If you own a inground pool, you know all the work that goes into keeping it sparkly clean and enjoyable. You have a regular maintenance routine, and schedule out your time to clean your pool. However, you may be making more work for yourself! Here are a few pool maintenance tips that will make your life a whole lot easier.
Skim debris and clean out baskets
Skimming your pool’s surface by hand every few days is one of the fastest and easiest ways to keep your pool clean! Anything floating on top of your pool that is not skimmed will sink to the bottom of the pool and create a larger problem. In addition, cleaning out strainer baskets at least once a week also helps circulation and lowers chlorine demand.
Vacuum the pool and brush walls and tile
Your inground pool should be vacuumed every week to keep the pool water clear and reduce the amount of chemicals you need to add to it. In addition, brushing the walls and tile helps minimize algae buildup and calcium deposits so they do not develop into larger problems. The material your pool walls are made of decides what kind of cleaning tools you should use. Select a stiff brush for plaster-lined concrete pools and a softer brush for vinyl or fiberglass walls.
Clean your pool filter
One of the best pool maintenance tips is to clean your pool filter. However do not over clean the filter. A clean filter is less efficient than one with a small amount of dirt in it because the dirt helps trap other debris, which removes dirt and bacteria from the water. Still, don’t let the filter get too dirty.
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Check and maintain water level
You are naturally going to lose a lot of pool water. Evaporation in the summer, use of your skimmers, and the occasional cannonball can all contribute. When you remove debris with your skimmer throughout the week, that is the best time to check the water level. Make sure it doesn’t fall below the level of the skimmer, otherwise the pump could be damaged. If the water is too low, all you need to do is use a garden hose to bring it up to safe levels.
Shock the pool water
Have you ever gone to a public pool and felt instantly irritated? The strong chlorine smell can be enough to detour you. This occurs when large amounts of contaminants interact with a pool’s chlorine to form chloramines, which give off that potent chlorine smell that many people associate with pools. To get rid of that pungent smell, you need to super chlorinate the pool. These pool maintenance tips are called pool shock. This return the pool to normal chlorine levels.
Winterize your pool
Pool maintenance tips such as winterizing your pool may or may not be useful. It all depends on where you live. If you live somewhere with severe winter weather, you run the risk of water freezing in your pool pipes, which can cause damage. To prevent this from happening, use an air compressor to blow water out of the pool’s plumbing when swimming season is over.
