Thorough pool maintenance ensures clean and safe water throughout the bathing season. Check filters and backwash as needed. Test pool water and add chemicals. Fly over, brush and vacuum your pool at least weekly.
This keeps debris out of your water and leaves your walls spotlessly clean. Baking soda paste works particularly well as a simple scouring cleaner that won’t damage delicate tiles or a vinyl lining when brushing. Pool maintenance may include surface skimming, vacuuming and brushing, emptying skimmer baskets and automatic cleaning bags. After cleaning, the water balance is checked and balance chemicals can be added.
Pool maintenance starts with pool circulation. If your pool water isn’t moving, your pump isn’t pumping, or your filter isn’t filtering, you’re going to fight an uphill battle to keep your pool clean. This is because stagnant water is a breeding ground for algae growth. Another easy adjustment is to make sure your pool jets are facing away from your skimmer allowing your water to circulate in a circle. This promotes pool water spinning and makes it easier for your skimmer to remove debris.
It also helps tilt the jets down so the bottom of the pool circulates as well. If there are parts of the pool that are struggling to get water, most commonly around the steps, ladders, crevices, and corners of your pool, you can lean towards those areas as well. When you know how your pool works, how to best maintain it, and how to plan it, you’ll be ready to solve just about any potential pool problem that comes your way. Vacuuming your pool is another important part of removing debris that can reduce blood circulation and damage your pool.
Above ground pools don’t have these drains, but you can get the same water purification boost with a manual pool vacuum. When it comes to choosing between DIY pool maintenance and a professional pool cleaning service, consider tasks such as filter maintenance, surface skimming, and chemical testing. Even homeowners who opt for DIYers can still have a pool cleaning company come out and do a pool alignment. While it’s an essential part of effective pool maintenance and water maintenance, basic pool chemistry is surprisingly easy.
Manual maintenance is a normal part of pool ownership, unless you own a pool cleaning robot that does it for you. Not only is it a good idea to keep your pool chemistry balanced, but it’s also a good idea to shock your pool every week or two. If you’re not sure how to clean a pool filter, it’s essential to learn it and make it part of your regular pool maintenance routine. Write down your pool maintenance schedule and stick it on the wall, refrigerator, or even anywhere near your swimming pool.
To ensure your pool stays clean even when sanitizer runs out, add a pool shock regularly. The next step in the little thing of pool maintenance is cleaning, which involves brushing your pool, skimming off the dirt from the top and vacuuming the pool. To maintain your swimming pool, start by buying test strips from your local pool store so you can test the chlorine, alkali, pH, and cyanuric acid levels of your pool water. If you know how your pool works, understand the care it needs, and plan ahead, you may be proud of your pool maintenance skills.
Although pool professionals have the experience and tools to be more efficient than the average owner, many pool maintenance tasks can be done on their own for less. Most pool specialty stores and big box retailers sell easy-to-use test kits or test strips that can be used to test your pool water for the most important chemicals.
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References:
- Pool Care 101, Pool Maintenance Guide
- How to Maintain a Pool – This Old House
