Summer pool care
Maintaining your pool through the busy summer months is straightforward, as long as you follow a few simple steps.
If your pool has been getting a bit of work out in recent weeks, it’s probably time to pay a bit more attention to maintenance. Swimmers bring lots of contaminants into the water – like sweat, skin oils, and lotions – so you need to keep an eye on the water and perform some other checks to keep everything running in tip top order.
Check and clean the skimmer basket and hair and lint -pot basket weekly. Do this more often if the pool is used frequently or when leaves and debris blow into the pool.
Backwash any sand or DE filters and clean cartridges. The frequency of filter maintenance also depends on how often the pool is used.
Check sanitiser level, ideally daily, and add sanitiser to maintain minimum levels.
Check the operation of salt chlorinators or automatic systems. The more people that use the pool, the more sanitiser will be required to kill algae and bacteria.
Check the pH every two or three days.
Check the Total Alkalinity (TA) weekly. Adjust the total alkalinity level with a buffer (sodium bicarbonate).
Check and adjust the timer to allow the filtration system to operate for six hours each day. Most people run their filtration system for three periods of two hours daily.
Take a sample of pool water to your local SPASA pool shop every two to four weeks during swimming season to make sure the water balance is correct.
Salt chlorinated pools may need additional salt. The production control on the salt chlorinator may have to be adjusted to increase or decrease its output.
Maintain the water level at least halfway up the skimmer box opening.
Regularly inspect plumbing for leaks.
To prevent algae and bacteria from growing, the walls and floor should be brushed and vacuumed at least once a week.
Prevention is always better than cure, so be sure to stick to your maintenance program for hassle-free swimming all summer long.