Get Ready For Pool Season: 3 Maintenance Tips Every Pool Owner Should Know About

Pool season will be here before you know it and there are a number of things you should know before you pull open that pool cover and begin the season. If you are a swimming pool owner, you need to be sure to keep your pool clean and clear, but also safe for swimming to prevent damage to your sensitive skin. Cleaning a pool involves more than just tossing in some chemicals, it requires testing the water, vacuuming it and cleaning out the filters often as well. Read on for a few things you should know to keep your pool well-maintained this pool season.

1. Test Your Water

Don't eyeball your water based on whether or not it looks clear or appears a green hue, you need to actually test it to see if it needs chemicals added to it and which ones are required for the water to be safe. Get a water testing kit if you don't already have one. There are testing strips that are easy to use and see what is needed for your water. There are other types of testing kits as well, including dye kits where you add dye to the test kit so you can see what chemicals are needed based on the color the dye kit produces. No matter what type of water testing kit you use, you need to be sure you have one. Use the kit weekly to check your water.

2. Add The Right Chemicals

If your water shows it's low on chlorine, add chlorine. If it needs a stabilizer, add a stabilizer. If it needs a higher pH, you need a pH increase added to your pool. If adding one chemicals raises another, you may need to find a way to lower or balance the other chemicals. Taking a water sample to your local pool supply store can help you with this and help guide you on what chemicals are needed.

3. Vacuum Often

You need to vacuum your pool often to remove the dirt and bugs that have settled to the bottom. To prevent having too many bugs and dirt at the bottom of your pool, it will help to keep your pool pump and filter running often to keep the water circulating. You should also be sure to clean the filter basket and backwash your filter every couple of days. When you vacuum your pool, you need to be sure you vacuum it slowly, or you will just be moving the dirt around rather than sucking it up.

If you have a swimming pool, you need to understand the maintenance it requires to keep it clean and clear, but also safe. Consider hiring a pool maintenance company to help you maintain your pool for you, as all of this work can take up a lot of your time.