Installing A New Pool? Hereās How To Properly Take Care Of It
By: John Garcia | Date Posted: December 7, 2021
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If you are thinking about getting a swimming pool in your house, then you must be well aware of all the maintenance tips to regularly go through the upkeep routine.
It is hardly a surprise to know that pools need a regular maintenance schedule. When you are aware of various strategies to care for your pool, it will be quite easy to go through all the maintenance-related tasks, and you will be ready to resolve any issue related to your new pool.
Knowing Your Pool Well Is a Must!
You cannot keep up with the required maintenance of your pool without learning about the pool itself. You need to update your knowledge about the important pool parts and the mandatory maintenance tasks.
Obviously, this does not involve enrolling yourself in an intensive course and earning a diploma, but you need to know the basics to keep everything in shape and let it function smoothly.
Make Sure that the Water Circulation is Intact
It is very important to keep the water circulation in good condition because this is one of the common problems that undermine the health of your new swimming pool.
If the water circulation is blocked, algae gets to have a rich breeding ground and your pool can quickly turn into a haven for the algae to grow in.
You can view this in the dead spots where there is bad circulation typically, or around the steps, behind the ladder, or under the skimmer. So make sure that water circulation is seamless and consider installing multi-directional return jets that are great for this purpose.
Maintain a Checklist for Your Pool
It is quite common to forget all the things that you need to do for swimming pool maintenance. So, a good rule of thumb is to have a comprehensive checklist that walks you through all the required maintenance tasks, so you do not forget or skip them.
Putting off pool maintenance will cost you much higher in the long run. You can have a few different checklists, for instance, one for the daily maintenance tasks, and one for weekly or monthly.
Generally, the daily tasks would be to check the PH level (ideally this should stay from 7.4 to 7.6), level of chlorine, water level (keep it to mid-skimmer), and to check pump operations and filter pressure.
It is also important to skim the water surface and empty pump baskets and skimmers. Getting through these daily checks will keep your swimming pool in a good condition. However, having a weekly maintenance routine is also important because it will give you a chance to thoroughly check everything.
You should double-check all the equipment, and replacing broken pool equipment needs to be on your weekly maintenance list. For weekly tasks, you need to be checking alkalinity to ensure that itās within the 80-120 ppm range and also keep the proper dose of clarifier, algaecide, and metal control. Cleaning the pool deck and the peripheral area is as important as maintaining the inside of the pool.
Prepare it for the Winter
If you are not going to use the pool throughout the year, then it is important to get it ready for the winter, as soon as the swimming season comes to an end.
Preparing the swimming pool for the winter means that you have to clean the pool thoroughly and add winter chemicals to the water inside the pool. You need to add a pool anti-freeze to the plumbing and make sure that you have installed the threaded winter plugs, this will keep the pipes safe from any water.
It is best to cover the pool with a properly sized pool winter cover. It is important to remember not to empty the pool completely because this can be damaging for the swimming pool because of the hydrostatic pressure in winter. You need to lower the water level, though.
Running the Pool Pump is a Must
It does not matter if you are not planning a swim in your pool for the next whole week or the next two days, running the pool pump is a must for up to 18 hours on a daily basis.
The filter and pump need to run every day in order to keep the pool clean and in healthy condition. The pump simply pulls the water into the filter and helps with keeping the pool water clean from debris and dirt. Keeping the pump running every day is also helpful in reducing algae growth.
Make Sure that the Impeller is Unclogged
If your pool pump is not working, remember to always check the impeller for any clogs because that could be the reason. This is something that a lot of pool owners simply forget to check regularly, but youād be surprised to know itās quite a common problem and can occur often.
The impeller is a very small component of the pool pump, and its function is to create the water flow to filter from the pump. But it can easily get clogged with debris and leaves. So, it is important to check the impeller regularly.
While doing so, be sure to first turn the motor off. As soon as the impeller has been unclogged and cleaned up, you will notice that the pool pump will start functioning at optimal efficiency.
Keep it Protected from the Sun!
Donāt forget to use a solar blanket to cover the pool because it is quite helpful in keeping the pool water clean from any insects, dirt, or debris. The solar blanket is especially remarkably helpful during the windy season when there is a strong breeze.
This will also cut down the water evaporation and keep the water level in your swimming pool stable. In addition to this, it will be helpful in extending the swimming season because it keeps the water comfortably warm.
If you are performing the above maintenance checkers on a regular basis, you will be pleasantly surprised at how amazing your swimming pool looks and feels.
The list is not exhaustive, and you can add more tasks as you feel the need, for instance, it may pay off to vacuum the pool multiple times a week instead of making it a weekly task. So, it is important that you observe what your pool needs in a season and add to the list of tasks accordingly.
Thank you for reading!
