Common Pool Maintenance Mistakes

There is a lot that goes into maintaining a pool. Between all of the different chemicals and equipment, it can be difficult to grasp whether or not you are forgetting any steps or not doing it in the best way possible. You’ve talked to pool experts and read articles online, but what if the pool maintenance tactics you’ve been doing all along are wrong?
Here are common pool maintenance mistakes to stop doing:

Shocking The Pool During the Day

You likely know that weekly shocking of your pool is important in keeping the pH balanced and the bacteria at bay.
What you may have not known is that best time to shock your pool is at night.
Why?
The chloramine that results in chlorine particles attaching to bacteria and algae, will get evaporated by the sun. Shocking your pool eliminates the chloramine. The shock is a form of unstabilized chlorine that needs to be kept at a specific break-point. The rapid evaporation of chloramine will take the pool water away from this stabilized, safe, break-point.

Neglecting to Brush Your Pool

This may seem like ar no-brainer. You’ve heard how important brushing your pool is. You may even have a pool brush.
Then you got a pool vacuum.
The brush has been sitting in storage because you think that the much more powerful vacuum will adequately clean your pool.
While a pool vacuum is great at collecting debris, regular brushing of the sides and bottom of the pool are necessary in eliminating bacteria, germs and algae.
Proper pool cleaning entails vacuuming, skimming and brushing.

Using an Automatic Cleaner to Vacuum Out Algae

Manually vacuuming you pool is difficult and time consuming. Therefore, many rely on automatic vacuums. Automatic vacuums, however, do a poorer job at taking algae out of the pool so when it comes to algae removal, stick with the manual vacuum.

Ignoring Your Pool’s pH and Alkalinity Levels

The proper balance of pool chemicals is key in making your pool safe. A low pH (acidic) pool will prevent algae and bacteria. It can also cause damage to your pool’s equipment. Some of the damages caused by overly acidic pool water may not be covered under warranty.
Proper alkalinity will keep the water in your pool stable, keeping it from fluctuating between basic and acidic.

Adding Pool Shock Into the Skimmer

Shock and chlorine create a dangerous combination when mixed together. In most cases, a deadly gas will result.
If you have an automatic chlorinator attached to your skimmer, the mixture of chlorine and shock can cause your skimmer to explode.
When dealing with pool chemicals, caution can’t be emphasized enough.

Adding Shock Directly to Pool Water

As noted in the previous point, shock and chlorine don’t mix well.
To avoid potential harm to yourself and the pool’s lining, walls and floor, dilute the shock in a bucket of warm warmer before adding it to the pool. With the shock already diluted, it will disperse more evenly once it is added to the pool.

Not Running the Pool’s Filter 8 Hours a Day

Your pool’s filter and pump are what make your pool clean. For a clean pool, it is important to cycle all the pool water at least once a day.
The amount of time for one cycle varies on the size of the pool, but most pools need at least 8 hours for one filtration cycle.
For cleaner water, multiple cycles will be needed. Don’t be afraid to run your pool filter and pump for 24 hours.

Neglecting to Regularly Test the Pool Water

You should test your pool’s water once a week to make sure your pool has the proper levels of chemicals.
A weekly, basic analysis of your pool’s pH and chlorine levels are the most important. On top of the weekly analysis, you should get a detailed monthly analysis of your pool’s water. The detailed reading should look at: free and total chlorine levels, pH and alkalinity levels, calcium hardness level, copper and iron levels, salt and total dissolved solids level (TDS) and phosphates and nitrates levels.
Test strips and liquid test kits will work for the weekly analysis. For the detailed analysis, bring a sample of your pool’s water to your local pool supply store.
For any questions about proper pool maintenance, contact the pool professionals at Sunplay today.