Here at Handcrafted Pool, we strive to provide our clients with the best products and services to keep their pool in tip-top shape. Pool care is essential to ensure your pool’s lifespan is lived out to the max. The article below, provided by Angie’s List, has some great tips for keeping your pool in working order and one that we feel we should share with our current and future clients.
The sun is beating high as the sweat drips off your frozen daiquiri and your adorable new pup jumps aboard your raft. There’s a reason so many homeowners choose to have swimming pools and the positives can greatly outweigh any negatives, if you properly care for and maintain your pool.
Certain pool parts like your cartridge filter, grids, and motor will need to be replaced as needed, however proper maintenance will increase your pool’s lifespan, ultimately saving you money. Here are a few of the most common mistakes pool owners make that may often lead to green pools or expensive repairs.
- Treating your pool like a water park every day
The sole reason you have a pool is to be able to use it. However, the more people that are in your swimming pool, the more chlorine that is needed to keep your chemicals balanced. If you have a service technician, notify him or her that you’re going to be having an outdoor shindig so they can properly prep your pool, as well as be prepared to add additional chemicals after the party takes place.If you care for your pool yourself simply brush, add chlorine and clean your filter promptly the next day to prevent algae growth. If your swimming pool requires a high amount of chlorine an inline chlorinator or a chlorine floater can be used to maintain your chlorine levels while gradually adding chlorine to your swimming pool. - Letting the pets play in your pool
There is nothing like a fun day in the pool with your long-haired retriever, however make sure to properly care for your pool if it’s both human and K-9 friendly. Net your swimming pool promptly after your animals swim.Also clean your skimmer basket and filter the following day to ensure the hair doesn’t get back into your swimming pool. Proper maintenance can prevent excessive debris or worse – a clogged impeller. - Turning your pool pump off
It’s true that not running your swimming pool pump could possibly save you money on your electric bill. However, the money you save in electricity can quickly be spent on chlorine, acid and service maintenance. Swimming pools are designed to keep themselves clean. When run properly, your filter and skimmer keep out debris which fosters algae growth. Also keep in mind that high temperatures also cultivate algae growth. Here in Tampa, Florida., temperatures regularly reach in the high 90s, thus residents need to run their pump for longer hours to keep it blue. However, all swimming pools are unique, so we suggest you running your pool pump for 8-10 hours each day during the summer. If you have experienced some unwanted algae, or are trying to get your pool from green to blue, we suggest you run your pool for 24 hours per day until the condition of your pool improves. - Using the wrong pool filter with pool dye
Pool dye is a fun way to get the right look for your next pool party. Pool dyes are entirely safe for use in pools, but they may affect your pool filter elements. Be sure to remove your cartridge filter or grids and put your DE (diatomaceous earth) filter on recirculation before you add the dye. Continue to run your pool normally, without your filter installed. After the dye clears, replace your filter elements promptly. - Inappropriate use of algaecide
Algaecides, such as the well-known Yellow Treat, are used to treat different types of algae present in pool water. Most algaecides will highly reduce your chlorine level upon application. It’s important that you counteract this effort by ensuring that you have a high level of chlorine in the pool prior to applying the treatment. Low levels of chlorine in conjunction with the algaecide can turn a green pool even greener! Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to keep your pool pump on to allow the algaecide to reach all corners of your pool. Small preventative maintenance is a major factor in determining the overall quality of your pool water and equipment.With pool care, attention is in the details, from simply maintaining your chemicals levels to safe guarding your filter, it’s the small things that will help keep your pool sparkling blue all summer long.
