Pool Maintenance 101

Owning a swimming pool means that you need to carry out regular pool maintenance. As a pool owner, you need to have a basic understanding of pool maintenance essentials.

Knowing how a pool works will help you understand how to best take care of it and solve problems that may rise along the way.

To keep your swimming pool properly functioning and looking great, you will need to keep water moving and properly filtered, keep debris out, and balance the water chemistry.

The primary step in keeping the pool water clean and clear is to make sure that the water is circulating properly.

What regular maintenance should be done on a pool?

Regular maintenance is essential to keep a pool clean, safe, and in good working condition.

Some of the key maintenance tasks that should be performed on a pool include:

Skimming and brushing: Skimming the surface of the pool to remove debris and brushing the walls and floor to remove algae and bacteria. This should be done at least once a week.
Testing and adjusting water chemistry: Testing the water chemistry, including pH, chlorine, and alkalinity, and adjusting as necessary to maintain safe and healthy levels. This should be done at least twice a week.
Vacuuming and cleaning filters: Vacuuming the pool floor and cleaning the pool’s filters, including the skimmer baskets, pump basket, and filter cartridges, to remove debris and keep the water circulating properly. This should be done at least once a week.
Backwashing: Backwashing the filter system to remove dirt and debris and to ensure that water is flowing through the filter properly. This should be done as needed, usually once a month.
Checking and maintaining equipment: Regularly inspecting and maintaining pool equipment such as pumps, filters, heaters, and automatic cleaners to ensure they are working properly. This should be done at least once a month.
Checking and cleaning pool surfaces: Regularly inspecting and cleaning pool surfaces, such as tile and plaster, to remove stains and prevent damage. This should be done at least once a year.
Winterizing: If you live in a region with cold winters, it’s important to winterize your pool before the winter season to prevent damage from freezing temperatures. This includes draining water, cleaning and covering the pool, and disconnecting and storing equipment.

It’s important to note that the frequency of these tasks will vary depending on factors such as the size of the pool, the number of people using it, the local climate and weather, and the type of pool.

An experienced pool technician can give you an idea of the best schedule for your pool.

To better understand pool maintenance, you need to be familiar with different parts of the pool and their corresponding roles.

Pool Water

One of the most important parts of pool maintenance is to ensure that the water is clean, clear and has balanced chemicals and pH. Having clean and balanced water helps keep you, your family, or tenants free from contaminants and pollutants. It will also help you avoid costly hardware repairs due to mineral build-up or corrosion, and helps your overall pool system last longer.

Pool Interior

The pool walls are also a crucial part of pool maintenance, most especially since they are in constant contact with water. Keeping the pool interior and liners in good condition will help keep it away from mold, algae, debris, and stains.

Pool Filter System

The pool filter system is considered to be a vital part of the pool, making sure that clean water is circulating properly. Through the pool filter system, dirty water is drawn out and clean water is designed to flow back in. Without a properly functioning pool filter system, it won’t be long before the pool becomes polluted, cloudy, and unswimmable.

There are three types of pool filters: sand filter, cartridge filter, and a diatomaceous earth (D.E.) filter. For pools with a salt water system, a salt water chlorinator acts as the filter.

Pool Skimmers and Returns

Skimmers and returns help swimming pools be at their very best. Skimmers make sure that they effectively pull water into the filter for cleaning. Returns ensure that clean water is pushed back into the pool. With this mechanism, it is best if the skimmers and returns are clog-free.

Pool Maintenance: Shocking the Pool

In addition to keeping the pool water chemistry balanced, shocking your pool is also a good idea. Pool shocking is recommended once every week or every other week.

What does pool shocking mean? It means that you overload the pool water with sanitizer to get rid of any contaminants, bacteria, and organic matter. In short, the more you use the pool, the more often it should be shocked.

Pool shocking should also be part of regular pool maintenance after an intense storm, an algae breakout, or after an unexpected contamination.

Pool Maintenance FAQs

How do you get rid of pool algae?

You can use a pool brush to vigorously scrub any pool surfaces laden with algae, including the steps, walls, and floors.

Having algae in your pool can be really dreadful and unsightly, and as soon as you see any signs of that green icky substance, it is recommended that you get rid of it immediately.

If you are experiencing stubborn algae that seems to come back right after you clean it, it’s time to contact the pool experts. Bryte Pools offers professional pool maintenance services in Las Vegas. Give us a call today to book an appointment!

What is calcium hardness and how to lower it?

Calcium hardness is referred to as how hard or soft your pool water is. It is measured through the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the swimming pool.

Just like pH and alkalinity, it’s essential to keep the calcium levels balanced to prevent your pool water from scaling or becoming corrosive.

To lower the calcium hardness in the swimming pool, the pool water must be partially or completely drained and replaced with fresh water.

Bryte Pools pool pros are experts in maintaining the required levels of a pool including lowering the calcium hardness.

Pool Maintenance | Las Vegas

Pool maintenance can be easy if you stick to a schedule or routine.

However, if you don’t have the time and resources to carry out regular pool maintenance, the best thing you can do is to contact professional pool care technicians to do it for you.

Bryte Pools offers professional pool maintenance and cleaning services for commercial and residential pools in Las Vegas and nearby areas.

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