Above Ground Pool Maintenance
To maximize the life and appearance of your pool liner and ensure clean, safe water, the proper water balance must be maintained. Pool chemicals for maintaining your pool can be bought individually or in kits, such as a start up and maintenance kit. You should test your pool water regularly. Test strips measure free available chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness. Chlorine should be added to the pool daily. Based on your pool size, some chemicals may need to be pre-dissolved. Follow the instructions that came with the test strips and chemicals.
It is important to remove debris and dirt from the pool to keep clean, clear water. Pool skimmers can be used to scoop leaves and floating debris off of the top of the water. Pool vacuums can be used to remove dirt from the bottom or sides of the pool. The night before you vacuum, you should brush the pool walls and floor to release dirt and debris. Let the filter run for two hours to remove some of this dirt and debris. Turn the filter off so the remaining dirt and debris can settle to the floor of the pool. The next day, slowly vacuum the bottom of the pool floor.
The pool filter’s job is to remove oils, unwanted debris, and dirt to keep the water fresh and clean. The cartridge filter circulates pool water through cartridges of fibrous material. You should regularly check the cartridge to see if it needs to be rinsed off with a water hose or replaced if it is damaged. These filters are relatively inexpensive to replace. The more people that use the pool the more the water needs to be circulated.
Pool stabilizer and conditioner protect your chlorine from the sun. They may take up to three days to dissolve, but it is safe to swim in the pool while they dissolve.
Shock treatments kill algae and bacteria. They are recommended on a weekly basis. Additional treatments should be given if the water appears hazy, algae begins to grow, you smell unpleasant odors, or after unusually heavy rain. Green algae float in the water or cling to the sides. Yellow algae can usually be found on shady walls of a pool. Dark blue-green to black algae form very sticky 1 inch spots on pool surfaces.
Chlorinating granules help to maintain the chlorine level in your pool.
A pH level of 7.2 to 7.6 is recommended for a pool. PH measures the water acidity. This range is ideal for the protection of your equipment, effective sanitizing, and even the general comfort of the pool users. There are chemicals to raise and lower the pH in your pool.
Free available chlorine measures the amount of sanitizer in the water. The recommended range is 1.0 – 4.0 ppm. The range can be increased by adding chlorine or shock treatment.
Total alkalinity measure the ability of the water to maintain the proper pH level. The recommended range is 60-100 ppm.
Some important notes worth mentioning are that you should never add water to dry pool chemicals. Instead, slowly add the dry chemicals to water. Pool chemicals should never be mixed together. Circulate the chemicals through the pool water before adding more chemicals.
To help prevent pool problems, a consistent maintenance schedule should be followed. It is always easier to maintain a pool and prevent problems than it is to correct problems. Read and follow the instructions that came with your equipment.
Remember to keep pool chemicals away from children, and teach them that it is not safe for them to handle them. Enjoy your clear, clean pool water.
