When most people think of swimming pools their thoughts turn to sun and warm weather, fun and games, family and friends. And while these are all very enjoyable aspects of having your own backyard pool, there are many jobs that need to be done in the background to allow its happy and healthy use. To advise how to keep above ground pool clean, we’ve come up with a list of daily, weekly and monthly tasks that you should endeavor to complete.
Daily
Run the Water Pump
Your water pump needs to run at least 12 hours a day to inhibit stagnation and force the water through the filter and take care of any particulate matter. This running time should be increased to at least 18 hours a day when the temperature gets warmer.
Test Chlorine And pH Levels
When your pool gets a lot of use, keeping your chlorine and pH levels in check will be the most important factors in keeping the water clean and safe. Chlorine levels need to remain constant and can be affected by high pH, sunlight and heavy use. At the height of the swimming season, you’ll be wanting to do this daily.
Clean Skimmer and Pump Baskets
This doesn’t take a lot of work but should be monitored daily. If these get clogged, you could end up with much bigger problems.
Check Filter Pressure
This is another task which doesn’t require a lot of effort but can prevent larger problems. Once the pressure starts to get high (read your owner’s manual) you’ll need to clean out or backwash the filter.
Weekly
Skim, Brush, And Vacuum
Manually removing particulates will save your pool components from excessive wear and tear while decreasing the need for chemicals. Skim the water surface with a net to remove bugs, leaves and other floating materials. Give the liner a good brushing and vacuum all the debris from the bottom and sides of the pool.
Check Total Alkalinity
Test your total alkalinity level. This will keep your pH level stable and allow the chlorine to do its work.
Add Algaecide, Clarifier
Once algae start growing in your pool it’s very difficult to get it to stop. Preventative maintenance is the way to go. If your filter is small, clarifiers will help with keeping the water clear and fresh.
Refill Chlorine Floats
After a while, you’ll get used to how much chlorine your pool uses, but you’ll likely need to refill it at least once a week. Make sure your chlorine floats aren’t allowed to become empty.
Monthly
Test Calcium Hardness and Cyanuric Acid
Improper calcium hardness levels can cause liner discoloration or scaling and mineral deposits. Cyanuric acid is used to stabilize chlorine which can be broken down when it’s sunny.
Shock the Pool
Shocking the pool will keep your water clean by killing bacteria and algae. It’ll also reduce the strong odor that most people associate with chlorine.
Now that you know how to keep an above ground pool clean, learn more about our models by downloading a brochure.