With only one month left of summer, it’s a great time to make sure you are keeping up with the ongoing maintenance of your swimming pool.
ALGAE
A microscopic organism that can cause problems with your pool is Algae. It is spread by wind and rain and will leave your pool looking unappealing and your equipment damaged. To prevent Algae from affecting your pool, the most important thing to do is regularly clean your pool. You must also maintain your pools chemical balance, brush and vacuum the pools surface and circulate the water with use of your pool filter.
CHEMICALS
There are three factors of pool chemistry that are required to maintain safe swimming and reduce running costs.
• pH levels dictate how acidic the water is. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14. pH 7 is neutral, a pH above 7 is basic and anything below 7 is acid. The optimum pH for pool water is 7.4.
• Alkalinity buffers the pH and should be between 80 and 120. Pool owners can use sodium bicarbonate to increase alkalinity and muriatic acid to decrease it.
• Calcium Hardness depends on the water hardness. It should be from 150 to 250 parts per million.
DECKING
A timber decking surrounding your pool will look fantastic but does require regular maintenance to ensure your families safety. If it is not managed, cracking and splintering can occur which can injure those walking on it. It is very important to also inspect for decaying posts, wobbly boards and protruding nails in the wood. These can all be prevented by sweeping the surface and then rinsing it with water and coating with deck oil.
FILTER
It is important to regularly clean your filter to remove debris and provide circulation to distribute chemicals to the right areas. This can be done by removing the cartridge and simply washing it out with a hose.
If these factors are all addressed on a regular basis, your pool should be sparkling, safe and ready for use of the whole family this season.