Pool Cleaning Tips for the first-time Swimming Pool Owner
Is it just recently you realized your dream of having a swimming pool in your backyard? Before you slip into a complete party mood, let us inform you that it’s quite a task to maintain your pool and keep the water sparkling clean. It’s easy to daydream about organizing weekend get-togethers alongside the pool and lounging there for long afternoons in order to bathe in the sun.
However, one thing that almost everyone forgets in their daydreams is its maintenance. In the absence of a proper maintenance, your pool could become an unhealthy and unpleasant place to be around and can result in broken filters, green water and algae growth, to mention a few. Mentioned below are some pool cleaning tips that you as a first-time swimming pool cleaner needs to know:
1. Adopt Skimming And Scrubbing Routine in Your Life
Skimming the debris and fallen leaves off from the pool surface should be done regularly. It will help you in obtaining a pristine look for your pool. Other than skimming, it is also equally important to scrub the pool sides to avoid algae build-up. You can do scrubbing once in a week and else keep a check on the growths around the pool, use a scrub brush on them to keep the sides of your pool looking fresh and clean.
For the stubborn spots, use chlorine and allow it to settle there for some time before you scrub them. With chlorine you can easily remove the algae build-up and have a squeaky clean surface all over again.
2. Pool Require Consistent Chemical Presence
Maintaining the presence of chemicals is undeniably one of the most crucial parts of pool protection. If water is unbalanced or not filtered properly can appear murky, result in skin and eyes irritation and can even make your pool to become a breeding surface for germs and bacteria. Ideally, water testing should be done at least once in a week. There are 6 chemical levels, which you need to pay attention to:
- Free Chlorine – A sanitizer which can help you in keeping your pool water clean and free from bacteria.
- Cyanuric Acid – Guards chlorine against sunlight and helps in deciding the required amount of free Chlorine level. Preferably, the required quantity for outdoor pool is somewhere between 30-50.
- Alkalinity/Acidity – Defined as the PH level, acidity level should be maintained from 7.5 to 7.8 to avoid irritation and protect the equipment of your pool from erosion.
- Total Alkalinity – Helps in regulating the PH balance. Levels should somewhere remain within the range of 60-120.
- Calcium Hardness – Adequate levels help avoid plaster damage. It should somewhere be between 220-350, but comparatively lower for pools having a vinyl siding.
3. Power Wash Your Pool For Good Results
The enveloping area of your pool is equally important as that of the physical presence of the structure itself. You can obtain a sparkling clean pool with a power wash. Power washing is also called pressure washing which will help you in getting rid of the weather stains as well as rust that develop over a period of time. The power washer is mostly available on rent by most home improvement outlets.
4. Use A Tennis Ball To Soak Up Oils
After making an exit from the pool, certain oils usually get left behind, such as hair product, suntan lotion, natural oils released from our skin pores, etc. Fortunately, there’s a quick solution. Simply toss a tennis ball into your pool water as the fibers used in the making of tennis ball will easily absorb the oils; thus leaving the water surface sparkly clean.
5. Be Conscious Of Your Pool Water Level
As much as the chemical composition of your pool water is important, the physical level of the water is equally critical. The levels keep on fluctuating due to various factors, such as a heavy rainstorm or harsh sunny days.
It is advised to maintain the water level halfway up the opening of your pool skimmer. In case the water level rises high, then draw off the excess quantity using a submersible pump available in any home improvement outlet. And, if the water level gets too low then get hold of a garden hose for supplying your pool with the adequate quantity of water.
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