How to Care for Your Pool in Hot Weather

It is the middle of summer, and the hottest days of the year are here. Extremely hot weather can demand extra care for your pool. When not cared for properly a pool under high heat conditions can become out of balance and a whole host of other problems can occur.  

The best way to prevent hot weather pool problems is to be proactive about caring for your pool when the thermometer goes up. Here are five great hot weather pool care tips to keep your pool in great shape during summer here in Lake Havasu City.  

1. Circulation- You will want to have the main pump in the pool circulating the water for at least 8-12 hours per day. For salt systems you will want the pump to run for longer periods of time because the salt system does not do its work unless the pump is on. Any pool needs the pump to be operating well for the water to remain clear.  
2. Filtration- Keep the filtration system, including the filter, skimmer baskets, and the pump basket, clean (backwashed) and free from debris. Also make sure to check that the filtration is operating correctly on a regular basis. 
3. Brushing- Keep the walls and floor of the pool brushed and clean to prevent algae build-up and bacterial growth. Pay special attention to areas of low circulation like the corners, steps, and benches.  
4. Frequent Testing- The water in the pool should be tested at least once a week, but more often in harsh weather. If you do this on your own, you should have a full water analysis done once a month. This will help to determine what chemicals should be added to the pool to balance it out.  

• Chlorine should be at 2.0 to 4.0 parts per million 
• pH should be 7.2 to 7.4 

• cyanuric acid should be at 30 to 50 parts per million 
• salt level (for salt system pools) should be at 2700 to 3500 parts per million 
• alkalinity should be at 80 to 100 for calcium hypochlorite, salt pools, and liquid chlorine pools and 100 to 120 for dichlor and trichlor pools 
• calcium hardness should be at 200 to 400 parts per million 
  
  5. pH is Very Important- It is extremely important to keep the pH levels at the right number. Chlorine is much more effective at doing its job when the pH level is at 7.2 to 7.4. Just a few points higher and you will end up having to do more work to correct pool issues than wanted.   

If you need help getting or keeping your pool in balance during times of peak temperatures consider the pool services in Lake Havasu City at My Everclear Pool.  

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