Swimming Pool Maintenance Tips By Professionals
Swimming pools are a great addition to your home. They not only look beautiful but are also functional. It is a great place to cool down in summers and a play area for everyone in the family, plus your pets. But swimming pools need a lot of maintenance to stay in tip top shape because it is a water fixture. Hence, swimming pool contractors give a lot of tips and advice and tips, some of which are given below.
Skimming Leaves And Debris:
It goes without saying that you would need to remove all the leaves and debris every morning. If debris is left just like that, it will eventually sink, becoming challenging to remove. You can skip it one or two days, because on calm days with perfect weather, not much will fall into the pools. However, you can't skip out on regular cleaning after a stormy night because the whole place will be filled with dirt after strong weather passes. You can use a leaf skimmer or hand skimmers to remove all the debris.
Trimming Trees:
Skimming leaves is all well and good, but you can reduce the number of leaves falling in the pool. You need to take a careful look around the swimming pool for that purpose. Are there any trees around the pool? Or bushes? If there are, then get them trimmed regularly. This will decrease the number of leaves or branches that might fall into the pool.
Checking Water Level:
A specific water level has to be maintained in the swimming pool. It shouldn't be less than that or more than that. If it is less, your swimming pool will soon run dry or burn up in the summers. Skimmer doors will not work correctly if it is above the specified level. Additionally, the wrong water level can cause problems with the pump.
Thus, after regular periods, check the water levels. Check the water level after heavy pool usage, heavy rain or storms, and glaring sunlight. Make sure that it will remain at a point half of the pool skimmer.
Water Quality Check:
Water quality test is one thing that you can’t skip on, no matter what. You will need to test the quality often, and consequently, have to add the right amount of required chemicals in the water to maintain the perfect ph. The ideal ph is actually between 7.4 to 7.6. Exceed this limit, and you will find calcium build up along with other problems around the pool.
First of all, chlorine levels have to be consistent. Second, you need to choose the right chemicals for the pool. If you don't do that, you can rest assured that the swimming pool will become a cesspool of bacteria and diseases that are hard to get rid of. Additionally, the water will become murky, and algae can grow in the pool.
Set a perfect schedule of water testing. During summers, you need to carry out the tests at least once a week. But in winters, checking chemical levels after every two weeks is enough.
Monitoring Chlorine Levels:
Chlorine is one of the most essential chemicals you will need to add to the pool water. The professional suggestion is to maintain three parts per million (ppm) of chlorine in the pool water. You can add extra if you think you won't be able to add more over the next few weeks due to some reason. However, exceeding such a limit can irritate your eyes, along with an unbearable smell.
It is a myth that chlorine can immediately kill germs. But that does not mean you can function without it. It is still one of the most usable and reliable cleaning solutions. It does not discolor the water or erodes the plumbing. However, it has to be maintained at a proper level to avoid any irritation problems.
Filter Cleaning:
Filter cleaning is another essential chore that has to be done regularly. Although, it's not as regular as water quality and ph testing. Swimming pool contractors suggest cleaning out filters after every 3 to 6 months. You also need to check on the filters after every bad weather condition, like storms, heavy rains etc. Depending on the situation, you might need to clean the filter earlier than the prescribed 3 months.
Vacuuming The Pool:
Sure, skimming is the easiest way to clean the pool, but vacuuming is much better. Doing this cleans your pool from dirt and debris and prevents any infection from developing. Additionally, it also prevents algae from growing in the base. Professionals suggest doing this at least once a week; however, you can stretch it to two.
You can just use the regular indoor hardwood or carpet vacuum for vacuuming the pool.
Brushing And Scrubbing:
Sometimes, the hands on approach to cleaning will prove to be most effective. So you can use a brush to scrub off the pool walls and floors to remove all the dirt and algae. Pay special attention to creases between the tiles, as that is where most of the dirt settles and sticks to.
Use Tennis Ball To Absorb Oils:
Indeed, you can use a tennis ball to clean your swimming pool. It might seem funny, but it works. Tennis balls are good absorbents. Thus, when you throw them in water, they will absorb a lot of oil from the water. This oil is naturally produced from human skin, and these balls can leach out all of that easily from the water. Because of this, there will be no development of a thin sheen of oil on surface of water.
Winterize The Pool:
Every year, when seasons change, you need to prepare your home for the transition. Winterizing swimming pools is a part of that. To that, you need first to check the chemical and water levels. When everything is according to standard, tightly cover it up to avoid anything falling in the pool. When the summers come again, you can just remove the covering, do proper maintenance, and it will be ready for use.
The purpose of winterizing the pools is to make sure that the swimming pool will still be in optimal shape for next summer.
Schedule A Deep Cleaning:
Regular cleaning is all well and good, but nothing trumps deep cleaning. Hence, schedule a deep cleaning of your swimming pool every once in a while. Doing it every year before the start of summer is better.
Although you can do the deep cleaning of the pool yourself, it is still a lengthy chore with numerous challenges. It is much better to hire a reliable pool contractor to clean and maintain the pool.
Why Hire Professional Swimming Pool Contactors:
For many reasons:
- They are professional.
- They have experience.
- Swimming pool contractors have all the proper tools and equipment to do maintenance and cleaning.
- They will complete the whole project in a short amount of time.
- They know the right chemicals to be used for the pool water.
How To Find The Best Swimming Pool Contractors Near Me:
Follow the following steps to find the best swimming pool contractor in your area.
- Ask for a recommendation from people you know. Keep in mind that the only viable options are those companies whose services have been availed before by your friends or contacts.
- Limit your search to the local area. You can find many reliable ones at close distances.
- Don’t be stingy. Sometimes, contractors who demand high amounts have their service quality to back them up. However, that does not mean that you should agree to unreasonable amounts.
- Go for those who have many years of experience. The more working experience they have, the better their service will be.
- Search for the lists of best swimming pool contractors near me. You will find a lot of them online. Make sure your location is on when you are doing that. You can also input your location in the search tab.
- Ask for their qualifications. You have the right to ask this, and reliable contractors and companies will be more than happy to provide you with their certifications.
- Ask them what cleaning chemicals they will be using. Write them down, and then search them on the internet. Make sure that those cleaning chemicals are not harmful.
- Don't agree to advance payment beforehand. If they ask for 10% in advance, it's reasonable. Any more than that, and you might have a problem.
