Swimming Pool Maintenance

Owning a pool is a big responsibility due to the amount of maintenance work you must perform to keep it running safely and efficiently. You need to clean a pool on a regular basis and perform seasonal maintenance operations.

Keeping it clean

The main cleaning job that comes with a pool involves keeping debris out of the water so that it's safe and comfortable for swimmers.

Skimming refers to the removal of debris from the pool's surface using a skimming tool.

For debris that sinks to the floor of the pool, a vacuum will do the job.

Debris also collects on the walls of the pool – to remove this material, use a brush.

Empty the skimmer baskets and filler trap, as debris will also makes its way into these receptacles.

Backwashing reverses the pool's circulation system by forcing water backwards and out of the system, removing small particles along with it.

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During the swimming season, the water needs to be balanced and sanitized regularly so that anyone using your pool can swim without becoming ill. Sanitizers keep microscopic particles at bay, while balanced water maintains a certain pH level, total alkalinity, and water hardness. The total amount of dissolved solids is also maintained.

General Seasonal Maintenance

In warmer climates pools stay open for most of the year, but if you live in a region that experiences winter weather, your outdoor pool will close for the winter and open during the summer months.

To properly open a pool, you will have to remove the cover, clean and store it. You will also have to eliminate the anti-freeze chemicals from the plumbing system and refill the pool with water, start the equipment, and add the required chemicals.

When it comes time to close your pool, the first step is to drain the water to below the level marked for freezing and out of the plumbing lines. To avoid frozen plumbing lines over the winter, add anti-freeze to the plumbing. This will protect against cracking. Place a heavy-duty pool cover over the pool so that debris doesn't settle in the filter and circulation equipment when it is disconnected for the winter.

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