The idea of having a swimming pool in your backyard will always be incredibly enjoyable. It's easy to get caught up in daydreaming about weekend parties and spending long afternoons lounging by the pool while cultivating a perfect tan. Without proper maintenance, your pool could succumb to a whole host of less than luxurious conditions: green water, broken filters, algae buildup, to name just a few. Here are some maintenance tips you need to try right now! Whether you've just opened your pool for the very first time or have been a proud owner for years, check out these tips to get your summer season off to a great start and save a few dollars.
1. Properly store your vacuum head, brush and pool sink
The main reason why you need to replace your accessories is that the brush bristles and vacuum head have fallen out or dried out.
Store your accessories upside down and away from the sun. During the winter, make sure it does not contain chlorine (rinse them in fresh water). If you do this, you double the life of your maintenance equipment, which can be expensive to replace.
2. Make sure you clean your pool daily
It's easy to remove leaves and debris from the surface of the water, but it bears repeating. If you have some money to spend, consider purchasing an automatic pool cleaner that will clean the bottom of the pool for you. The Pentair Prowler 920 automatic cleaner ranks high on price and consistently receives five-star performance reviews.
You should scrub the pool walls to prevent algae buildup. Fortunately, this doesn't need to be done as often. You can get away with scrubbing once every two weeks. Simply examine and clean them with a brush to keep your upholstery clean. This will save you an impressive amount of pool chemicals.
3. Use a solar blanket with your pool water heater
Solar shades , also called sun covers, maintain heat in the pool, keep debris out, and prevent heat from escaping your pool.
If you have a water heater, you can turn it on up to the required temperature and install the solar canvas at night. The heat will be maintained more easily and you will save a lot in energy costs. However, don't forget to remove the solar cover every day to prevent algae from forming in your pool.
Bonus: if you don't want to put on and take off the solar cover every evening, consider liquid solar covers (Cover free) . They are easier to use and cost much less in the short term.
4. Think of the filter as the kidney of your pool
Just as your kidneys are constantly working to remove impurities from your body, your pool filter is responsible for removing impurities from the water. Think about dirt, leaves and even toys in the pool.
It is best to clean the baskets (skimmer and pump) at least once a week. It is also necessary, once a month, to clean the filtration system, which you can do by carrying out a backwash (sand filtration system) or take out your cartridges and clean them (cartridge filtration system).
Bonus: The more efficient and optimal your filtration is, the lower your consumption of chemicals and maintenance.
5. Run your pump less during colder climates
During the hottest part of summer, run your pump 24 hours a day. You need to keep this water clean and moving so you don't run into problems, like algae growth.
Algae likes warm water. This is why your system needs to be maximized during this time of year.
You can reduce the speed of your pump during the period when your water is cold (beginning and end of season) or run your pump at low speed (2 speed pump) or reduce the RPM if you have a variable speed pool pump .
Bonus: investing in a variable speed pump, which consumes less energy, is mathematically one of the best purchases for a swimming pool.
6. Buy chemicals on sale during early season promotions.
Some pool stores usually offer spring start-up specials to encourage you to start the pool early. This is a good thing ! Often product prices skyrocket later in the season or are out of stock.
Tip: Do not hesitate to choose larger volumes of product, they are often very advantageous!
7. You need to monitor the water level
As important as the chemical composition of water is, the physical level of water is just as important. Levels fluctuate naturally after a heavy rain or an afternoon when children and adults are splashing in the pool. You want to maintain a level that is 75% of the opening of your skimmer.
If the water level is too low, simply use a garden hose to add the necessary amount of water. For those who own vinyl canvas, keep it in water at all costs, this will increase longevity and decrease fading. If the water level is too high, the skimmer will no longer work and the consumption of sanitizer (chlorine and bromine) will increase drastically.
8. Use an automatic cleaner
These self-contained electric units can clean an entire pool faster than you can. Automatic pool robots move around the pool on their own, climb walls and stairs and collect all kinds of debris in their filters.
These cartridges also filter water, so if you run the robot, you are helping your filter and pump while keeping your pool clean. Even if the pool is out of service, this automatic cleaner can be used!
9. Conserve your pool water
Water is not free, and the water supply is not infinite around the world, especially as droughts become more frequent and severe. It is worth saving water.
The average swimming pool wastes water in four ways:
- Evaporation
- You were
- Splashing
- Backwash
Although the water wasted at any one time may be small and seemingly insignificant, it can add up to thousands of wasted gallons, which can translate into hundreds of wasted dollars.
1 0. Learning to properly close your pool prevents damage
As important as pool maintenance is in the summer, it's even more important to make sure you secure it properly for the winter. After all, no one wants to remove a pool cover at the start of summer only to discover that their pool has a leak or that their water is full of bacteria.
By taking the right steps to properly winterize your pool, you can save a lot of time and money on repairs for the following season. Take the time to listen to your specialists in this field, they prefer to see you again with a smile at the start of the season...!