How to Keep Your Pool Clean

Owning a pool is a big responsibility, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Keeping your pool clean and inviting all season long does require work, even more so if you don’t have a strong understanding of basic pool maintenance. Read on for a beginners’s guide on keeping your pool clean so you can spend your valuable time where it matters most — in the water. 

1. Check the pH and Chlorine Levels

The first step to keeping your pool clean is to ensure that the pH and chlorine levels are balanced. If the chlorine levels are too high, it will cause skin and eye irritation. On the other hand, if the levels are too low, your pool will become a breeding ground for bacteria and algae. 

You should aim to keep the chlorine levels between 1 and 3 ppm (parts per million). As for the pH levels, they should be between 7.2 and 7.6. A neutral pH is safe to swim in and also increases the efficiency of chlorine in disinfecting your pool.

2. Shock the Pool and Administer Algaecide Regularly

Shocking your pool is an important part of maintaining its cleanliness. When you shock your pool, you’re essentially raising the chlorine levels to a higher concentration for a short period of time. This process helps kill off any bacteria or algae that may be present in your pool. It’s important to shock your pool at least once a week or after you’ve had a higher than normal bathing load like after a party. 

To further prevent algae from taking over your pool, treat it with an algaecide regularly. Be sure to follow the instructions on the package carefully so that you don’t overdo it and end up with high chlorine levels in your pool.

3. Vacuum 

Vacuuming helps remove any dirt, debris, or leaves that may have fallen into the pool. Vacuuming once a week should do the job, but if you have a larger pool or it’s exposed to a lot of debris, you may need to vacuum it more often.

Before using a pool vacuum cleaner, please read the instructions carefully to know how to use it properly. Consider investing in a robotic pool cleaner for a more efficient cleaning experience. 

4. Make Skimming and Brushing a Routine

In addition to vacuuming your pool, you should also skim the surface daily, as well as brush your walls and waterline tiles. Skimming helps remove any floating debris, such as leaves or insects, while brushing your walls and waterline tile prevents scale, stains and algae buildup. 

To skim your pool, use a net or skimmer to remove the debris from the water’s surface. Be sure to do this every day so the foreign materials don’t have a chance to sink to the bottom and become difficult to remove, or they find their way into your filter. Run your pool brush along the walls and waterline tile in one direction, pushing everything down toward the center of your pool. 

5. Backwash

Backwashing your pool involves cleaning the pool filter by making the water flow through the system in the opposite direction, thus removing dirt from the filter. The filter traps dirt, debris, and other microscopic elements, keeping the pool water clean. However, for it to function optimally, it needs regular cleaning through backwashing.

You can tell that your pool needs a backwash if the water starts getting cloudy. But to keep your water from this unsightly cloudiness, you can keep track of your normal pressure gauge reading and backwash when the pressure goes 5-7 pounds per square inch (psi) above the normal reading, 10-25 psi. 

Your Clarksville Pool Care Experts

Keeping your pool water clean, clear and healthy isn’t hard to do if you know what needs to be done and how to do it. By incorporating a regular pool care routine, you’ll be able to enjoy a stress-free pool ownership experience. Give the pool care experts at Pool & Spa Depot a call today or stop by one of our five locations to talk with the professionals. We have everything you need to properly care for your pool, including chemicals, equipment, accessories and more.