Dream Home: Is Maintaining a Pool at Home Really That Much Work?

There are 10.4 million residential pools in America.

The American dream is still alive and well with many people desiring to own their own home. For the aspiring (and existing) homeowners, having a pool in the backyard is an important milestone.

A swimming pool in the home is the perfect spot for pool parties and sunbathing. Again, a quick dip on a hot day can be quite refreshing.

While many people desire a swimming pool, they may not quite understand the work that goes into maintaining a pool. This article will provide insights into swimming pool maintenance.

Circulation

Without circulation, you probably would not have a functional swimming pool.

A pool’s circulation is what enables the water to move towards the filtration point in addition to helping spread the chemicals in the water.

Your pool will be fitted with a pump and a filter at a minimum. The pump will suck water out of the pool which will then be directed towards the filter.

Once it hits the filter, the water will be cleaned by eliminating any particles that are dirtying it. The clean water is then pumped back into the pool using a jet.

As long as your circulation is working fine then you will rarely experience any cloudy pool water or have algae showing up.

When you’re setting your pool up, you will need to install a multi-directional jet. The feature will be essential in your swimming pool maintenance as it will reduce dead areas.

These are the points where there is poor water circulation. While they can at times be unavoidable, you will still have to clean them manually.

Your multi-directional jet can help you point circulation towards these areas to reduce the amount of cleaning necessary. Some of the dead areas in a pool include:

● The area under the skimmers
● The area in and around the pool steps
● The space behind the ladders
● Any crack, crevice or crease

Once you set your pool up, you will need to brush the dead areas at least once every seven days.

If you don’t, you will allow debris and algae (or other microorganisms) to accumulate. In the end, your pool will become unhygienic.

Should you be unable to personally brush when necessary, you can always hire a pool cleaning service company to do it for you.

The Pumping Mechanism

For you to keep all the water in the pool clean it needs to run through the pump at least once per day.

Ideally, you should be running you pump 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But not everyone’s equipment or budget can accommodate that.

An effective compromise here is to let the pump run for ten to 12 hours daily. That will be decent enough time to circulate the water and keep it clean.

One neat trick with pool pumping is that you don’t have to stick to a fixed schedule as long as you pump for the required hours.

Therefore, you can choose to pump during off-peak hours when your electricity provider charges less.

Another approach you can use is to spread the hours throughout the day instead of pumping it back-to-back.

Cleaning the Pool

Your swimming pool will become dirty due to leaves and other foliage, frogs, insects, and contaminants from those who use it. Bacteria can also contaminate your pool.

When cleaning your pool you should begin by removing any visible debris on the surface by skimming. Empty the skimmer net away from the pool.

Once you’re done skimming you will need to vacuum it. Turn the nozzles of the jet down to reduce ripples so that you can see the floor clearly.

When you start vacuuming, move slowly in overlapping parallel lines on the pool floor. If your pool is too wide to clean in one trip then vacuum half of it at a time.

As you’re vacuuming, keep an eye on your hose. If it starts floating then that can mean there’s a puncture in the line or that the filter is full.

Once you’re done with the vacuuming, brush the sides and other dead areas with a nylon brush fitted on the vacuum pole. If the pool floor is made of concrete, then use a stainless steel brush instead.

A worthwhile tip for clearing cloudy pool water is to use flocculant. Although it does the job, it is a short term measure until you can resolve the root cause of the cloudiness.

Getting the Chemicals Right

Cleaning your pool isn’t just a matter of skimming, vacuuming and brushing. Those processes are necessary, but if you only rely on them, your pool will turn into a dark lagoon.

A chemical sanitizer is what keeps your pool from becoming dark due to accumulated contaminants.

Chlorine is the most recognizable stabilizer, but there are others you can use like Bromine, for example.

Before you add in the chemicals, you need to know your water’s composition. Figure that out, and you will know the correct amount and type of chemicals to use.

A water testing kit is, therefore, an indispensable tool for any pool owner in regard to determining their water composition.

There are three things you need to know so that you can treat your pool properly.

They include:

● The pH levels which tell you how acidic or basic the water is
● The level of the sanitizer
● Alkalinity which works as a pH buffer helping prevent huge acidity or basicity levels

Always test the water first to determine these three things before you add any chemicals.

You can also add pool shock to compliment the sanitizer. Add pool shock only at night as the sun will eat up the chlorine before it can be effective.

Run the pump for eight hours after adding pool shock for optimal circulation.

Learn What Maintaining a Pool Takes

Owning a home with a pool is a dream for many Americans. While a swimming pool in your back yard has many benefits, it is not without its upkeep.

It is important to know what goes into maintaining a pool so that you can prepare adequately for it.

Are you looking to buy a home? Talk to a property expert about what it takes to get a pool for your new house.

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