun burns chlorine off, decreasing efficacy and costing money. The best outcomes come from shock at night. Make sure nobody will be swimming at night.

Brush and Skimmer

Using a net skimmer, you should regularly remove dirt and leaves from the water's surface. Robotic pool vacuums can assist keep the pool floor and occasionally the walls clean if you have a little more cash.

However, you always want to keep a net skimmer, a pool brush, and a manual pool vacuum available.

Pool Pumps and Filters

The best approach to maintaining clean, wholesome water is through constant circulation. For the finest filtration outcomes, your pump should ideally be running twenty-four hours per day throughout the summer. 

Aim for at least 8 hours a day of pump operation. However, not everyone's budget and equipment can support that. 

You should empty the filter basket at least once a week to get rid of all the dirt it has accumulated. If you don't do it, your pump will have to work much harder than necessary to get the water through the blocked filter, reducing its lifespan. You should backwash your filter at least once a month, depending on how much trash your pool accumulates.

Pool Chemistry

Basic pool chemistry is rather straightforward, but you must keep an eye on it to prevent things from getting out of hand. Really, all you require is a reliable water testing kit. Test your water before adding any chemicals to the pool so you'll know exactly how to modify them without wasting time or money.

Use a reliable testing kit to check your water at least once each week. Go gently, according to all instructions, and carefully adjust chemicals in accordance with results. Gather a sample each month and deliver it to the pool supply shop. 

There, they ought to have cutting-edge testing tools that will present you with an even more precise image of the chemical makeup of your pool.

Call a pool service specialist to take a look if you see any leaks, cracks, or other issues you cannot quickly remedy as part of your usual maintenance. Waiting could cause the issue to worsen and end up costing you a lot of money to fix completely.

Get your cleaning supplies at Kings Park Hardware Co. Our hardware store at Kings Park has been serving the Long Island community since 1945. Visit your hometown hardware store today!