Having the best pool in the world doesn’t mean anything if it isn’t taken care of properly. If you are a new pool owner, you probably don’t know how to clean a pool, what chemicals the water needs, or even the components of your swimming area.
That stops today. Through our blog, you’ll be able to learn all that and more.
Knowing how to maintain a pool can be art, but luckily we are here to mentor you. Read on if you want to learn all about pool care and become your own swimming pool maintenance service.
Of course, if you don’t want to do the job yourself, there are easier options. If you feel like it would be better for professionals to do the pool care for you, contact a local pool service and let them do it instead. You’ll have everything done correctly without going through any hassle whatsoever.
Know Your Pool’s Components
There aren’t many limitations when it comes to designing a pool. Nowadays, since you can turn almost anything into a pool, your options end with your imagination. Everything from shape and depth to additional accessories is customizable.
You can go for a rectangle, circle, square, deep, shallow, or any other of the million options out there, but four things still remain the same. Every one of those options includes:
- The Water
- The Walls
- The Filter System
- The Skimmers and Returns
Knowing your pool’s components is the first step in learning how to maintain a pool, so let’s dig into it.
1. The Water
You can have a pool with no water, but there won’t be much use for it (aside from maybe skateboarding). So, typically, if you want to swim there, you must have water in your pool.
Keeping the water clean and healthy is the most important part of pool care. It will allow you to swim worry-free and help avoid causing damage to other hardware. Water that isn’t taken proper care of can cause corrosion or turn green due to minerals. Balancing the chemicals is going to be crucial, but more on that later.
2. The Walls
The cleanliness of the pool’s interior mostly depends on the quality of water inside it. However, knowing how to clean a pool’s walls is also necessary. The surfaces should be vacuumed, brushed, and kept algae-free if you want to avoid calling a swimming pool maintenance service for something more than just a check-up.
3. The Filter System
In a pool, still water means unswimmable water. That’s why keeping the filter system working is essential if you want your pool to last long. The pump does what its name says. It pumps the water and keeps it circulating. The filter clears all the dirt, sand, and whatever else that may have ended up in the water but shouldn’t have. Together, and with some chemical assistance, they will keep the water clear.
4. The Skimmers and Returns
The skimmers and the returns are another essential part of a healthy filter system. The skimmers’ use lies in getting the dirty, unfiltered water to and through the filter. The returns, as their name says, return the water to the pool, but clean and filtered like never before.
In order to push back pure water into the pool, you need to keep the paths fresh. That’s why you need to clean skimmers and returns regularly. Taking care of them will be the hardest without the help of a pool service.
By studying the essential parts of your pool, you’ve taken a solid first step in mastering how to maintain a pool. Read on and learn how to do the job.
Three Key Parts of Pool Maintenance
1. Balancing the Chemicals
Multiple factors decide whether or not your water has all the right ingredients and if it’s ready to take guests. Before you grab your bag of chemicals and start pouring in, take a test and see what you’re missing. After you know what the water is craving, work on some of the most common chemical issues:
- Chlorine
Chlorine is the one thing everybody talks about when it comes to pools. However, most people that don’t work for a pool service company don’t actually know what it’s used for and how to use it.
One of Chlorine’s most important duties is to prevent the growth of algae. Without algae, your water won’t turn green and attract insects. You can add Chlorine through drums, throwing them directly into the water.
- pH Levels
Adjusting the pH Levels allows the Chlorine to serve its purpose. Aim somewhere between 7.4 and 7.6 to get the most out of Chlorine. Usually, if the water isn’t taken care of, the levels will be high, so you’ll need a pH decreaser to fix the situation.
- Alkalinity
Alkalinity helps you avoid spikes in pH Levels. Aim between 100 and 150 parts per million (ppm)
Keeping track of all this shouldn’t be difficult. But if you find yourself lost in learning how to clean a pool, you can always rely on a local swimming pool maintenance service to do the job professionally.
2. Having a Water Flow
It’s pretty simple. The more you keep your filter on, the better. Our recommendation is to have a water flow at all times. But, since not many people can afford to have a pump turned on 24/7, going 10-12 hours per day seems to be the magic number.
Moving water gets filtered more frequently, which means it will be clear and clean for you and all of your guests.
Also, try practicing backwashing when you get a chance. Backwashing, in this case, means reversing the water flow. This will get rid of everything that belongs in the waste port and not in your pool.
3. Sticking to a Cleaning Schedule
Yes, if you have a filter system that works and the chemicals in the pool are balanced out, your pool is in very good hands. But, you’ll still need to do some good old cleaning.
The essential tools for that are:
- Pool Brush
- Net
- Pool Vacuum
Leaves, hair, and other debris somehow find their way into the pool. Fishing them out with a net is the first step you need to take to keep your pool sanitary. Brushing and vacuuming take the cleaning to the next level. Executing these actions once a week is a must if you don’t want any damage, algae, or insects.
If You Prefer Professionals
We’ve taken you through the process of cleaning the pool and maintaining it regularly, but you don’t feel like you’re ready? Or, you just realize someone who knows what they’re doing is better suited for the job? That’s understandable.
Contact Florida Pool Patio to help you solve any pool issues you may have. If you are in the Miami area and want a swimming pool or a spa built, renovated, or repaired, visit our website, or call us to schedule a visit.
