Does the backyard of your dreams include having your very own swimming pool? If it does, it’s not very hard to see why. A pool will allow you to spend long afternoons lounging poolside, exercise almost every muscle in your body with an energizing swim, host fun weekend parties with your loved ones, and much more. But how do you properly care for a swimming pool? Below, we’ll be providing you with what you need to know about increasing the lifespan of your pool with a simple maintenance routine.
Balancing Your Pool’s Chemical Levels
Making sure that chemical levels are balanced is perhaps one of the most essential aspects of pool maintenance. If the water is improperly balanced, it can cause your pool to be murky, irritate eyes and skin or even allow bacteria to grow.
Furthermore, several external factors can affect the chemistry and stability of the water in your pool. These can include rainwater, dirt, debris and even creams or sprays that swimmers may have on their bodies. This is why regularly checking the different facets of the water’s chemical levels is a must. Below are some of the things you should frequently test and monitor and adjust the levels as needed to achieve the ideal balance:
pH Level and Alkalinity – A balanced pool means it has a healthy pH of 7.4 to 7.6. If you’re experiencing some issues with the pH levels, it might be a good idea to test the alkalinity level as well. Alkalinity is a pH buffer that helps maintain the stability of your pool water. The recommended alkalinity level is 80 ppm to 120 ppm, which you can check using a testing kit or strips.
Calcium Hardness – Pool water needs about 175 to 400 ppm of calcium to ensure that the plaster is kept in good condition. Adding calcium to your pool whenever it gets lower than the recommended levels can help protect the pool’s equipment and walls in the long run. On the other hand, you should also ensure that you’re not adding too much to avoid the risk of scaling.
Sanitization – Keeping your pool clean means keeping germs at bay. Without any form of sanitization, the water would simply not be sanitary enough and can pose health risks to those who will use it. Chlorine is one of the most common chemicals used for sanitizing pools. It can be in tablet, liquid or powder form. When it comes to how much chlorine you should put in your swimming pool, a good rule of thumb is that there shouldn’t be any unpleasant odour. If the pool has a strong chemical smell, it means that chlorine is breaking down contaminants. This means that there isn’t enough chlorine, and you should add more to keep your pool in a healthy state.
Regular Pool Maintenance and General Cleaning
No one wants to swim in a pool filled with leaves and dirt. This is why you should also take other steps to care for your pool properly. Any time you use the pool and you catch any debris floating around, it’s a good idea to skim the surface with a net to remove it as soon as possible. This way, you can prevent any unwanted dirt from sinking to the bottom of the pool, which can be a bit harder to clean. In addition, you should scrub any visible dirt from the walls of the pool with a brush, then finish off with a vacuum. Vacuuming should be done on a regular basis to prevent any build-up of bacteria and algae.
Get in touch with a pool dealer near you for more details on the tools and resources you need for pool maintenance.
Pool maintenance is actually more straightforward than many of us think. With the right information and routine, you can keep your pool looking brand-new for years to come. If you need help choosing the perfect pool for your home, download our coupon today.