Overcoming Common Pool Maintenance Mistakes
Everyone does it, but not everyone knows it. And, the degree of pool maintenance mistakes varies from a little to a lot. Check out these common pool maintenance mistake and make sure you aren’t making them, too.
Do remember, that mistakes are learning opportunities and help us move forward with a bit of education. Let’s look at these common mistakes.
#1: Neglecting to Brush Your Pool
Perhaps you vacuum your pool on a regular basis because you now it’s important to keep all the ick out of your pool.
But, just like your teeth, your pool needs a regular brushing. Even if you vacuum your pool, you still need to brush it.
You want to pay special attention to the following areas:
- The walls
- Behind your pool ladders
- At the waterline
- On your pool steps
- In the corners
Brushing is an integral part of keeping algae off your pool’s hard surfaces. Do this once a week or more often if needed.
#2: Adding Shock the Wrong Way
If you’ve been adding shock directly to your pool water, stop now.
Pool shock, which is concentrated chlorine, can bleach anything in your pool, including bathing suits. Plus, adding shock right into the water can cause problems with vinyl liner pools. You probably don’t want to bleach your liner! If this happens, your liner can end up with leaks as it breaks down.
You want to pre-dissolve the shock in a bucket of water before putting it into your pool water. Be sure, also, to fill the bucket with water before adding your shock and not the other way around. Take care to protect yourself with eye-wear, gloves and a chemical mask.
#3: Shocking During the Day
Another pool no-no is shocking your pool during the day and especially when it’s sunny. Why? Basically, you’re wasting money if you shock during the day because the sun burns it off.
Shock at night, and your chemicals can get to work. Consider shocking once a week. Not sure how much? Just ask – we’re here to help!
#4: Taking Care of Algae the Wrong Way
A pool with algae is indeed a big problem. While it may be tempting to vacuum it off, you certainly don’t want to use your automatic pool cleaner when you have algae in the pool.
A better bet with algae is to use a manual vacuum and switch the filter to waste or remove the drain plug. This way the algae leaves your pool instead of swirling around.
#5: Neglecting to Test the Water
Regular water testing is vital to your pool’s health and clear water. This is one of the most important things you can do on a weekly basis.
Some people make the mistake of not testing their water regularly for pH and alkalinity levels.
Whether your pH is too low or too high, you’ll cause problems with your pool equipment including your pump, your vinyl liner, heater, pool cleaner and more.
You want pool water that is balanced at all times. The only way to ensure this is to test your water on a regular basis. Plus, we offer a free water test. Simply bring us a sample, and our computers will tell you what you need for your pool, if anything.
#6: Not Running Your Pool Filter
Your pool filter needs to run for at least eight hours and preferably longer. It can’t do its job if it isn’t running.
In fact, the more you run that filter, the less contaminants you’ll have in your pool.
Water passing through your filter then comes out cleaner, so run that filter!
Final Thoughts
Now that you know some of the common mistakes pool owners make with maintenance, you can make sure you’re taking care of these tasks.
If you do these things correctly, you’ll spend more time swimming in your pool and enjoying its crystal clear water than cleaning up problems.
Need help? Contact us today!
