10 Reasons to keep your pool clean and maintained in 2019

Owning a swimming pool can be lots of fun in the swim season of each year. The fun activities, family get togethers, bar-b-que’s, memories, “The PARTIES” and even the occasional dip for relaxation swim are the main purpose of having a home pool. It is the other side of owning a pool most pool owners dread to think about and the potential issues that arise. I’m wanting to shed a little light on how pool ownership, and yes even fixing and maintaining a pool, will not be such a horrible experience. Like most things in our lives; cars, homes, electronics, etc. all need to be cared for. Same goes for the swimming pool.

Below is an outline of the 10 Best reasons why swimming pool owners want to regularly keep the pool clean and maintained.  I have segmented these 10 reasons into two main categories, CLEAN / MAINTAINED.

                       CLEAN                                               MAINTAINED

CLEAN

First and foremost, the Appearance of a swimming pool is the attracting element which makes everyone want to shake off their sandals, and dive right in. A clean pool free of debris and regularly cleaned out really allows the chemicals perform and clean properly. Debris such as all the surrounding landscape, dirt, and bugs that fall into a pool releasing organic matter into the pools water. I will speak for most that no one likes to swim in a pool that has lots of leaves and bugs floating on top of the waters surface, and any other items that have fallen to the bottom floor. So, keep a routine once a week to do the following: skim your water surface with a leaf rake, clean out your skimmer baskets regularly (twice a week at minimum.), vacuum up the floor once a week, and probably one of the most important things to do is brush all surfaces of the pool and I mean all of them. The steps (side of step and top of step), the walls, the floor, and any other corners you may have. This will keep the dirt and algae from sticking to these surfaces.

Next up is the Water Clarity of the pool. This part is another crucial and pivotal key point of a clean pool. This also will touch other points in the Maintained category. The water clarity is so important for the fact that it ties into so many of other aspects of the pool such as Health, Safety, Enjoyment, and Experience. For me more so, it’s a Health and Safety concern of mine to ensure that the pools water chemistry is truly balanced for everyone to swim in. To much is bad and too little is bad. Weekly checking the chemicals and adding the correct dosages to the pool is important. I have seen in some cases some pools have at the same time too much of some chemicals and too low of others. This unbalanced scenario totally effects the Filtration, Equipment and Efficiency, the Pools Plaster, and could potentially cause serious harm to a person with infections and sicknesses unknowingly. I will always advise someone to Never prolong the time in checking the water chemistry of a pool or to think that just because a pool may look blue and even clear, that this is a sign that means, I’m safe and its ok. I’ve tested thousands of pools that both were blue and clear, and those same pools were far from being safe and healthy. My Moto is, “A Blue Pool Doesn’t Mean It’s A Healthy Pool”. Hire a reputable pool company to take care of everything for you or have your pool water tested weekly at your local pool store. Sometimes even if you have a pool company, check their work and make sure they are following the proper procedures. Not all pool companies are created and ran equally. Do research of your own, ask around, seek out a professional company, and make sure the job is done right. Ultimately the one that is left with the pool is you.

The Filtration system of the pool is an important piece which filters out every gallon of water of your pool daily. The filter should be cleaned out on a regular basis, depending on the type of filter you have. The are three types of filters; Cartridge, Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.), and Sand. All operate differently from each other, use different methods of cleaning, and have different cleaning cycles. A Cartridge filter regular cleaning cycle should be a monthly removal of the element and hosed down with a garden hose with a good strong nozzle tip at the end of the hose. This will ensure that the strong stream of water will penetrate deep in-between the pleats removing the dirt and debris the filter picks up daily. The cartridge element should be replaced out, on average, every 12-15 months of usage. A D.E. filter out of all the filter types is the one that filters down the smallest sized micron of all the filters (2-5 microns). This filter uses a diatomaceous earth media which is a white powder that is added through the skimmer which get trapped to the internal grids of the filter. Typically, a D.E. filter can go longer between cleaning cycle due to its size, the cleaning method is backwashing the filter. These filters should be backwashed between 2-3 months. Now for the Sand filter, this type of filter is of similar size of a D.E. filter but with very different operations and cleaning method. The pool water is filter through sand which is inside the filter. The water travels through a pipe down to the bottom of the filter and out through small laterals which are buried underneath the sand. These type filters also are backwashed on a regular 2-3month cycle. Keeping a good routine will ensure a clean pool.

A regularly clean pool which is properly taken care of will ensure it be a Healthy pool. By follow proper procedures and keeping up with the pool will have a big impact to the overall health of the water, your family, and all who use the pool.

The Enjoyment we all have with swimming pools begins with the cleanliness of it. Not having to swim in the midst of any landscape, dirt, and any unwanted bugs and what they leave behind truly allows for the swimmers to have be carefree fun time.

MAINTAINED

A pool which is well maintained is known for having a Lower Overall Cost of ownership. So many aspects of a pool can be affected by a poorly maintained pool such as, pool equipment failure, plumbing issues, interior plaster deterioration, etc. The repair cost for any of these issues could be hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Therefore, I am an advocate for a proper maintenance plan. By simply utilizing the first three subcategories outlined in the CLEAN category would significantly reduce the risk of these issues laid out here resulting in a much lower cost to operate and own. Its all starts with water chemistry. One bit of advice ill share with you is, use 4 out of your 5 senses to maintain your pool properly. Sight for checking everything, Touch to feel around, listen up for weird Sounds, and Smell any odd scents in and around your pool. Never use taste!

Your pool is only as good as your Equipment’s Efficiency. Keep these items well maintained by frequent checks and routine cleanings. Think of your equipment like your body. The pool pump is like your heart circulating the water around the pool and through the entire system. The filter is like your lungs filtering out all the contaminants of the water every minute that the pool is on. The plumbing is like our vascular systems allowing the water to travel back and forth, and the electrical system is like our nervous systems powering all these components to work as designed. Keeping these components in tact is key.

The pools Plastered Finish is indicative to cleaning and maintenance. The appearance, feel, and longevity of the finish is up to how it is being maintained and the proper chemical balance of the water. A pool over time will need to be renovated and the finish will need to be re-done, but we are talking about on average of every 7-12 years. I can tell you that I have seen pools with a good-looking finish and it was last re-plastered 15+ years ago. This is all maintenance and proper procedures taken place.

A pools Safety can be jeopardized by a lack of proper maintenance. It is important to keep in mind that a pool can be dangerous if things are neglected. Precautions and dangerous items should be taken care of immediately as soon as they are discovered. Things like incorrect, broken, loose, or missing drain covers could be an accident waiting to happen. Cloudy water is a safety hazard with the record levels of drownings which occur each year and it could have been prevented by a clear and clean pool. Not having the pool equipment properly bonded and other components grounded could all be resolved under a routine maintenance check. This goes back to using the 4 out of the 5 senses to ensure a safe pool.

Now for the overall and final category, Experience. The experience and enjoyment we have in our swimming pools is what truly makes owning a pool great. It’s the experiences we share with family, friends, and the memories we make every time we use and enjoy the pool that last forever. The fun and crazy times, the laughter and the games we play create the ultimate experience.

Keep in mind to always keep the pool clean, maintain it well and never neglect it and you will in turn enjoy the pool more and experience an adventure every time.