One of the greatest pleasures on a sweltering summer day is to take a dip in the cool, crystal-clear water of your pool. As you immerse yourself in the clean, refreshing water soft ripples form around you and glisten in the sunlight. Heavenly, right? Now imagine slipping into a filthy-looking pool with slimy green water. That's what you could have to look forward to if you ignore the fundamental rules of pool maintenance. Don't let this happen to you! Steer clear of these common mistakes and your pool will continue to be the safe, idyllic retreat it was intended to be. Plus, you'll avoid costly repairs.
1. Failing to test the chemistry of the water frequently enough. You can't determine the condition of the water just by looking at it. Of course, if it's cloudy or green then something is obviously wrong, but even if the water appears to be clean it can pose a hazard to swimmers. This is why it's absolutely necessary to test the water chemistry twice weekly in the summertime, once per week in the winter and have your local pool chemical store test it on a monthly basis. By making frequent slight adjustments to the chemistry of your pool water you can avoid drastic adjustments and extra costs in the future.
* Letting the pH rise above 8.0. Incorrect pH reduces the effectiveness of your pool's chlorine and puts it at risk for developing scale. Chlorine is approximately 73% active at a pH of 7.0, 50-60% active at 7.5 and merely 10% active at 8.5. It's also important to add an appropriate amount of muriatic acid to your pool each week in order to counteract the effects of salt chlorination, which causes the pH to rise; otherwise white streaks could form on the pool walls. This streaking is known as scale and it can damage the walls, particularly if they're made of coloured plaster.
* Neglecting to keep alkalinity within 80-140 PPM. Lower or higher alkalinity can negatively impact the balance of the water and the performance of the sanitizer.
* Neglecting to check total dissolved solids (TDS) and calcium hardness regularly. TDS should be tested every six months and calcium hardness monthly. These substances also affect the balance of the water.
2. Inadequately maintaining pool equipment. Pool equipment must be maintained on a regular basis to avoid clogging and breaking down.
* Not cleaning your chlorinator cell. Your chlorine generator can become corroded or calcified if you don't clean it, impeding its ability to produce chlorine.
* Backwashing the sand or DE filters too frequently or not frequently enough. Backwashing too frequently wastes water and prevents the filters from doing their job. Most filters only require backwashing once the pressure gauge rises 8-10 lbs. above the reading it gives when clean. On the other hand, if you don't clean them often enough the whole system could come to a standstill.
* Not cleaning out the skimmer basket often enough. If it fills with debris this will reduce pool circulation and could result in a major problem.
3. Adding chemicals in the daytime. Swimming pool chemicals, especially liquid chlorine, will be more effective if you add them in the evening.
4. Failing to brush the walls and tile. If your pool's circulation system isn't as effective as it could be, brushing down the walls will prevent algae buildup and calcification. Calcification on tiles is extremely difficult to remove and requires the help of a specialist.
5. Running the pump for too brief a time. If you don't run your pump for long enough this can severely damage the filter, chlorinator, heater and automatic pool cleaner. It's a good idea to buy a two-speed pump and run it continuously.
6. Neglecting to replace broken or missing drain covers. If suction sources aren't safely covered this can pose a deadly hazard.
7. Not maintaining the correct water level. If the water level dips too low, the pump begins to take in air rather than water and ceases to provide adequate circulation. The water and steam in the pump can then overheat, causing the piping to melt. It's also a health hazard since scalding hot water could come bursting out of the pump if someone were to open it at this point.
