HOW TO PROPERLY CLEAN A SWIMMING POOL
Many swimming pool owners these days are opting for paid pool cleaning and maintenance services that take the hassle and the effort out of maintaining a spotless and sparkling pool. While we can not argue with this logic, we want to acknowledge the weekend warriors out there that take on pool maintenance as a regular part of their daily lives. For some, it is just not enough to swim in a beautiful pool, they must also feel like it was their own blood, sweat, and tears that made it so to begin with. For those individuals, here are some step by step directions from our pool experts on how to properly clean a swimming pool.
Assess Your Equipment
Before you get started cleaning a thing, take a look at your pool equipment. Check to make sure the pressure is correct on your filter system. The best way to determine what correct means is to mark the pressure gauge right after a filter cleaning so that you know where it should stand on its best day. If the pressure is too low, you can bet there is something clogging your system before the filter, and if it is too high, the problem likely lies either in the filter itself or after it. It is always a good idea to get the pros involved at this juncture to at the very least help you diagnose and filter issues before moving forward. Remember to also check your pump for any leaks.
Empty Skimmers and Clean Decks
After you are done tinkering with your gear, do a stroll around the pool’s perimeter, emptying all of the skimmer baskets. Skimmer baskets should be checked and emptied on a daily basis and not just during big cleanings because they can block your lines and restrict the flow of water going to your pool pump. Bring a soft bristled brush on a pole and an empty five-gallon bucket along so that you can throw chlorinated pool water across your deck and scrub it down once done.
Get Out the Chemistry Set
Before you get into the actual scrubbing of your pool walls, take a minute to check your chemical levels with your handy home test kit. If you do not have one, most pool supply stores offer testing services at no cost. Make sure you are testing for free and total chlorine so that you can be on top of any chloramine development. If you notice a greenish or cloudy hue to your water, this is a good time to go ahead and shock the pool so that the next steps can be more effective.
Get to Scrubbing
This is the part that nobody looks forward to but is absolutely necessary to maintain a truly spotless pool. Using brushes on telescoping poles, give every surface of the pool a hard and thorough brushing. Focus on areas where it looks like algae may have begun to take hold. When you scrub these spots right after shocking the water, it allows the fresh chlorine to penetrate the roots of the algae and more effectively remove it from your pool.
If you get stuck on any of these steps or encounter something that we have not included in this very brief and basic overview, feel free to give us a call. We have a comprehensive pool maintenance program and an experienced staff who are happy to help you through any trouble you run into.
