8 Mistakes To Avoid While Maintaining Your Pool
You never thought of constructing a swimming pool on your property but you finally gave in to the wishes of your wife. You have, ever since, fallen in love with this one little addition that you made to your house upon her insistence. But you must understand that taking care of your swimming pool and its water is not child’s play. There is a big responsibility on your shoulders and it is not going to go away by just calling in the right swimming pool cleaners every once in a while. You must ensure that you do not make the following mistakes when cleaning your pool by yourself or getting it cleaned by a professional:
Forgetting To Wash Your Pool Filter
Have you ever wondered what the water would feel like if you forget to wash your pool filter? It is going to be dirty all the time. According to several pool cleaning service providers in the city, if you wash it too frequently, it is going to corrode the filter which means you lose either way. It is a little surprising but the filter is going to function a little better if there is a little bit of debris or gunk inside it. A little bit of debris in the filter attracts more debris which means that your pool water is going to get cleaner when it passes through that filter. So, make it a point to clean the pool filter but not too vigorously so that you end up ruining it.
Did You Brush Your Pool?
Several pool owners take this little chore for granted. They think that chlorine alone can kill a lot of bacteria, germs, and can also help them get rid of the dirt and debris. Well, this is not the case at all. Chlorine can disinfect the pool water but it is not going to remove that stubborn debris that has gotten accumulated on the walls of your pool. If you want to keep it germ-free, you must brush your pool regularly. And no! Bleach is not a substitute for brushing either.
Is There A Thing Called Automatic Pool Cleaner?
Wouldn’t your life be so much easier if these automatic swimming pool cleaners were that efficient? Swimming pool algae are a very common problem and so is the belief of several house owners that automatic pool cleaners are 100% effective. If you have installed a pressure-side automatic pool cleaner, that is only going to stir the algae around. Removing any such foliage or algae is a manual job and you will need a professional for this.
Shocking Your Water!
You are adding concentrated chlorine into your pool water which means that you will be bleaching anything that comes in contact with it. You don’t want that. The right approach is to dissolve a little chlorine in a bucket full of water and then transfer it to your swimming pool water. This is a trick to protect your walls and floor from getting bleached. Also, chlorine is acidic. So when you pour it directly into the water, the acid molecules react vigorously with water molecules surrounding them which can create a big splashback. You should always avoid that.
What Do You Know About Alkalinity And Ph Levels?
Yes, what do you know about the alkalinity and the pH levels of your pool water? You don’t have to take out your school chemistry textbook for this. Just a little bit of Google research is going to be enough. When it comes to cleaning your swimming pool, you have to remember that excess of either of these properties can be harmful to your pool water. If the pH level is too high, the pool water is going to be acidic. If it is low, it is going to be alkaline. Simple, isn’t it? There are tools available in the market that can easily help you determine the alkalinity or acidity of your pool water in an instant. Make sure that the pH level of the water is somewhere between 7 and 7.6.
Forgetting To Run Your Pool Filter System
It is one thing to run your pool filter system for less than 8 hours but it is entirely a different thing if you forget to run it at all. Remember that it is a very minor pool maintenance mistake but the result can be devastating for your swimming pool. If you do not run your pool filter system for at least eight hours every day, you will have to deal with a lot of contaminants and debris getting accumulated inside your pool. If you have a bigger pool, you are better off running it for at least 10 hours every day.
Didn’t You Clean After Your Pets?
No doubt that you love your little furry friends but let’s not forget that they can be as dirty as they are cute. Whether you have invited a single poodle or a whole party of your pet’s friends, the impact is going to be quite similar. Their natural oils, hair, and fur can get accumulated in your drain and this could turn out to be a lot to handle. You will have to use water clarifiers to minimize the pH change. But an even better approach is to avoid letting your pets inside the pool at all.
The Calcium Content Of Your Swimming Pool
If you haven’t paid attention to the calcium hardness of your swimming pool water, it is time to do that now. It is critical to balance the calcium hardness of your pool water because too much of it can make the pool look cloudy. The recommended range of calcium hardness should be between 175 and 225 parts per million. The right concentration of calcium hardness is going to keep your fiberglass, concrete, vinyl liners, and filters in just the right condition
Conclusion
So these were 3 of the most common mistakes that are prevalent among most homeowners that have a swimming pool in their house. Avoiding these mistakes is the least you can do to make sure that your swimming pool is in top-notch condition throughout the year.
