Seahorse Pools & Spas explain pool maintenance mistakes homeowners make
If you’re a do-it-yourselfer who has decided to undertake the maintenance and service tasks for your family’s swimming pool, it may be a great thing. However, there are many swimming pool owners who run into trouble because caring for a pool can be a delicate balancing act of myriad factors.
The swimming pool contractors from Seahorse Pools & Spas in Fort Worth, Texas offer these most common mistakes made by novice pool owners when it comes to pool maintenance.
- Not checking the water chemistry often enough. You need to understand how often the water chemistry needs to be checked and you also need to understand the readings you are getting when you check the chemistry. The water should be checked at least weekly, perhaps more often if you don’t use a cover, a storm goes through or the pool gets more use one week than it did another. Twice a week might be a better option during the summer months when the pool sees a lot of use.
- Adding chlorine in the daytime. A pool service contractor will recommend adding the chemicals after the sun has gone down. If you add them during the heat of the day, the sun will burn them off. Also, adding them at the end of the day means you will be able to use the pool throughout the day.
- You haven’t cleaned the chlorine generator cells. If you’re not cleaning the chlorine generator cell, it will calcify or corrode. If this happens the cell won’t produce enough chlorine to effectively do the job.
- Not running the pool pump for enough time during the day. Ask a pool contractor how long a pump should run — based on your pool’s unique shape, size and depth. A rule of thumb is to run the pump for an hour per ten degrees of water temperature.
- Not taking the time to brush the pool walls or floor. Keeping algae at bay is necessary because once it takes hold, it is difficult to remove. Brushing the walls, floor and behind the steps or other water accessories will loosen and remove any bacteria that could lead to algae.
- w often do you check your pool’s chemistry? Once a month? That is not often enough. Check your pool’s chemistry once every week during winters and twice a week during summers. If you do this, you can avoid having to make huge adjustments that will create an erratic up, down, up activity in the water.
- Forgetting to check the calcium hardness often enough. If you’re not checking the total dissolved solids or total dissolved liquids at least every six months and the calcium hardness monthly the chemical balances will be impacted.
Ask us for an onsite swimming pool maintenance lesson to assure you’re doing it right!