Having a pool in your backyard is probably one of the best things in your life You can recreate the beach or resort vibes right in your backyard swimming pool. But the pool can become a disaster if it is neglected in any way. It would become dirty, unhygienic, and unenjoyable for you and your family.
We have put together a checklist of 10 tips for maintaining your pool and keeping it sparkly clean.
Do Skimming and Cleaning Daily
Waste and leaves gather in pool water daily. To maintain a fresh pool you need to make sure skimming and cleaning are done regularly.
If you want to maintain a clean pool and willing to spend a little bit more, you can get a best above ground pool vacuum cleaner or a robot vacuum cleaner for your pool to keep up with the cleaning schedule. You can check out the reviews of a robotic pool cleaner here: https://roboticpoolcleaner.org/dolphin-pool-cleaners/dolphin-e10-review/.
When cleaning manually, you need to scrub the sides of the pool once a week. You can use a scrub brush to keep your siding neat and clean. If you don’t clean pool siding it will grow algae and make your pool look greenish and dirty.
As you clean you may find some spots that won’t come off no matter how much elbow grease you put in. That’s where an old sock can help you out. Fill the sock with chlorine and let it sit on the spot you want. After a few hours, the chlorine will remove all the algae, and then you will finally have a clean pool.
Pool Filter Works Like Your Kidney
Pool filters purify the pool’s pollution and its impurities. Specks of dirt, leaves, and even small debris can change the ph balance of the pool water. A pool filter will get rid of these things and help maintain the chemical balance of the pool water.
Pools ate also cleaned after closing the filters too. The filters do the toughest tasks in keeping the pool clean. It is mandatory to clean the filter basket once a week.
Cleaning the pipes are also needed because these are used by the filter system. Just backwashing can easily solve this problem. Then eject the basket and empty it. Make the water flow through it until clean water starts to come out.
But doing these more often may result in cracks in the mechanics. Only six hours a day is perfect for its mechanics and usage.
Pool Needs Stable Chemical Level
Chemical level in water is the most important part of the pool. Improper balance in water can cause you skin disease. You should test the chemical level in water once a week to maintain its level.
There is some chemical level you should know about: –
- The water PH level needs to keep in between 7.5-7.8 to prevent any kind of irritation and skin disease.
- To keep the PH level of water in a range between 60-120 you can use total alkalinity.
- Free chlorine helps you to keep away all kinds of harmful germs. Perfect measurement for your outdoor pool chlorine level is around 30-50.
- Cyanuric acid helps to save chlorine from sunlight and control its level.
- Calcium hardness helps you to know how hard or soft your pool water is and prevents plaster damage. The ideal range of calcium hardness is 150-400 ppm(parts per million).
To keep your pool water healthy you need to test it weekly. You can get your testing kit in any local pool store. Take some water from the pool as a sample and follow the instruction from the testing kit. Add the solution in sample water and after a few seconds, the watercolor will change. This will help you monitor the chemical levels and you can simply adjust it as needed. Thus, you can have a perfectly balanced crystal clear pool water.
Are Chemicals too Expensive? Try Baking Soda
Most pool chemicals are costly but the solutions get the job done. They use sodium bicarbonate to control the PH level of water. But regular baking soda does the same job as sodium bicarbonate and its also cheap.
As to how much baking soda to use, it should be the same amount. Baking soda has the same proportion level as sodium bicarbonate per pound as the solution. Therefore, the amount of solution needs to be added as per the pool water.
Don’t Be Afraid To Shock A Cloudy Pool
You shouldn’t be shy about using chemicals in a cloudy pool. Because chemicals are needed to clean out the water and purify it. Some may argue that its a process meant for just the public pools, but it is also helpful to resolve a personal cloudy pool.
High chlorine levels can kill bacterias easily. But it should be applied for only a short period. Besides, you can use chemical sanitizer with the water. Shocking the pool two times in each season is good for the pool’s health.
Beware of The Water Levels
Water levels are equally important as the chemical levels in a pool. It shouldn’t be higher or lower, it needs the perfect water level. If the water level is low, you can use a water pipe to add in the right amount of water back in the pool. If it is high, then use the submersible pump to lower the water levels. If you aren’t sure about how much water is the right level for the pool, you should consult a professional.
Tennis Ball To Absorb Oils
We all have heard about the use of tennis balls in drying shoes. Well, they can come handy for a pool too.
Despite best efforts of rinsing off sunscreen before entering a pool, inevitably people will bring in oils and lotion residue into the water when they swim in a pool You can get rid of the oil left behind in the water easily with tennis balls. Tennis ball fiber helps to absorb oil from water.
Power Wash The Pool Deck
Pool decks are an equally important part of pool maintenance. The cleaner the surrounding deck the better it is for the pool and the entire swimming experience. Power washing is the best way to keep the pool deck shiny. The method is also known as pressure washing. It cleans off the dirt and marks left on the deck surfaces from being exposed to the elements. Pressure washers are easy to rent. Begin with the dirt and leaves on the deck. Then tackle the tougher stains and marks.
Scheduling A Yearly Service Appointment is Necessary
At least once a year you should consult with pool experts to keep your pool intact and good as new. When it comes to pool equipment you may not have the proper knowledge to solve all the issues. It may seem like a waste of money but detecting problems can save you from huge costs of repair down the road.
Before the appointment, you should create a list of issues you noticed. Check if there are any leaks in pipes, or cracks in the lining, loud noises from machines, and odd smells from water. Discuss the list of issues during the consultation with the experts.
Learning the Perfect way To Winterize
Securing the pool for the summer is good but securing it for the winter is also important. Ice and snow can seriously damage the pool linings. Following the right methods of winterizing is going to give you the best results. It saves a lot of time and effort. If you are confident about winterizing, call in the experts. Get it done right.
Final Thoughts
A swimming pool in your backyard is something to cherish and take pride in. There is nothing more refreshing and relaxing than coming home after a long day and going for a swim in your backyard.
Follow the tips above to maintain your pool. The crystal blue sparkling waters and the shiny deck will give you years of enjoyment. You will also be adored by your friends and the backyard barbeque circuit
