Not everyone is lucky enough to live in a home with a swimming pool. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you should know how to maintain it. You never know when someone decides to pay you a visit. If that ever happens, you should be ready to accommodate them, and the best way to do that is by hanging out at your pool area. Everyone loves to spend some quality time at the pool!
Also, performing preventive maintenance will significantly help in avoiding any issues or problems from occurring. Thus, you can save both your time and money. Here are some effective tips on how you can maintain your pool properly.
#1 Check Chemical Levels Twice a Week
During summer, the swimming pool is a favorite area in the house. Since many people will be spending a lot of their time there, it’s important that you check the chemical levels at least twice a week. During winter, once a week is enough.
The pH level should be between 7.2 and 7.8. Remember, the lower the pH, the less chlorine you’re going to need. This is because chlorine becomes less active once the pH level rises. This will lead people to add more chlorine, which is not ideal, especially when there are children around.
#2 Check Your Water Level
It’s really important that you check the water level of your pool regularly. It should be on the recommended level to avoid compromising its performance and causing damage to the entire pool.
As people get in and out of the water, as well as evaporation, your water level will likely go down, so you must be careful. This is why it’s also helpful to get linings made with stainless steel casting for your pool. This will greatly help prevent leakage, and thus maintaining your water level.
The water level should be at the center of the pool tile or pool skimmer for best performance and results. The performance of the skimmer door will be affected if the water is too high. On the other hand, if the water is too low, it’s the pump that will be compromised.
#3 Inspect Your Chlorine Generator
A chlorine generator is a device that will produce chlorine so you won’t have to manually do it. Although this is really convenient, you still need to check up on it regularly. This is to make sure that it’s working properly and not adding too much salt to your pool water. Make sure it is clean to avoid your pool from getting over-salted.
#4 Make It a Habit to Clean Your Filter Regularly
It’s best to clean your filter every four to six months. Here’s what you need to do to clean your filter properly:
- Soak your filters in a 10% solution of TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) or muriatic acid.
- It’s best that you soak them in a rubber trash can.
- Don’t forget to wear eye protection and gloves.
- Remember to add acid to water and not the other way around.
- Rinse
- Let them dry.
- Don’t forget to keep your supplies in a safe place and away from children.
#5 Inspect Your Safety Measures
Pool safety should always be a priority, especially when there are children around. If you have pool glass fencing installed, make sure that their self-latch and self-lock mechanism is still functioning properly. Ideally, glass pool fences should be kept intact using stainless steel glass spigots to make sure that they remain in place, even when during harsh weather.
Also, if you have security systems in your pool area, always check that they’re fully functional to make sure that no one gets into the pool without it notifying you.
#6 Be Wary for Cracks and Debris in Your Pool Interior
To keep your swimming pool safe and clean, make it a habit to check for cracks and debris. The walls of your pool are always in contact with water and the people and things going in it. Check for any cracks, algae, mold, and other types of debris. Usually, regular cleaning will keep these in check, however, it’ still better and safer to perform a separate inspection.