Summer is here and it is time to enjoy your pool.
Biologics, rain and dust can make your pool pretty dirty if not maintained on a regular basis.
Increased use means that you have to carefully monitor your pool chemistry.
Using the correct chemicals in the right concentrations is very important.
Prevention of problems is a lot easier than trying to correct them.
Keeping good records and a routine that includes shock treatments at key intervals is very important.
In addition you will need to physically clean your pool using your pool vacuum to keep everything looking good and inviting.
Proper and timely cleaning will reduce the amount of pool chemicals and energy necessary you will need to manage your pool.
Careful maintenance of your pump and filters including your skimmer will make your job a lot easier.
Daily cleaning of your skimmers is important especially if you are receiving a lot of rain or wind.
Backwashing your sand filter or cleaning your filters once a week will save you money in terms of energy use.
The reduced resistance will make the pump run cooler and more efficient.
This is very important when using the pump to run your pool vacuum.
The more suction power at the end of the vacuum tool the more dirt and grime will be removed from the walls and bottom.
Using a pole pool vacuum is the best way to assure that your pool will be clean.
It can be tedious work and requires a degree of patience and discipline if you are to do a good job.
In some cases a brush will have to be employed to remove the most stubborn dirt or algae from the pool walls.
Once the is done than the pool filtration system should be run for 12 hours to remove as much of the dirt and grit from the water column.
The pool vacuum would then be employed the next day to remove all the dirt that has precipitated out of the water column.
Many people find the process of using a hand or pole pool vacuum far too time consuming and have opted for an automatic pool vacuum cleaner.
These units can be a great time savior and are good for preventing your pool from getting so dirty that it must be cleaned by hand.
These crawlers creep along the bottom powered by the suction from the pool pump.
You will frequently hear a snapping sound as they work and this is the pool vacuums valve opening and closing as it moves.
It should be noted that even the best automatic pool vacuum will miss areas in your pool.
You will have to identify these areas and physically clean them by hand.
Most pools have a pool cage around them to reduce both insects and the amount of leaves and other debris from getting in the pool.
However there is a lot of dirt, pathogens and biologics that are relatively small and will end up in your pool even with a screen.
Even if your pool looks good to the naked eye it may in fact have unseen grime or biologic problems.
Many times your chemical monitoring will give you an indication that something is not right.
Giving your pool a good brushing and cleaning will in many cases solve the problem.
It is a lot cheaper than purchasing expensive chemicals to bring your pool back into balance.
Again routine scheduled cleaning will a lot to prevent problems.
Then you can enjoy your pool knowing that it is a safe and clean place for your family to swim.