Essential Pool Maintenance Tips for Beginners
Owning a pool can bring endless joy and relaxation, but proper maintenance is essential to ensure a clean and safe swimming environment. If you're new to pool ownership, navigating the world of pool maintenance might feel overwhelming. Fear not! In this blog post, we'll provide you with essential pool maintenance tips for beginners and guide you through the key steps to keep your pool looking great. The frequency of some of these tasks can vary from pool to pool depending on things like heavy usage, weather, surrounding environment like trees, plants, animals, etc. However, by following these tips, you'll be on your way to enjoying crystal-clear water and a well-maintained pool all year long.
Establish a Regular Cleaning Routine: Maintaining a regular cleaning routine is crucial for a sparkling pool. If you’re wondering “How often should I clean my pool?” Here is an outline of some basic cleaning tasks and how often they should be done to keep your pool looking pristine.
Skim the surface daily to remove leaves, debris, and insects. Some pools may require this less often if you don’t get much debris.
Brush the tile at waterline or spillway weekly. This will help to keep debris and calcium deposits from building up.
Brush pool walls weekly. This will help to keep dirt and algae from building up.
Vacuum pool every other week unless your pool gets a lot of constant dirt or fine debris in it, then vacuum weekly. This will help keep your pool floor clean from dirt and fine debris that settles and can’t be scooped by your pool pole and net.
Monitor and Maintain Water Chemistry: Keeping the right water chemistry is vital for swimmer safety, comfort, and water clarity. Your pool water should be tested every few days or at least weekly to keep things in order. Your goal is to keep things balanced and spot any chemistry issues before they get too far out of hand and lead to a green, cloudy, or dirty pool. Here is an outline of some basic water chemistry balancing tips to get you started with keeping your pool clean and clear. If you have a serious problem pool that has already gone green, you will probably want to consult a professional pool service or local pool store for advice or help.
Get familiar with your testing device by reading instructions or watching a YouTube video on your exact model. If you don’t have a testing device, a good starting point is to get a “5-way pool test kit” which can be purchased at any pool supply store, or by searching for one to buy online through google. This will test for Free/Combined Chlorine, Bromine, Acid Demand, pH and Total Alkalinity.
Test pool for Chlorine level every few days or at least weekly. This should be kept at about a 2 – 3.5, however this can depend on your conditioner (CYA) levels. High conditioner levels will require a higher Chlorine level.
Test pool for pH level ever few days or at least weekly. This should be kept at about a 7.4 – 7.6 but a swing +/- .2 is still acceptable.
Test pool for conditioner (CYA) level monthly. The ideal level is about 40 – 70ppm. Conditioner basically serves as a sunscreen type protection for your chlorine which helps keep it from being burned out by the sun. Certain pool sanitation products like Trichlor tablets contain CYA in them and can cause a steady build up which can cause a necessity for higher chlorine levels to keep pool clean. A partial drain and refill of your pool water can lower levels if yours are too high.
Maintain Proper Water Circulation and Filtration: Adequate water circulation and filtration will help keep your pool water clean and clear. To do this you will need to run your pool pump long enough each day and make sure your filter is clean and not restricting the circulation of your system. If either of these 2 are not dialed in it can lead to a cloudy, green pool. Here are a few general tips to guide you.
Run your pool pump for about 8 -12 hours a day. Here in Southern California, we suggest at least 4- 6 hours in the Fall/Winter, and 8- 12 hours in the Spring/Summer when the weather starts heating up. All or at least a portion of your run schedule should take place during the middle of the day when it gets hottest outside. Without adequate runtime, you will be adding an excessive amount of chemicals to keep the water looking clean and even then you can be fighting a losing battle.
Check your pool filter gauge weekly or more to get to know the average psi level so you know when it is time to clean or backwash your filter. Generally, when the pressure rises 10-15 psi above the initial level when the filter was clean, it is time to clean or backwash the filter.
Clean or backwash your pool filter as needed to remove dirt and debris. We recommend a full breakdown and cleaning every 6 months, with backwashing in between if pressure gets too high suddenly. If you are looking for more information on filter cleaning check out our blog post: How often should I clean my pool filter.
Protect Your Pool During the Off-Season: If your pool has an off-season, it's crucial to properly prepare and protect it. We do not have an off-season in our service area, so we don’t specialize in this, but here are some general tips to help you.
Thoroughly clean the pool before closing it for the season.
Lower the water level, winterize plumbing, and add a pool cover.
Conduct periodic maintenance and inspections during the off-season.
Safety Precautions and General Tips: Safety should always be a top priority. Here are some general safety tips you should consider for your pool.
Make sure all pool drains have anti-entrapment covers. Anti-entrapment covers are designed to prevent the flat-surface contact point that can allow suction to become unbreakable when a body is pulled against it. They are also designed to keep loose articles, like jewelry, clothing, or hair, from being caught inside the drain, hindering a swimmer’s ability to pull away.
If you have a cleaner line in your pool (underwater in wall suction port separate from skimmer for plugging in an automatic suction cleaner), make sure it has a vacuum lock wall fitting that seals the in wall opening when not in use. Without one, a swimmer or their hair, or an object can get stuck when a vacuum hose is not plugged in and the suction line is open and active.
Consider installing pool safety equipment like fences, alarms, and safety covers.
Educate swimmers about pool safety rules and supervision.
Regularly check and maintain pool equipment for safety.
Conclusion: By following these essential pool maintenance tips for beginners, you'll gain confidence in taking care of your pool. Remember, consistency and regularity are key. If you ever feel overwhelmed, don't hesitate to reach out to a professional pool cleaning and maintenance company for help. If you are in our South Orange County service area, give us a call or Contact Us to set up weekly pool cleaning service. Let us keep your pool well preserved so it’s always ready to provide endless enjoyment, and help create lasting memories for you, your family, and friends.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only. Always refer to the manufacturer's guidelines and consult with a professional for specific instructions regarding your pool maintenance.
