The first thing you should do when water clarity is an issue is to try and find the source of the foreign matter. The most common place for sand to enter a pool is from the pool deck, so start by looking here first. Sand can get into your pool in various ways: on people’s feet, on things like floats or other toys that may have been in your yard, toys left out in the rain that accumulate sand and then get brought back into the pool, etc. 

If you can’t find any evidence of sand on your decking, look at other areas within your pool equipment pad; check around your filter, pump, and skimmer.

If you still haven’t found any evidence of sand, check at the point where your ladder enters the water. Sand can often collect here as well. 

Clean the Pool Cover

Use a leaf blower or hose to clean the pool cover. Before you put the cover back on your pool, it is essential that you thoroughly clean it. To do this, either use a leaf blower to blow off all the dirt and leaves from the cover or remove any large pieces of debris and then hose off the cover. Be sure not to drop the cover into your pool, though, as it will bring sand!

Skim, Vacuum, and Brush Frequently

To remove the sand that gets blown into your pool, you must frequently skim, vacuum, and brush. “Frequently” is, of course, a relative term. How often is it frequent? The answer to that question lies in how many trees, shrubs, and gardens you have around your pool area. 

The more foliage surrounds your pool, the more frequently you will need to tend to these tasks. A good rule of thumb is once a week if there is no foliage around your pool or every other day if there are plants, trees, and gardens near your pool.

An automatic cleaner will make this task more manageable; however, don’t rely solely on automated devices as they can only do so much. Even if they could get all the sand out at some point, they would be full and require emptying, thus creating another opportunity for unwanted sand to enter the pool’s water system. Automated cleaners are great for doing half of the work for you, but manual cleaning is still necessary when dealing with small particulates like sand.

Circulate Your Water

The most common cause of unclean water is the sand stuck in the filter system. To prevent this, you need to ensure your pool has enough filtration. Too little, and your filter will be working overtime to keep all that sand out; too much, you won’t have an issue with sand.

When you set up your pool, look at how many gallons it holds before buying a pump. Your pump should be able to recirculate the entire pool volume every hour, and this will allow it to draw any excess sediment back into the filter each time it goes around so that there’s no way for anything but clean water to wind up in your pool. If your pump isn’t powerful enough, you’ll have a hard time keeping things nice and clear because there won’t be enough suction on the filter.

Now, if your pump is too big for your pool, then what happens is that it’ll push through the water faster than it can pull it through the skimmer, which makes some of that extra water bypass directly over to the return jet. This means less time for any sand or dirt to get sucked into the skimmer where it can be filtered out and more chance of them getting circulated right back into the water again! 

Use a Pool Filter Cleaner

Use a pool filter cleaner to ensure that your filter is working correctly. Ensure that the pool filter cleaner you are using is safe for your specific type of filter. Once you have the proper cleaner, follow the manufacturer’s directions. If you do not feel comfortable cleaning your filter, hire a professional to do it for you.

Use a Fine Mesh Filter Bag

One of the first things you can do to keep your pool clean is using a fine mesh filter bag. The mesh bags attach to the skimmer basket, where all of the debris goes. This prevents sand from clogging up your plumbing and filter, but it also prevents it from getting into your pool. If you want to keep your pool clean, you need to ensure that you’re doing everything to save as much sand as possible.

Prevention and Maintenance Will Help You Keep Sand Out of Your Pool 

Before getting down to preventing sand in your pool, let’s briefly review some preventative maintenance you should regularly perform. A clean pool is a happy pool, and by keeping it clear of dirt and debris that can get ground into sand, you’ll be doing a service to both yourself and your swimmers. Pool cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore; on the contrary, it can be an easy task with the right tools and some know-how.

So, when should you clean your pool? We recommend once per week on average for most people—though if you find yourself swimming often or hosting many parties in your backyard paradise, definitely; up that frequency! Artesian Pools is proud to be one of Central Florida’s Largest and Oldest in-ground custom pool and spa builders. If you’re looking to add a piece of paradise in your backyard with a custom-built pool contact us today!