The summer is almost here, which means it’s time to finally deep clean your pool. Or maybe schedule some regular maintenance. Either way, you can do a few things before everyone starts using their swimming pools again. These pool maintenance tips for summer will ensure your pool is spotless for the entire season.
Run Your Pump
Your pool is such a vital part of your summer fun that it pays to maintain it regularly. Though you can easily make these maintenance tasks this season, you’ll want to tackle them before the fun begins—preferably the week before your first splash. There are a few things you should make sure always get done:
- Run the pump and filter about every 2 to 8 hours for at least 10 minutes per day. This keeps water circulating through the filter, so particles don’t clog up the pump and filter as much as they would otherwise.
- Run the pump and filter at least once when you open or close your pool door so that water fills up immediately after opening or closing doors from last time, rather than filling up too slowly over time due to a slow flow rate in one or both of those components (which is why they must be running continuously). Also, run the pump and filter well after closing your pool door if you use an automatic cover system (e.g., an electric cover that opens when submerged below water level). This acts as an additional drain valve for your pool!
Algae Growth Can Be Prevented with Chlorine
Properly chlorinating your pool is one of the essential steps in keeping algae away. As we mentioned earlier, algae are a green, slimy substance that can grow and cause your pool to turn green. To prevent this from happening, you can add chlorine to your pool, which will react with the water and kill off any bacteria or algae that have grown there. Using chorine will keep your pool looking clear and blue all summer long!
Clean Your Pool Weekly
Most people are familiar with “never leave the house without completing a routine cleaning.” Although most people are wise to include this activity as part of their day, some may feel that they need professional pool maintenance before they ever get around to doing it themselves. but these pool maintenance tips for summer can help.
While there is no substitute for professional help if your pool has large amounts of algae or is undersized (in which case you should contact us), these common-sense weekly upkeep tips should put most pools into good shape over time…
Be Mindful of Chlorinated Water
The chemicals in pool water can cause some unpleasant reactions if they contact your skin or hair. There also may be chemical residue on the bottom of the pool from when you added sanitizer and didn’t turn on the filter to circulate it through the system. If you don’t want to stain your skin and nails, it’s a good idea to wash them off after you get out of the pool or wipe down your feet before entering your house. If possible, take a shower before you go inside if you plan on relaxing in bed or on furniture that should not have chlorinated water spilled on it. This will also help control odor and better protect your home furnishings from damage.
Your pets may enjoy swimming in your pool, but this is not recommended for many reasons, including potential health risks from exposure to chlorine. The chemicals can irritate their eyes and skin and lead to sickness if they ingest them by licking their fur after going for a swim. It’s best to keep pets out of the pool unless there are no other options—if they get wet, rinse them off thoroughly as soon as possible after getting out of the pool area.
Keep Pets Out of the Pool
There are some obvious reasons to keep your pets out of the pool: you don’t want them to swallow pool water, which contains chlorine or other chemicals that may upset their stomach and make them vomit or have diarrhea. However, the biggest reason is less apparent: bacteria from your pet’s paws, fur, poop, saliva, and urine can contaminate your backyard pool water. In addition to the presence of these contaminants in and of themselves creating a poor swimming environment due to health risks such as diarrhea and vomiting—it can also change the pH level of your pool.
Pool Maintenance Tips for Summer: Keep Your Pool Clean and Safe with Regular Maintenance
You can keep your pool clean and safe with regular maintenance. Here are six pool cleaning and maintenance tips to help you get started.
- clean the skimmer basket once a week
- keep your water level at the right height
- brush down all sides of the pool twice a week
- check chlorine levels regularly
- vacuum your pool weekly
- backwash your filter monthly
When you are finally done with all the work, and it’s time to relax, you will be glad that you took the time to prepare your pool with these pool maintenance tips for summer. Without a clean pool, it just isn’t summer. If you’re looking to add a pool into your backyard, call the Orlando experts in custom pool building at Artesian Pools!
