One of the most critical factors in maintaining a healthy residential pool is maintaining correct chemical levels to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. If you’re still curious about proper maintenance, explore these tips for keeping your pool clean of contaminants.
Regular Vacuuming and Skimming
The most basic routine you’ll need to establish to keep contaminants out of your pool is removing leaves and debris. These dead leaves can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and they can even stain the walls of your pool. You’ll want to make a regular habit of skimming your pool for debris. Then, you’ll want to get a vacuum, manual or robotic, to clean up the pool floor.
Circulate the Water
Bacteria and algae are far more likely to grow in stagnant water; that’s why you must regularly circulate your water. It would be best if you run your pump between 8 to 10 hours a day to keep freshwater consistently flowing throughout. Water circulation is also necessary to ensure that your chemical treatments spread evenly throughout the pool and its pumps.
Install a Backflow Prevention Devices
If a water main bursts nearby, you’ll lose water pressure to your home. In this case, water will backflow, rushing to the lowest points in the pipe systems. The backflow could cause two things to happen: water could drain out of your pool, or foreign water, possibly carrying harmful bacteria, could flow into your system. However, backflow prevention devices work to protect these scenarios by injecting air pressure into the pipes when they lose water pressure.
Shock Your Pool
Sometimes, your pool might need an extra kick to remove any growing contaminants. For first-time homeowners with a pool, shocking is when you add chemicals to raise the free chlorine level of the water until it kills any bacteria, algae, and chloramines.
To maintain healthy pool chemistry levels, you should make it a weekly habit to check the pH levels. If you notice any imbalances, a shock should be able to fix the problem. It’s also recommended that you do a shock after heavy use, a severe rainstorm, or if someone defecated in the pool.
With these tips for keeping your pool clean of contaminants, you can keep it healthy year-round.