Making sure your indoor pool is as clean as can be is a necessity in today’s day and age. You don’t want swimmers turning down the chance to take a dip because your pool isn’t maintained. And you certainly don’t want them getting sick after a swim in your indoor pool facility.
You don’t need to be some sort of chemistry wizard to be able to make sure that your pool is properly cared for. We’ve written a guide on the five essentials to caring for your pool so you can make sure it’s as ready for swimming as possible all year round!
The Five Essentials of Pool Care
- Circulation
Proper circulation is one of the most important factors when it comes to your pool’s health. Water that isn’t circulated correctly is a hot spot for bacteria growth, which can lead to cloudy water, overwhelming odors, and recreational water illnesses.
The two main components to your pool’s circulation are the pool pump and the filter. And while running the pump all day every day would certainly be great, your energy costs will skyrocket. A good rule of thumb is to try to run it for 10-12 hours every day of the week. This practice will help you keep your pool water clean while also saving some money and energy.
- Filtration
Like we mentioned above, the filter is a huge part of the circulation process. The filter removes debris and other bacteria from your pool water that can cause problems. You want to keep this as clear as possible, regularly maintaining it so it can continue to catch debris. A clogged filter won’t help your pool’s water because that means it’s not circulating.
The solution to a clogged filter is a process called backwashing. This is an easy, two step process. The first step is to put your pool pump in reverse, which will let the water push the debris that’s been caught in your filter. After you’ve done that, you need to take the filter out and wash it by hand. This will help get rid of the oils, grease, and calcium build up that the first step didn’t catch.
- Cleaning
Although your filter and circulation system do a lot of the work (if they’re working correctly), that doesn’t mean you can just ignore the pool and assume everything is fine. You will still need to take a look at your pool at least once a week. Three items that can help you make sure your pool is clean are a pool vacuum, a net skimmer, and a pool brush.
The vacuum can help you keep the bottom of your pool free from build-up of bacteria and other material. The brush will do the same for your walls, removing the debris that has stuck to them. And your net skimmer will help you grab any bacteria that’s been collecting at the surface of the pool’s water.
- Testing
Like a check-up at the doctor, testing your pool can help you diagnose any problems in your pool so you can remedy them and keep your pool water clean as can be. There are many test kits and simple testing strips that you can use. Or you can take it to your local pool supply store if you’d like some help.
- Chemistry
Working hand in hand with testing, knowing the basics of the chemistry behind your pool will help you maintain it. There are three main elements of pool chemistry, all of which can be tested: pH levels, alkalinity, and sanitizer levels.
The ideal pH level for your pool is between 7.4 to 7.6, just slightly into the basic zone- neutral in terms of pH is 7. Too far into the basic levels and you can have bacteria buildup, with nasty deposits and dirty, cloudy water. And too far into the acidic zone will corrode the metal in your pool.
Alkalinity is somewhat of a shield for the pH levels. The correct level of total alkalinity will help you stay away from your pH level spiking and dropping. While you’re looking at the total alkalinity, you should be aiming for 100 and 150 parts per million.
As for sanitizer levels, you’ll want to talk with your pool’s manufacturer or read their guidelines for the ideal levels. Two of the main sanitizers for pools are chlorine and bromine. While it will vary depending on your pool, a good suggestion is to aim for 1 to 3 parts per million for chlorine and 3 to 5 parts per million for bromine.
These are five of the essentials you should be doing to care for your pool. As you can see, a lot of them work together, so if one part isn’t working correctly, you might have a problem in each area. But one way to automate all of these into one easy process is the Breathe EZ from Truox. This industry-leading system maintains your pool with ease, making sure the chemical levels are correct and eliminating byproducts on the day of implementation. All of this while also saving your pool money on its energy, chemical, and maintenance costs! And, so you can see how beneficial it can be for your pool, we’ve got a free trial offer on the Breathe EZ! Contact us today to learn more and sign up for your free trial!