The secrets to pool cleaning with less effort and expense is easy when you follow these simple guidelines. Following a daily and weekly pool cleaning maintenance routine prevents you from encountering most pool problems and virtually guarantees trouble-free pool care. The use of skimmer basket filters and operating your pump for at least eight hours a day ensures your pool will stay cleaner longer. The ultimate way to reduce the amount of pool cleaning is to install a pool cover when it’s not in use.
Table of Contents
1. Pool Cleaning Daily Routine
Check the look of the pool water every day.
Quickly skim the surface of the pool to prevent floating dirt & debris sinking to the bottom. This will stop you needing to vacuum the pool as often which saves the filter from needing a clean. Remember the longer dirt sits on the bottom of the pool the more it decomposes. And decomposing organic matter uses up free chlorine and has the potential to trigger an algal bloom in your pool.
Run the pump for at least six to eight hours every day. This gives the skimmer box a chance to remove all the floating material from the pool before it sinks to the bottom. I always recommend to run the pump longer throughout the day than have to clean the bottom with a vacuum cleaner.
Empty the skimmer basket everyday into the garbage.
2. Pool Cleaning Weekly Routine
Every week use a test strip to check the pool water chemistry.
There is no excuse for not doing this as it only takes one minute to dip the chemical strip in the water and read the result.
Usually there is nothing to do. However, if the chemistry has changed I recommend to take action immediately and rebalance the pool. If you let it go you may have a bigger problem to contend with later.
Brush the pool walls & steps which only takes 10 minutes every week. The walls may look clean but clear calcium carbonate, which you cannot easily see, accumulates on the walls. Brushing moves all the dirt and contaminants to the bottom where they can be vacuumed away.
Vacuum your pool every week during the summer. It normally takes around 20 to 30 minutes. I like to start in the deep end and work my way towards the steps in the shallow end. This makes it easier to retrieve the vacuum from the pool when you have completed the task. Usually I recommend selecting the waste setting on your filter when vacuuming to send the dirt directly to the drain and not through your filter. Otherwise your filter will quickly become clogged with debris and dirt. The only drawback with vacuuming to waste is it will lower the pool water level. You will need to add the hose to the pool to refill the water up to the middle of the skimmer box flap.
3. Use a Skimmer Basket Filter Sock
Place a filter sock in the skimmer basket to trap all the smaller debris that would normally pass through to the filter. Skimmer basket filter socks usually come in a pack of 10 or more and are very inexpensive to use.
Depending on the amount of dirt entering your pool change the filter sock every week to keep your pool sparkling clean.
A skimmer basket filter sock reduces the requirement to frequently clean the filter and lengthens the lifespan of your filter system.
Please read: Pool Skimmer Socks Keep the Pool Cleaner
4. Add Algaecide to the Pool Water
Adding algaecide to pool water gives extra protection against algae spores growing in the water.
Note: Once there is algae in the pool there is little use in adding algaecide.
Normally, a properly sanitized swimming pool will not develop green pool water. However, heavy rain, wind or a clogged filter may cause a pool to give algae a chance to flourish. The pool water can quickly change to green overnight catching you by surprise.
Never add algaecide and shock at the same time. Ensure that they’re used a day or two apart as they may react adversely together.
5. Operate the Pump for 8 Hours
Not running the pump long enough is one of the most common pool maintenance mistakes.
To properly clean a swimming pool your pump needs to filter the whole pool every day. The capacity of your pump matches the size of your pool. A pump that processes 7000 litres per hour for your 50,000 litre swimming pool needs to run at least 7 to 8 hours per day.
Please read: How Many Hours To Run The Pool Pump?
6. Shock the Pool in the Evening
Try not add pool shock to the water in the morning or early afternoon as chlorine-based chemicals are rapidly inactivated by UV light and evaporate from the pool in the heat of the sun.
I highly recommend adding pool shock in the late evening as the sun is going down so that you don’t waste your money. This gives the shock chemical the maximum time to work in your pool before sunrise. The other issue is once you shock a pool you cannot swim in the water until the chlorine level returns to normal. Shocking in the evening is the ideal time to allow the chlorine level to revert to normal for swimming the next day. Please ensure you run the pump when adding shock to fully mix and circulate the chemical.
Please read: Pool Chemistry – The Ultimate Guide
7. Reduce Pool Cleaning with a Pool Cover
The single most useful thing you can do for your pool is to install a pool cover when not using the pool. Covers prevent dirt and debris entering the pool, reduce pool cleaning, the filtering requirement and prevent water evaporation. All of this saves you money but using less electricity and water which pays for the cover in no time.
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