5 Helpful Tips to Maintain your Pool
Looking to prevent pool problems?
1.) When it comes to pool maintenance most pool owners usually just pay close attention to the pool parts. However, problems can be caused by external factors that aren’t even near your pool, like plants (more specifically, trees).
Even though trees are a safe distance from your body of water they can still do damage. A tree has height so falling leaves, branches, and flowers can fall on an angular path—right into your pool. One tree might not be bad, however, 3 or 4 trees can reek havoc with your equipment (like surface skimmers and filters), especially after rainstorms. So, you might want to take a look up before you settle on a ground location.
2.) When it comes to pool filters people might think it’s best to go for a smaller model. In the long run this might not actually be a wise decision.
Once more dirt gets into your system it has to use more energy to clean it. A smaller filter might not be able to handle all of the dirt and may need to be cleaned out more often than you would like. To avoid this from happening, don’t go with the recommended regular size filter, super-size it a bit. Make sure it has a bigger cleaning area or a more powerful cleaning system so it can clean longer for you.
3.) Looking for some swimming pool maintenance advice? None of us have the time or energy to hover over a pool and clean, 100% of the day—that’s why pools are designed with surface skimmers. These vacuums built into the side of pool walls suck up debris through a flap (called a floating weir) right into a strainer basket. The clean water then gets circulated out. Though (like a teenager’s room) over time, these baskets will collect a lot of junk. You need to empty the basket either once a week or right after a big storm blows a whole mess of stuff in the pool.
To empty the baskets just lift up the access hatch (located at the top of the surface skimmer), remove the strainer baskets, and empty the mess into the trash. Be warned, however, that sometimes small animals (frogs, mice, etc.) find their way into the pool and get sucked up by the skimmer—and sometimes they’re still alive.
4.) When looking for a swimming pool cover, make sure:
• The cover has been approved by the ATSM (American Society for testing and material)
• The cover is made of mesh netting so water can pass through
• There are no huge gaps where a child can get through
5.) Even small parts (like your swimming pool pump) need to be up to standards. Usually the folks at the business department will require swimming pool pumps to run at a specific circulation rate. Keep in mind that the rate of circulation may differ based on swimming pool factors like size and depth of the pool.