If you own a pool or are planning to invest, you need to know first the maintenance tips. It will help you keep your pool clean, fresh, and safe for everyday use.
Aside from that, thoroughly checking your pool is an important step, such as the water level and pool chemicals which should be in balance. On the other hand, the filters should be free from any debris or particles that can cause clogging.
However, there are pool maintenance mistakes that most pool owners make when maintaining their swimming pools. Here is the common pool maintenance you should avoid to ensure your pool is in its optimal health.
Not Cleaning After Your Pets Use the Pool
Keep in mind that the average size dog proposed three times or more contaminants to your pool than humans. Leaving pet hair in your pool is more harmful. It may cause to change the chemical level and clog the filter.
In this case, use water clarifiers to treat your pool after your pet is done swimming. It could also eliminate oils and other pollutants in the water.
Water clarifiers are also known as settlers. These are generally used to separate solid particles from liquid for thickening. Furthermore, it clarifies function in two basic criteria: the surface area of the tank and the liquid retention time within the tank.
Ignoring Your Pool’s Chemistry
As a pool owner, you must maintain your pool’s pH level between 7 and 7.6. Thoroughly check your pool chemical at least twice every week during summer and once every winter. Allowing the pH level of your pool to reach 8.0 will make your chlorine less active.
Not Cleaning Pool Filters
Once your pool filter is unclean, possible algae might grow into your swimming pool, which leads to inappropriate filtration or even causes damage to your pump motor.
To get rid of dirty filters:
- Soak it in a mild solution of muriatic acid.
- In a few minutes after soaking, rinse with water and let it dry in an open place.
- Be reminded to wear gloves to protect yourself during this process.
Backwashing Your DE Pool Filter Daily for No Reason
Backwash your Diatomaceous Earth filter if necessary. We discourage pool owners from cleaning their DE filters every day.
It may block your filters from achieving the pool cleaning potential. Just perform a backwash if your filter’s pressure gauge reaches 8 or 10 PSI after cleaning.
Adding Chemicals During Hot Weather
Adding chemicals in your pool, such as chlorine, will be less productive during hot weather because chlorine forms hypochlorite ions that convert to gas and release to the atmosphere when exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun.
Additionally, expect your pool temperature to rise during hot weather. Therefore, you need to apply chlorine twice as much to treat your pool.
Not Wearing Swim Suits When Using Your Pool
Pool owners should encourage swimmers and people engaged in pool activities or water sports to wear appropriate swimming costumes.
Also, wearing clothes made of cotton is not advisable because this holds pollutants such as oils, detergents, and germs. It could cause contamination in your pool.
Moreover, wearing cotton clothes is capable of causing death since it absorbs a lot of water that makes you unable to breathe and drown in the pool.
While wearing lightweight swimwear materials made of nylon, it can absorb small amounts of water, and the good thing is it dries very fast.
Neglecting Your Pool’s Water Level
If you fill too much water with your swimming pool, then backwash pushes debris and dirt back into the pool while saturating your deck with water.
In contrast, if you don’t fill your pool with water at the desired level, your pool pumps will filtrate air instead of water and might damage your pump.
Running Your Pool Filter and Pump System for Less Than 8 Hours Daily
Running your pool filter and pump system for fewer hours every day might be time-saving, but it will cost you more. In this case, when algae grow in your pool, you need to run your filter and pump 24/7 until your pool is well maintained again due to cost reduction practices.
As a result, you will use more energy which can cause your electric bill to skyrocket. It is suggested to run your pool filter and pump for at least 8 hours daily to ensure that your pool water is effectively clean.
Ignoring Your Pool’s Calcium Hardness
Calcium Hardness is a measurement of calcium ions present in the water. It must be actively managed with pH and alkalinity to keep your water in proper chemical balance.
However, having high calcium levels is irregular and becomes worse if your pool pH increases to the normal level. It will also result in cloudy pool water.
If this happens, you can add chemicals in your pool such as natural seal to keep calcium hardness to a specified range of 200 to 275ppm for plaster and concrete pools.
Not Treating Your Pool After Having Visitors Used It
If you are having a party or any occasion and most of your visitors use the swimming pool, you must check and clean your pool after the event.
It ensures that your pool is free from algae, germs, or bacteria. All of these could cause contaminations to your pool and affect the health of the swimmers.
Avoid These Common Pool Maintenance Mistakes
We are all bound to commit mistakes, but avoiding these common pool maintenance mistakes will help you save time and money. Maintaining a water level of pH, alkalinity, and added chemicals to the desired measurement can also help attain your goal.
As a reminder, pool owners must follow the pool maintenance instructions at all times. As the owner, it is your responsibility to keep swimmers safe from using your swimming pool by avoiding the said mistakes. Remember, whatever happens to the swimmers, it is you who will be held reliable.
