Opening the old pool for visitors and guests will take a lot more than simply filling it with water. If you have a pool in your backyard, you may be dreading the idea of having to clean it. However, not giving your swimming pool proper care and maintenance may result in algae buildup, green water, and broken filtration system among others.
Keeping your pool looking at its best doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. The key here is preventive maintenance. Regularly maintaining it will not only prolong its life and cut down on maintenance costs, but it will also be safer for the whole family to swim in.
Here are a few simple and easy ways on how to ensure your swimming pool is always ready for the season.
Get To Know Your Pool And Its Parts First
Before anything else, getting familiar with the different parts of your pool and how they function will be very helpful on your part. It can make the cleaning process smoother and resolve any problems that may arise easier and faster.
Your swimming pool can have all the fancy features you want like advance pool covers, lightings, heating, or underwater speakers. However, all pools, whether it’s Olympic-sized with all the bells and whistles, an old one or a regular backyard pool, comes with four basic components that require regular upkeep and care: These include the following:
- Pool water. You need to keep the water of your swimming pool clear, clean, and balanced to protect the health of your loved ones. It should be free from pollutants and contaminants so that your pool will also last longer.
- Interior. The interior wall and liner of your pool are always in contact with water and anything that enters it. Your pool will be safe and clean if you’ll keep its surfaces in good maintenance, free of debris, mold, and algae.
- Filtration system. The pool pump is what keeps the water circulating, while the pool filter is what will clear contaminants like dirt from your pool water. If the filtration system is not functioning properly, you’ll have an unswimmable pool that’s polluted and cloudy.
- Returns and skimmers system. Pool skimmers are different from net skimmers. These are the ones that pull the water into the filters for cleaning. The returns, on the other hand, push it after the water has been cleaned back into your swimming pool.
Not all pools are the same, and there will be upkeep challenges you may encounter specific to yours. Having a strong understanding of how these components work will help you resolve those maintenance challenges.
Pool Cleaning Tools
Pools with proper circulation make it simpler to clean. However, there is still some manual work you need. Here’s a list of basic tools you need to check in your garage:
- Pool brush
- Net skimmer
- Pool vacuum
There will be various kinds of things that will go and grow into your pool when you use it such as leaves, residues from hair products and perfumes, as well as mold to name a few. Maintaining your pool is very important to prevent the risk of bacterial contamination and to make swimming safe.
Skimming, brushing and vacuuming your pool once a week will keep dirt and debris from its water. Using an automatic pool cleaner can cut down on your cleaning time significantly. It will not get rid off regular brushing and skimming, but both jobs will be a lot easier. This will leave you with more time to enjoy your refreshing and clean pool rather than cleaning it.
Simple Steps On How To Clean Your Pool
- Step 1: Get those unwelcomed leaves out of your pool. Leaving leaves to settle at the base or floor of your pool for a long time will stain it as they’ll breakdown over time. Scoop them out right away using a net skimmer when you see them floating on the surface. Doing this will also make vacuuming a lot easier.
- Step 2: Scrub and brush your pool. Once you’re done clearing the pool’s surface with leaves, brush and scrub the sides and floors of your swimming pool. You’ll prevent algae build up and remove dirt with regular brushing. It will also leave the surface smooth ensuring a finish that’s long-lasting. Make sure the pump is running as well so that it can remove out any debris from the pool water and pull them in the filter.
- Step 3: Vacuum your pool. Your pool will still have some dirt and debris even after you’ve done the first two steps. Vacuuming will provide it a good old thorough cleaning. This will not take too long, and you’ll have a good looking pool in no time.
- Step 4: Test chemical levels. Ensure your swimming pool is healthy and safe for swimming by checking its chemical levels at least once a week. Before making the test, make sure to backwash the pool filter first. There are numerous kits for testing the chlorine and pH levels of pools available out there. Read and follow the instructions carefully when conducting the test, and then add the amount of chlorine or acid recommended by the manufacturer.
- Step 5: How to add chlorine. There are a few ways on how to add chlorine if needed. Chlorines are available in liquid, powder, and tablet forms. Tablet chlorine is the easiest to use. You just have to drop it in the dispenser, put its lid back, and then let it float and do its thing in your swimming pool. For other types, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.