
After your pool is constructed or you move into a home with a swimming pool for the first time, you will want to do everything you can to keep that pool in top condition and the water clean and safe to swim in. To do this there is daily, weekly, and monthly upkeep tasks that should be performed. These tasks should be done regardless of how often the pool is used. Even if no one has been in the pool for a few weeks, proper maintenance should be performed, because your pool is still exposed to outside contaminants.
Keeping a pool in good condition and the water clean is not a difficult task as long as it is met with consistency. Here is a daily, weekly, and monthly pool maintenance guide to help pool owners stay on top of keeping their pools in top shape.
Daily
- Skimming: Getting out the net and skimming the pool for debris should be done every day. Sometimes this needs to be done multiple times a day.
- Brushing- After skimming the pool for large debris the sides/walls and floor of the pool should be brushed for any clumps of dirt. Brushing the pool also helps prepare for vacuuming.
- Check the pH levels. This will help ensure the water is properly balanced. It should be between 7.2 and 7.7
- Cleaning the Skimmer Basket: The skimmer basket should be removed and cleaned to keep the circulating water clean. If it seems like the pool needs more frequent skimming with a net check the skimmer basket more often.
- Algaecide: at least once a week the pool should have a dose of algaecide and clarifier. This will kill algae without ruining pool tiles and it will keep the water from becoming cloudy.
- Chemicals: pools use chlorine to kill the bacteria in the water and keep it safe to swim in. It is critical to have the level of chlorine in balance so that the water is kept sanitized but does not irritate the eyes and respiratory system of swimmers.
- Vacuum: suck out all of the debris at the bottom of the pool after brushing the walls and bottom once a week. Investing in a robotic vacuum will free up some time from doing it yourself.
- Clean the Pool Deck: the stuff hanging out on the pool deck ends up in the pool. Keep the pool deck clean to help minimize what gets in the pool.
- Clean the Filter: This is usually monthly but really depends on how long the filter has operated since the last cleaning. The indicator of when to backwash is when the gauge reads between 5-10 psi higher or is very low.
- Shocking: This is when the chlorine level in the pool is raised to 5 to 10 ppm to make sure all algae and bacteria are eradicated. This will also break up any combined chlorine.
- Prevent Ring Around the Pool: Clean the water line on the pool walls and use a scrubby sponge to clean the throat and well of the skimmer to prevent unsightly ring around the pool.
- Dive and Slide Surfaces: These surfaces can get a buildup of gunk and make them slippery. They should be cleaned annually to keep them safe. While cleaning check for loose bolts and the overall working condition.
- Check the Pool Cleaner: once a year make sure the parts are in good shape and functioning as they should
- Thorough filter clean: filters should be removed and deep cleaned once a year. They should be hosed down and then soaked in a filter cleaner.
- Pump: check the pump and give it some yearly maintenance
to keep it running properly.
For pool maintenance in Lake Havasu City contact My EverClear Pool any time.
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