07/03/2016Avoid These Pool Maintenance Mistakes
There is certainly a reason why so many homeowners dream of having a swimming pool. Pools have a lot of positives which can greatly exceed any of their negatives if you just know how to handle their cleaning and maintenance. Scrubbing, checking the water and adding chemicals have to become your routine. There will also be some parts that you will have to replace from time to time in order to increase the lifespan of your pool. However, you should not worry, as pool cleaning will be not so big a hassle if you just try to avoid these pool maintenance mistakes:
Avoid These Pool Maintenance Mistakes!
Forgetting to regularly check the water chemistry can cause huge problems to both the pool and the safety of the swimmers. Water checks should be made at least twice a week during the whole summer.
If your swimming pool is with saltwater, a huge mistake will be not to clean the salt cell or the chlorine generator. Pools with saltwater systems require less maintenance, but salt may cause extensive damages. Do not let it accumulate inside the chlorine generator, as inadequate level of chlorine may be produced and thus harm swimmers’ health.
Another typical swimming pool cleaning mistake is running the pool pump for a too short time. If you want the water in your pool to be clean and to circulate properly, you should leave the pump running for at least 8 hours a day. If you discovered algae and are trying to turn your pool blue again, run the pool pump non-stop until its condition improves on 100 percent.
The hair and lint pot, as well as the skimmer basket should also be given regular cleaning. One of the biggest pool maintenance mistakes is not checking them frequently enough. If you forget to do this, your pool will probably start to accumulate debris which will always results in water circulating insufficiently or severe equipment damages. In case you let your pets swim in the pool, cleaning your skimmer basket and filter is a thing you cannot make a compromise with. Take care of your pool right after the animals go out of it to make sure that hair will not get back into the water.
Inappropriate use of algaecide is also a thing you can go wrong with. Most types of algaecides reduce the pool’s chlorine level when applied. If chlorine is not enough in a green pool, it may easily turn even greener. To balance this effect you have to make sure that the level of chlorine is much higher right before the algaecide treatment. Leave the pool pump running to help the algaecide spread well within the water.
You should not skip skimming and brushing your pool. Debris and algae can buildup very quickly, so skim leaves, bugs, etc whenever possible to preserve your pool’s filter. Brushing and vacuuming often enough is a great way to discourage growth of any pollutants.
Making a cleaning checklist and keeping it close to your pool will really help you avoid the most swimming pool maintenance mistakes. In case you would prefer to reduce cleaning and maintenance time, a good idea is to invest in a more sophisticated disinfection system.