Taking care of a swimming pool requires constant maintenance that, if not done, will eventually necessitate more work to get the pool clean again. There are some things that need to be done every single day, just so the filter, skimmer, and chlorine can do their job. Then, there are other tasks that have to be done weekly and monthly as well. Here is how to clean a swimming pool and keep it that way.
Prevention Is A Key Factor
As the day goes by, thousands of leaves, tiny insects, and other debris are landing on top of the water. All pools have a pump with a filter/skimmer that will swoop most floating debris from the surface before it has a chance to sink to the bottom. It's incredibly important to keep the pump and its filter/skimmer running almost constantly to prevent debris from filling up the pool.
When this organic matter sinks, it becomes the food for the bacteria and algae that will cloud up your pool and even make it dangerous to swim in. Keep the filter running, and clean out the skimmer a couple of times a day to make sure it's operating at top efficiency, it is your first line of defense against a dirty pool.
Vacuuming Regularly Is The Next Step
Every single day there will be a film of small debris and algae that will settle to the bottom of the pool. It will be obvious when you look down into the water.
What you need to do is hook up your vacuum attachment and vacuum this material up into the filter every morning. By doing so, you'll eliminate a huge portion of the organic matter that has made its way past the skimmer. This is hugely important as your second line of defense in maintaining a clean pool. As long as you take care of it daily, it won't become a burden and you'll be able to handle it fairly quickly.
Keeping The Filter Clean
There are various types of filters that do a good job of filtering out even the tiniest particles of debris and algae in a pool. Many have a several layers of screen filters to capture increasingly small bugs and particles, and then a diatomaceous earth filter for the smallest of small particles.
The larger screens should be checked daily, especially if your pool attracts a lot of leaves and large insects. These can clog the entire filter and stop it from being effective. The super-fine filter is a little more complicated and takes more time to clean, so it only needs to be done when it's become blocked to a certain extent. You'll know because the water coming out of the return pipe isn't a strong, powerful jet, but a mild, soft, flow instead.
Chlorine And Other Disinfectants
There are several different disinfectants including chlorine, bromine, and ozone that are meant to kill bacteria and algae. They are important for a clean pool, but they won't do the job by themselves, they need the filter to constantly be running to eliminate the organic matter that fuels the growth of the bacteria and algae. So if your aren't going to keep the filter clean, you'll constantly have huge algae blooms because of the oversupply of organic matter in the pool.
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, well in can be, in a busy swimming season. You can do most of the work yourself and then pay a weekly pool guy to come test the chlorine, clean the filter, and vacuum the bottom for a fee. Then just do the daily quick maintenance yourself and have a great time relaxing in your clean pool.
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