12 Common Swimming Pool Maintenance Mistakes
12 Common Swimming Pool Maintenance Mistakes
Mar 10
- Make sure you check your pool’s water chemistry regularly. Check the water chemistry twice a week during the summer months, and once a week in the winter. By doing this regularly you can make small adjustments to the water chemistry opposed to large adjustments that can create a wild up and down graph of activity.
- Allowing the pH levels to get above 8.0. If the pH level is 8.5 the chlorine is only working at 10%. At 7.0 it is working about 73%. If you can maintain the pH level around 7.5 the chlorine is 50-60% active. Keeping the pH levels at normal will allow you to use the chlorine at its full potential.
- Not sustaining alkalinity between 80-140 PPM. Low or high alkalinity can affect water balance and the sanitizers ability to work properly.
- Not checking TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) or calcium solidity on a routine basis. Check TDS every 6 months, and for Calcium hardness every month. These also can affect water balance.
- Not cleaning on the cells in salt water systems (chlorine generators). Corroded or calcified cell will not be able to produce the right amount of chlorine.
- Backwashing sand or DE filters all the time. If you do this, the filter will never be able to reach its full cleaning potential. If you backwash regularly, you are also wasting water. Many filters require backwashing when the pressure gauge rises 8-10 PSI from clean.
- Not cleaning the skimmer basket and the hair and lint pot in the pool pump regularly. If the basket is full of dirt and debris you will get minimal flow which can result in poor circulation, and can potentially create large problems with the pool.
- Adding chemicals, chlorine in particular, during the day time. It is better to add chemicals in the evening after the sun has gone down, you will get more out of the chemicals this way.
- Not brushing the walls and tile down regularly. If your circulation system is suspect, which a lot of them are, washing down the walls will help reduce algae problems. Keeping the tile clean will also help save you money. Once tiles get calcium on them, it becomes similar to plaque on your teeth and you will need a specialist to come and clean it off for you.
- Make sure that you keep the space between the bottom of the cantilever on the deck and the top of the tile in check. If this cracks, then put in some silicon. You do not want water migrating from the inside of the pool out under the decking.
- Not running the pumps for a long enough period of time. Your pumps should run about one hour for every 10 degrees of temperature. This is all about the flow! Circulation is key to having a low maintenance swimming pool.
- If you do not replace missing drains or suction sources. The is a very real and also dangerous hazard.