Owning a swimming pool can be an enjoyable experience. You can relax in it any time you like and do not have to share it with strangers as you do in community ones. However, pool maintenance is essential to keep it in proper condition. Delaying pool maintenance will require intense effort to clean it later and can permanently damage your pool motor. It can also lead to serious health concerns such as swimmer’s itch. To avoid these issues, here are five measures you should regularly practice to maintain your swimming pool.
1. Testing
For proper maintenance, you must test your pool. This step is essential as it ensures that pH levels are balanced and controls the water’s quantities of salt and chlorine. You can use a pool testing kit to test the pool’s chlorine, pH, and alkalinity. It can contain test strips, liquid test kits, and digital pool testers. For home pools, liquid test kits are considered the best option for their inexpensiveness and reliability. You can also use test strips, but their results fluctuate, making them inaccurate.
2. Balancing pH
After testing, you must balance the pH between 7 to 7.6. You can do this by adding certain chemicals, such as sodium bicarbonate and sodium bisulfate. You must effectively balance the pH for your safety. A high pH level renders chlorine inactive, stopping it from killing bacteria, which can lead to waterborne diseases. While a low pH irritates the skin and eyes.
3. Sanitising
The next step is to sanitize your swimming pool. Sanitizers such as chlorine eliminate bacteria and prevent the growth of viruses and algae, which enter your pool through people, wind, rain, and dust. Using a sanitizer drops the probability of contracting waterborne illnesses like diarrhea and swimmer’s ear. Aside from chlorine, you can use bromine, ionizers, and ozonators as sanitisers. You can purchase Sanitizers and other chemicals needed for cleaning pools from HY-CLOR.
4. Remove Algae
While chlorine may help remove bacteria, it does not stop algae growth. To eliminate the algae, brush your pool walls and floor and scrub the algae off. Then vacuum your pool, either manually or using an automatic vacuum. Next, you must heavily chlorinate the water to stop algae from growing. Afterward, you can filter out the algae floating on the surface and conduct another test to ensure chlorine levels are normal. Be sure to clean your pool filter at the end to remove any algae particles that it may have trapped.
5. Add a Clarifier
A pool clarifier is necessary to clear the water’s color. Rain frequently flushes dirt and debris into your pool, making the water hazy. A clarifier can break down the impurity’s particles so the filter can easily remove them. If you want quicker results, consider using a pool flocculant instead, but avoid using it if you have to vacuum the water to waste physically.
Endnote
A home pool is an excellent investment, but it requires a lot of care and maintenance. You will have to test regularly, balance, sanitize, remove algae, and add a clarifier to the water. While it does require a lot of effort, the relaxation and peace a private pool will give you are unmatched. You can even use it as a party area and make it an entertainment spot for your friends and family.
