Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Swimmer's Daily
    • Home
    • Blog
    • Timeline
    • Tags
    • Sitemap
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter YouTube Tumblr
    Swimmer's Daily
    Home»Guest Post»The Top Five Common Pool Maintenance Mistakes
    Guest Post

    The Top Five Common Pool Maintenance Mistakes

    rokurBy rokurJanuary 24, 2017Updated:December 20, 20173 Comments5 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Guest post by Keith Sandoval / MKM Pool Spa

    There are few places where a swimmer feels more at home than in the pool. We wake up at the crack of dawn to head to morning practice. We spend our afternoons making waves in the chlorinated waters, and we spend our weekends at day-long meets, hopping in and out of the pool.

    But for all the time a swimmer spends in the water, (and for all the time we spend shopping at our favorite swimming pool supplies online shop) too many of us are woefully ignorant when it comes to keeping our second home maintained. If you’re a coach, club owner, or if you own a pool in your backyard, here are a few pool care tips you’ll want to know:

    How Often Do You Check Your Water?

    We’ve all had to swim in dirty water and one time or another, and I think we can all agree that it’s the worst. Clean water is the key to a great swim, and the key to clean water is regular testing. Pool owners know they need to test their water for pH balance, alkalinity, chlorine level, and calcium hardness, but how often should these chemical levels be checked?

    Most commercial pools test their water every hour (which makes sense – they get a lot of use), but your personal pool doesn’t need that much attention. According to Pool Supply 360, you should test the water at least once a week, with an extra test thrown in after a party or weekend swim session.

    Are You Shocking Your Water Directly?

    Once you’ve tested your water, the next step is to clean it with the necessary chemicals, whether you’re using a calcium hardener, bromine (granular or tablet form), or chlorine. This step can be a pitfall for some pool owners, as may folks carelessly toss chlorine granules or shock straight into the water under the assumption that these treatments will simply dissolve into their pool water.

    Racing pool at the Natatorium at the University of Minnesota. Image courtesy of Christy747 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

    However, Swim University explains that the high concentration of chlorine in most shock treatment is too harsh for your pool to handle. Shocking straight into the pool can bleach your pool liner, as well as make it brittle and vulnerable to leaks. Instead, dissolve the chlorine in a bucket of water first, then apply the contents into the pool.

    What Do Your Filters Look Like?

    If your pool gets a lot of use, your filter is bound to be pretty full. Every time you take a dip, you introduce hair, dirt, body oil, and trace amounts of swimsuit fabric into the water. Much of that will eventually wind up in the filter or skimmer basket. If your pool is outdoors, the chances are even higher; even on days when the pool remains empty, nothing can prevent a rogue breeze from blowing some leaves or twigs your way.

    Despite all the work a pool filter does for us, many owners forget to clean it – that is, until it stops working. Waiting that long can leave your pool susceptible to any number of problems, like algae growth, filmy water, and filter clogs that cost big bucks to repair. Ideally, you should clean out your filter whenever you test the water. Make it a part of your routine and you’ll save yourself some real grief!

    Image courtesy of ABZ Private School / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Not Brushing Down The Pool Walls and Tiles

    Everyone remembers to scoop debris from the water and vacuum the floor of the pool. What they seem to forget, however, is brushing down the walls. While this particular maintenance task isn’t as engaging or quick as vacuuming – brushing is the best way to keep algae and calcium scaling from sprouting all over your pool.

    Grab a pool brush and start scrubbing whenever you vacuum the pool. Be sure you get those hard-to-reach places, too! Areas like behind the ladder, any steps or stairs, nooks and crannies, and particularly the waterline are particularly vulnerable to unappealing algae and other stains. If you keep them clean now, you’ll have a pristine pool for much longer.

    Letting Your Water Level Get Too Low

    Whether you use your pool to play Marco Polo or practice your IM relay, all the splashing is sure to result in water lost. All in all, this isn’t such a bad thing – after all, all that splashing is a sign of a good time, and that’s what swimming is all about! However, if you aren’t careful, that lost water can spell trouble for your pool’s pump.

    As Home Improvement Pages points out, letting your water level get too low can cause your pump to take in air. This can cause it to break, leaving you with costly repair fees and potentially unclean water. Thankfully, you can sidestep this problem by simply checking your water levels each week (do it when you test, just to make things easier) and adding water as needed. With these tips in mind, you won’t have to worry about a dirty or busted pool again – which gives you even more time to swim!

    Author Bio: Keith Sandoval could swim before he could walk. Born and raised in Miami, he’s spent more time on a beach or a pool deck than anywhere else. Today, Keith lives in Austin, Texas, where he coaches the high school swim team and manages a swimming pool supply store.

    Photo by [email protected]

    Related

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    rokur
    • Website

    Production engineer and certified swim coach. Full-time IT consultant, spare-time swimming aficionado. 2 sons, 2 daughters and a wife. President of the Faroe Islands Swimming Association. Likes to run :-)

    Related Posts

    NYC to Cut Some Swim Programs Due to Lifeguard Shortage | Eyewitness News ABC7NY

    June 15, 2022

    Cranston’s Budlong Pool Won’t Open This Summer Amid Budget Woes | WPRI

    June 9, 2022

    Majority of City Swimming Pools Remain Closed Due to Lack of Lifeguards | KSAT 12

    June 8, 2022

    3 Comments

    1. Roger H. on January 24, 2017 4:00 pm

      All that I think about basic pool upkeep weren’t right until I read this article. It helped me a considerable measure in keeping up my pool spotless and a lot safe for all the people who will be using it. I love it! Much gratitude to this article.

      Reply
    2. Subarna on September 9, 2018 6:48 am

      Great & i have found many useful information from here..

      Reply
    3. Subarna on September 15, 2018 6:32 pm

      I truly like it & helpful. Thank you

      Reply

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Sponsor
    Top Posts
    • How Long After Adding Stabilizer Can I Swim?
      How Long After Adding Stabilizer Can I Swim?
    • 10 Worst Shark Attacks Ever Recorded
      10 Worst Shark Attacks Ever Recorded
    • Story Of Encounter With The Candiru "The Fish That Can Swim Up Inside The Penis"
      Story Of Encounter With The Candiru "The Fish That Can Swim Up Inside The Penis"
    • Ocean Ramsey Shares Exclusive Video Of Swimming With Massive Great White Shark | TODAY
      Ocean Ramsey Shares Exclusive Video Of Swimming With Massive Great White Shark | TODAY
    • Until Fairly Recently, The YMCA Actually Required Swimmers To Be Nude
      Until Fairly Recently, The YMCA Actually Required Swimmers To Be Nude
    • Swimming with Nose Restrictions
      Swimming with Nose Restrictions
    • Ariarne Titmus Sets 400-Metre Freestyle World Record at 2022 Australian Swimming Championships
      Ariarne Titmus Sets 400-Metre Freestyle World Record at 2022 Australian Swimming Championships
    • 5 Disturbing True Swimming Pool Horror Stories
      5 Disturbing True Swimming Pool Horror Stories
    • 7 Tips to Prepare For Swimming Competition
      7 Tips to Prepare For Swimming Competition
    • Watch These Poor Divers Get 'Pinged' By A Submarine's Sonar While Scuba Diving
      Watch These Poor Divers Get 'Pinged' By A Submarine's Sonar While Scuba Diving
    Countdown to Budapest 2022June 18, 2022
    The big day is here.
    Countdown to Rome 2022August 11, 2022
    37 days to go.
    Categories
    Buffer Overflow
    Tweets by swimmersdaily
    • RSS - Posts
    • RSS - Comments
    Contact Info & Hours
    Swimmer's Daily
    c/o Rókur í Jákupsstovu
    Brekkuvegur 10
    FO-650 Toftir
    Faroe Islands
    Mobile +298 219754
    [email protected]
    09:00-21:00 UTC/GMT
    Subscribe to Blog via Email

    Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 5,085 other subscribers

    Meta
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Facebook Twitter YouTube Tumblr
    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

     

    Loading Comments...