The Complete Pool Maintenance Checklist
Owning a pool is a wonderful feeling, but its maintenance is a big responsibility. There are daily, monthly, and yearly checks necessary to keep the pool and equipment safe and clean. Neglecting repairs, filtration, and quality of water can affect the health of your pool in a big way. Swimming pool maintenance is a great way to ensure nothing is left out, and you can spend your time with family and friends in your pool without worrying about anything.
To make your task easy, here is a complete checklist to help you keep your pool in tip-top shape:
Check the water level
No matter whether you have a concrete pool, fibreglass pool, or a vinyl liner pool, for any kind of pool, water is the most important aspect. It is extremely important to ensure that the water is at its optimal level. If the level is too high or low, various problems may crop up. More than recommended water level may stall the skimmer from working, and if the water level becomes too low, the skimmers may suck in air.
Check the filter and the pump
Enjoying the benefits of a swimming pool means having clean and safe water. To do so, you need to ensure your pump and filter are working well. Without them working properly, the water circulation will be flawed, and the chemicals that you use for keeping the water safe will not spread out evenly.
To keep the pool free from germs and bacteria, it is vital to keep the pump fully functional. Along with that, check the filter pressure gauge from time to time. Normal pressure indicates normal water flow, whereas lower pressure indicates that something is not quite right. Check for closed valves and low water levels to avoid problems with the pump and the filtration system.
A properly working filtration system effectively removes unwanted particles from the pool water. It acts as a kidney for your pool. Any malfunction in the filter can lead to filthy, dirty, and unsafe water that can irritate the skin and eyes. The filtration system also balances the chemicals in the pool, keeping it balanced and odour-free. Find out if the filter baskets are full. Clean the pipes once every by backwashing. It is a simple task to perform, set the filter to ‘backwash’. Remove the basket where debris and leaves are collected and clean it well.
Don't forget brushing and vacuuming
Pools, whether used frequently or not, require routine brushing, mostly before opening and while in use. Brushing helps to remove debris from your pool and to clean out algae. It is important to dislodge the algae to improve the efficiency of disinfectants used in the pool.
Vacuuming the pool allows sucking out the debris. Accumulation of debris may harbour and increase algae formation. Your regular pool maintenance schedule must include brushing and vacuuming. If you feel too lazy, you can install an automated vacuuming system.
Check the chemical levels
Consistent chemical levels are the key to a healthy pool. Imbalance in your pool may cause odour, make it appear murky, and irritate the skin and eyes. It can become home to bacteria and algae. Thus, keeping a check on the chemical level is a must every week. You must check the pH level of acid and alkali balance. Ideally, the acidity should be between 7.5 and 7.8. Keep a tab on the free chlorine. It’s a sanitiser that helps to keep the pool water germ-free. Test the calcium hardness to see if the pool water is too soft, hard, or appropriate.
Low hardness indicates soft water that can be harmful to pool plaster as the water starts absorbing calcium from the plaster. That leaves etched-out, unsightly gaps in the plaster spoiling the smooth finish of the pool. Extra hard water causes calcium deposits on the pool’s surface resulting in whitish spots and scales.
Skim leaves, bugs, and debris
Only running the filter is not enough to clean your pool. Use a net or skimmer to scoop out any floating leaf, grass clipping, hair, bugs, flowers, etc. A leaf cover is a good way to keep unwanted materials out of the pool when it is not in use. Read our informative guide on which Swimming Pool Cleaner is suitable for you and your pool!
Cleaning the pool deck is important
What is the best way to clean your pool deck depends on what kind of material your deck is made of. Scrubbing and power washing is one of the easiest and the quickest ways of getting rid of sand, grime, and accumulated silt. Chlorine, household bleach, and dish soap are some of the handiest cleaning agents that help in cleaning the concrete, pool equipment, and accessories.
Shock the pool
If you are a beginner, pool shocking refers to increasing the chlorine level of your pool drastically for a short time to eliminate bacteria.
Don’t procrastinate when it comes to shocking your pool. Weekly once is a good thing to do, if not at least shock your pool every alternate week. That will help in maintaining the pool’s water chemistry. How often you are required to shock your pool also depends upon the number of people using it. Heavier the usage, more frequent pool shocking should be done. It helps to maintain a pristine and algae-free pool experience.
Clear out oil from the pool
Cleaning debris is one thing, but you also require cleaning the oil that’s often left in the pool from the body, the suntan lotions, hair care products, etc. Floating oil can leave a slick and shiny coating on top of the water, which may not be very appealing for pool users. The easiest way to do this is to throw in a few tennis balls into the pool. The fibrous parts of the ball work well in absorbing floating oils in the swimming pool.
Tidy up the pool area
A complete pool maintenance checklist can never be complete without cleaning the poolside area. Trim trees and bushes routinely to minimise leaves and twigs falling into the water. You can plan to replace unruly, bushy plants with smaller, easy-to-manage varieties to make your job easier.
A little effort goes a long way in keeping your swimming pool delightfully clean and hygienic. If you find it difficult to devote time to maintain your pool, asking professional pool cleaning services to do the job is the next best option.