Maintenance of a new above-ground pool: the essential guide for perfect water

As soon as your above-ground pool is filled, the essential first step is to test and balance the water. Even if it comes from the municipal supply, the water is not automatically adjusted to ideal pool parameters. Proper balancing from the start ensures stable, comfortable, and easy-to-maintain water throughout the season.

Adjustments should always begin with alkalinity, then pH, followed by other parameters. Following this order helps prevent fluctuations and maximizes the disinfectant’s effectiveness.

To make things easier for you, Piscine Hippocampe offers a free, personalized in-store water analysis service. Our specialized technicians precisely analyze your parameters and advise you on the necessary adjustments to maximize your pool maintenance and avoid costly mistakes. A professional test from the start saves you time, reduces product costs, and helps you enjoy clear water faster.

Optimal Settings – Chlorine Pool

For an above-ground chlorine pool, here are the recommended values:

1. pH: 7.4 to 7.6

2. Total alkalinity: 125 to 150 ppm

3. Calcium hardness: 100 to 200 ppm

4. Free chlorine: 1 to 3 ppm

These levels ensure effective disinfection, optimal swimming comfort, and adequate protection of your equipment and liner.

Optimal parameters – Saltwater pool

For a pool equipped with a salt generator, the values differ slightly:

1. pH: 7.2 to 7.6

2. Total alkalinity: 90 to 125 ppm

3. Calcium hardness: 100 to 200 ppm

4. Free chlorine: 1 to 3 ppm
   
   The salt system produces its own chlorine, but it remains essential to maintain these parameters to avoid scaling, corrosion, and production fluctuations.

By choosing Piscine Hippocampe, you don’t just get a pool — you get the best in maintenance.

We are proud to offer you as a gift the ultimate maintenance program, an added value that makes all the difference from the very first season. This kit is not just a set of products: it is advanced technology designed to simplify your maintenance, improve your water quality, and protect your investment.

For chlorine pools: Solei & Luna technology

You hold the powerful Solei and Luna technology in your hands, voted best new maintenance technology in North America — proudly designed in Canada.

Benefits and features:

Solei and Luna modernize traditional chlorine maintenance by making it more efficient, stable, and predictable. The result: fewer fluctuations, fewer problems, and more enjoyment.

For salt systems: the Pristiva program

For your saltwater pool, the Pristiva program is offered to you free of charge. And that changes everything.

A well-optimized salt system requires specific management. Pristiva is designed to maximize your generator's performance and protect your equipment.

Benefits and features:

Pristiva does more than just maintain the water: it protects your investment and enhances the durability of your components.

Before adding products, it is essential to verify that your pool is functioning perfectly.

Make sure that:

1. The pump is running

2. Water circulates properly

3. The filter is working normally

4. No leaks are present in the plumbing

5. Fittings and hoses are well sealed

Good circulation is the foundation of effective disinfection. A poorly circulating pool will always have more difficulty staying clear and stable.

Using the Day and Night kit (weekly maintenance)

Your Solei & Luna program is designed to simplify maintenance and stabilize your water throughout the season. Maintenance is done once a week.

Round above-ground pools – Day & Night dosing grid

Oval above-ground pools – Day & Night dosing grid

Instructions (simple) – once a week

1. Protect Stick: in the skimmer (according to the grid)

2. Solei: pour the dose into the pool (initial at startup, then weekly)

3. Luna: in the skimmer (initial at startup, then weekly)

Important

When your pool water stays warm, especially above 83 °F (28 °C), chlorine consumption increases significantly. Heat accelerates disinfectant evaporation and promotes bacteria and contaminant growth. It is therefore important to test your water more frequently during hot periods. If the level drops, simply add one or two chlorine sticks as needed to stabilize the situation. Always ensure to maintain a free chlorine level between 1 and 3 ppm to guarantee healthy, clear, and safe water.

Pristiva Technology – Saltwater Pool

Why salt choice is important

Contrary to what many believe, not all salts are equivalent. There are different grades and purity levels on the market. Lower quality salt may contain impurities that:

1. Clog the generator cell

2. Increase scaling

3. Decrease system efficiency

4. Reduce equipment lifespan

Pristiva salt is specially designed for saltwater pools. Its high purity allows:

1. Fast and uniform dissolution

2. Better ppm stability

3. Enhanced cell protection

4. Optimal generator performance

To maintain your system's performance and protect your investment, it is highly recommended to continue using Pristiva salt season after season.

Salt application

Salt systems sold at Piscine Hippocampe operate with an optimal level of 3,400 ppm.

How to add salt:

1. Turn on the filtration system

2. Pour the salt bags directly into the water

3. If the water is cold, use a brush to help dissolve

4. Let circulate for 24 hours before adjusting or fully activating the generator

Round pools – Salt + Pristiva (calculated quantities)

Oval pools – Salt + Pristiva (calculated quantities)

Why this program makes a difference

The Pristiva program allows:

1. More stable chlorine production

2. Reduced pH fluctuations

3. Less scaling in the cell

4. Clearer and softer water

5. Increased system lifespan

A well-maintained salt system is more efficient, more stable, and more economical in the long run.

Adjustment and control of your salt generator

Even if your pool has a salt system, it is still essential to regularly test your chlorine level. A salt system is not a chlorine-free system: it is an automatic chlorine generator.

The generator converts salt into gaseous chlorine — a colorless and odorless chlorine — that disinfects your pool.

Understanding the production level (output)

Your system usually operates with a production setting from 1 to 10:

1. The higher you set the level, the more chlorine the generator produces.

2. The lower you set it, the less it produces.

The goal is to maintain a free chlorine level between 1 and 3 ppm at all times.

Adjustment based on water temperature

Temperature directly affects chlorine demand:

1. Cold water (start and end of season): decrease production.

2. Warm water (heatwave, heavy use): increase production.

Warm water consumes chlorine faster, which requires system adjustment.

Recommended starting setting

To start the season:

1. Set your generator to the level 5.

2. Test the water after a few days.

3. Adjust slightly up or down based on your results.

A small gradual adjustment is always preferable to a large change all at once.

Even with an automated system, the key remains the same: test, adjust, and stabilize. Regular monitoring will allow you to maximize your saltwater pool’s performance and extend the lifespan of your equipment.

Filtration accounts for about 80% of water quality. Even the best chemistry cannot compensate for insufficient circulation or a poorly maintained filtration system. Clear water always starts with good flow and an efficient filter.

The motor (the pump): the foundation of everything

The pump ensures water circulation to the filter. Without circulation, chemicals do not distribute properly and impurities are not effectively captured.

How many hours should you filter?

In Quebec, electricity costs remain relatively low compared to many provinces or U.S. states. For this reason, most customers choose to run their pool motor continuously during the season.

With a conventional single-speed pump, here are the general recommendations:

1. In peak season (warm water): continuous operation is recommended.

2. At the start and end of the season, when the water is cold: it is possible to turn off the motor for 10 to 12 hours per day, since the disinfection demand is lower.

The warmer the water, the more sustained the filtration must be.

The popularity of variable speed pumps

Variable speed motors are becoming increasingly popular — and for good reasons.

At Piscine Hippocampe, our technicians preprogram these pumps to maximize:

The pump usually runs at low speed during the day to reduce energy consumption, then increases slightly in the evening or at night to optimize heating and water quality.

If you want to learn more or consider a conversion, visit a branch to meet our technicians. They can analyze your installation and advise you on the best option.

The filter media: sand or activated AFM ng

Piscine Hippocampe offers two types of filter media:

1. Grade 20 silica sand

2. Activated AFM ng

How to do a backwash and why it’s important

Backwashing is an essential step in maintaining a sand or AFM filter. It cleans the filter media by reversing the water flow to flush out accumulated debris.

Why Perform a Backwash?

Over time, the filter traps:

These buildups increase pressure in the filter and reduce filtration efficiency.

A backwash allows you to:

A backwash is generally recommended when the pressure rises by 8 to 10 PSI above the normal starting pressure.

Steps to Perform a Backwash (Above-Ground Pool)

1. Turn off the pump.

2. Turn the filter valve to the BACKWASH position.

3. Restart the pump.

4. Let it run for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the water in the sight glass becomes clear.

5. Turn off the pump.

6. Set the valve to RINSE position.

7. Restart the pump for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

8. Turn off the pump.

9. Set the valve to FILTER position.

10. Restart the system.

Important: Always turn off the pump before changing the valve position to avoid damaging the internal seal.

Well-maintained filtration is the key to stable, clear, and easy-to-manage water all season. If you have doubts about the pressure, flow, or performance of your filter, our branch technicians can assist you and analyze your situation.

Good above-ground pool maintenance isn’t limited to startup. The key to clear, stable water all season is a consistent and well-applied routine.

It’s not the amount of products that makes the difference, but the regularity of checks and adjustments. A pool maintained weekly requires fewer major corrections and costs less in the long run.

Maintenance Routine – To Do Every Week

1. Test the Water 2 to 3 Times per Week

2. Adjust pH as Needed

3. Keep Chlorine Between 1 and 3 ppm

4. Brush the Walls and Bottom

5. Empty the Skimmer and Pump Baskets

6. Vacuum or Use a Cleaning Robot

Monthly Maintenance – Preventive Check

1. Clean the Waterline

2. Inspect Seals and Connections

3. Check Filter Pressure

4. Perform a Backwash if Necessary

5. Inspect the Filtration System

Practical Maintenance Chart – Keep for Reference