Maintaining Proper Water LEVEL & FLOW
As spring warms up, people naturally want to start using their pool. We mentioned last time that algae love warm water. Another side effect of warm weather and water is increased evaporation. Evaporation causes a loss of water. This, along with the fact that winter and spring months see much debris entering the pool (which can lead to a clogged filter), quickly causing a lack of flow in your pool, leading to cloudy, algae-infested water. Below are a few reminders for pool owners.
#1: Maintaining Proper Water Levels. One of the most important things you can do for your pool is maintaining the proper water level. The proper water level is half way up the skimmer. Higher than the skimmer and it wont skim debris, lower, and the pump could run dry. Unfortunatly, due to liability insurance restrictions, we do not fill pools for our customers. We ask that you keep an eye on the water levels and add water as needed.
#2: Filter Cleanings. Depending on your filter and pool size, we recommend performing a filter cleaning at least every six months. Here are some benefits of regular filter cleanings: your pool water will look cleaner because it IS CLEANER! More sterile water means a healthier and safer swimming environment. Regular filter cleanings increase the flow rate, which reduces the stress on pool equipment., making your expensive equipment last longer; this has the added benefit of being more energy-efficient, saving you $$$ on your electrical bill. This list will go on and on, but I think you get the point.
#3: Before Swimming. If you decide to heat your pool, please let us know. Water chemistry can get a little wacky when a pool is heated, even burning off available chlorine, making it useless in the pool! If you let us know beforehand, we will be sure to prepare the water so that you won’t have any problems.
Many customers prefer to remove the pool sweep or pool cleaner before using the pool. If you decide to do this, please take a moment to recall what type of pool sweep you have. If you have a suction pool sweep, you should disconnect all the hose sections instead of curling them up. If you curl the hose, it could permanently take shape. When put back in the pool, the sweep will start missing areas and could even get itself easily tangled up. If you have a pressure side or electric cleaner, you don’t have to worry about curling the hose, but we recommend leaving it in a shaded area to avoid UV damage from the sun. Not sure what type of pool sweep you have? Feel free to ask us.
Will you be holding a pool party? If so, we would love to help you prepare your pool! It’s essential to let us know before you have a pool party. When there are many human beings in a still body of water, well, let’s just say things can get ugly. Just how ugly? Below is the contamination one person brings to the pool:
- Five million organisms are shed with every hand washing.*
- 38,000 micro-organisms are released with a “clearing” of the nose.*
- One hundred million to 1 billion organisms from 1 spit of saliva.*
- One-tenth of a gram of fecal material on a clean, showered person. *
- Let’s not even talk about lotion, deodorant, sun-block, and the king of pool water contaminants; pee…
Without proper preparation, you could endanger your guests by exposing them to unsanitary water. By letting us know ahead of time, you will be helping us help you prepare properly. We will be sure to add extra sanitizer to meet the increased need. We also recommend having a small supply of liquid chlorine and chlorine tablets on hand so you can chlorinate the pool after a party (all those people in the pool can quickly use up the available chlorine). This should help keep your pool water clear until we can service your pool next.
#4: After Swimming. Now that the party is over, let’s talk about your next steps;
#1 Remove ALL the pool toys.
#2 Reattach the pool sweep
#3 If necessary, add water to the proper level.
#4 Turn the equipment back on to its regular schedule.
#5 Make sure the equipment is working
#6 Check the chlorine & pH levels. Adjust as necessary
