Maintaining a swimming pool can sometimes feel like a full-time job, and it will become more of a chore if you are not quite sure what you are doing.
I fully believe in getting a good education. Therefore, I present to you a few maintenance mistakes, which will turn your pool from clean to green in no time!
The biggest mistake you can make is not checking your pool’s chemistry often enough. This is critical in maintaining the kind of water in which you want to swim. Pool chemistry should be checked at least once a week throughout the entire year.
Another mistake is not regularly checking Total Dissolved Solids or calcium hardness. These affect water balance, which is different than sanitation. To illustrate this point, grab a glass of water, and start stirring in table salt. Eventually, the salt will no longer dissolve. Instead, it will maintain its granular state. This is because there is nothing left of the H2O to which the salt can bond. This very same thing happens to your pool, and maintenance will become a moot point if the problem is not addressed.
Next, if you have a salt system and you are not cleaning the cells, calcium and corrosion will occur. Corroded or calcified cells will produce very little chlorine, which will lead to a green pool.
Then, there is backwashing too often. A filter will never reach its full potential if you backwash too often. You will just be wasting water, which is something no one wants.
Next, is not cleaning skimmer baskets often enough. These should be cleaned at least weekly to maintain proper circulation.
Another big and expensive mistake is adding liquid chemicals during the day. The sun here in Arizona is hot, and will burn up your precious chemicals just like your skin.
Next, is not brushing down walls often enough. Most circulation systems are suspect. To prevent algae growth, walls should be swept down weekly.
Finally, not running your pump long enough. This one is huge. You can put as much chemical into your water as you want, but if the water isn’t circulating, you will end up with a green pool every time. Your pump should be running one hour for every 10 degrees it is outside. So, when it’s 120 degrees in the summer, keep that water circulating for 12 hours.
For more information, call (480) 297-9161.