Are You a First-Time Pool Owner? Read This!
Fri, Apr 9th, 2021
First of all, welcome to swimming pool ownership! The memories you'll create around this backyard centerpiece are priceless. Everything from poolside barbeques to teaching your kids to swim. Of course, there's a lot of maintenance that goes into keeping your pool in pristine condition.
Summer will be here before you know it, and Southwest Florida summers bring tons of bacteria and algae to swimming pools. It's critical for your pool pump to circulate the water, the pool filter to clean the water, and the feeder needs to dispense the correct amount of chlorine to kill bacteria.
In this blog, we'll discuss the importance of maintaining pool circulation, pool filtration, and pool sanitation for the first-time pool owner out there!
Swimming Pool Circulation
Every pool has a looped plumbing system. This is designed to circulate all of the water in the pool every day.
- The pool pump is the heart of the pool circulation system. It draws water out of the pool, flushes it through the filter and back to the pool. It's a very important task and must happen every day.
- Be sure that the pump basket is clean and properly installed to prevent a clogged impeller. The pump lid should be lubricated and tightened very firmly to prevent air leaks.
- Run the pump for a minimum of 8-12 hours daily. This could vary depending on the cleanliness and water conditions of your pool.
- Check the pump daily to be sure that it is operating correctly and pumping the appropriate amount of water. Pool pumps can "lose prime" from air leaks or low water level in the pool.
- Learn to listen to your pump for sounds of distress and to look for the signs of good circulation in your pool (swirling water in the skimmers or a surface ripple from the returns).
Swimming Pool Filtration
Your new pool will have a filter that will remove small particles suspended in the water. Without daily pool filtration or timely cleaning of the filter, particulates build up quickly, making the pool water cloudy and unsafe for swimming.
- Sand filters use specific sized and graded quartz filter sand or they can also use filter sand alternatives like FilterGlass, ZeoSand or FilterBalls. When the filter pressure gauge rises 7-9 psi, you must shut off the pump and backwash the filter.
- DE filters use diatomaceous earth filter powder or alternate filtration powders like perlite or cellulose fiber. The powder traps dirt within the porous material and when the pressure gauge rises 7-9 psi, it's time to flush out the dirt and filter powder then add fresh powder again.
- Cartridge filters use pleated polyester fabric to trap particles. Just like sand and DE filters, when the pressure gauge rises 7-9 psi or when the flow rate is noticeably diminished, the filter is cleaned. The difference is cartridge filters are not backwashed. The filter cartridges are removed from the tank and hosed clean by hand.
Swimming Pool Sanitation
Every pool must have a chemical sanitizer that destroys algae, bacteria and other particles, which can make swimmers sick and pool water cloudy and green. Chlorine is the most popular pool sanitizer.
- Use enough tablets to maintain a chlorine level of 1.0 – 2.0 ppm, as verified by your test kit or test strips.
- To protect chlorine from degrading in bright sunlight, a chlorine stabilizer, aka conditioner, is used. Chlorine tablets contain a small amount of stabilizer, but to reach the recommended range of 30-50 ppm, some pools may need to add cyanuric acid stabilizer to the water.
- In order for your chlorine to work most effectively, it is crucial to prevent the pH level from rising above 7.6, as verified by your test kit or test strips. Use pH decreaser or pH increaser as needed to maintain the pool water pH level.
Sweetwater Pool Service
Swimming pool maintenance can get a bit overwhelming! Don't let it stress you out or cut into your daily schedule. Contact the experts at Sweetwater Pool Service! We're a family-owned and operated pool service company that will treat your swimming pool as if it were our own!
Sit back and relax... we'll do the work!
(239) 775-POOL (7665)