Swimming pools are an amazing investment. They bring your family joy, entertainment, relaxation, healthy exercise, a place to cool down in the hot Texas summers, but there is no denying that they do require a bit of maintenance. Often new pool owners become slightly overwhelmed by the required maintenance their pool needs and aren’t sure how to get started. The good news is that once you get the hang of it and swing into a proper routine, taking care of your pool won’t be as much of a hassle. The first place you should start is by getting a basic understanding of how to keep your pool clean, its chemical levels balanced, and its circulation running.  

Keeping up good pool circulation

If your pool is well designed, it will have a natural vortex-type of feature that will naturally encourage dirt, debris, and particles to be pulled into the filtration system. Pools that have good circulation are easier to take care of and have less problems with buildup of dirt, algae growth, and murky water.

Keeping your pump and filter system running properly each day will help ensure healthy pool water circulation. While it is ideal to keep your pool’s pump running 24/7, that isn’t the most affordable option for every pool owner. It is suggested to have your pool pump running at least 10 to 12 hours a day.

Another way to promote healthy pool circulation is by backwashing your filter regularly. Backwashing one’s filter means reversing the flow of the water through the filter system and disposing of the dirty water and build up. How to do this is dependent upon your type of filter, which you will need to identify specifically.

Keeping your pool clean

Keeping your pool clean is not only important for aesthetic reasons, but it is vitally important for health reasons. A dirty pool can cause skin irritations such as rashes, and even illness. Although you cannot see it with the human eye, there is a ton of little bacteria that will build up in your pool without proper cleaning. From the weather elements bringing in leaves, mold and algae spores, and swimmers bringing in sweat, perfume, hair products, makeup etc., there are multiple contaminates that your pool is constantly exposed to.

If you have gotten down the circulation part of your pool, then you are already a huge step ahead in keeping it clean. You will need a few basic tools, which include a net skimmer, a pool vacuum, and a pool brush.

You should skim, brush, and vacuum your pool at a minimum of once each week. To help keep your pool clean and cut back on the amount of time you are spending doing so, you may want to consider investing in an automatic pool cleaner. While you will still need to engage in skimming and brushing, it will still make your job a lot easier.

Keeping your chemical levels balanced

Pool chemistry is often one of the scariest parts to new pool owners, but don’t worry, once you get the hang of it it’s not difficult. As for tools, you will need to start with a water testing kit. To understand balancing your pool’s water, you must understand the chemicals it consists of.

The basics of your pool’s water chemistry are:

• The pH Levels – pH levels refer to the acidity of your water. High pH levels mean acidic while low levels mean basic. You will want to keep your pH levels at about 7.4 to 7.6.
• The Alkalinity – The alkalinity helps to keep the pH balanced, and the range should be about 100 to 150 pars per million (ppm).
• The Sanitizer Levels – The sanitizer levels basically are in reference to any other chemicals that help to keep your pool sanitized, in simple terms, your chlorine.

Knowing your water chemistry levels, means you can start to understand balancing them out. It is important to take your time when starting out, follow all the directions closely, and ensure all the levels are balanced before letting people swim in the pool.

Aside of regular chemical balancing, you will also need to shock your pool every now and then. This is especially important after a big storm, as the weather elements such as the rain will have disturbed the balance of your pool. Simply follow the instructions that will come with the shock. You should shock your pool in the evening or at night when the sun has gone down as the UV rays can affect the shocking process.

Keeping a healthy pool first starts with building a well-designed one. If you are looking for a trusted pool builder in Hurst, here at Mid City Custom Pools we can help. Our highly recommended team can give you the pool of your dreams. Contact us today.