The Best Pool Chemicals You Absolutely Need in 2023 Posted: November 19, 2022 @ 10:52 pm

Owning a pool in your backyard will always be considered to be quite stylish. It's simple to indulge in fantasies about throwing parties on the weekends, starting a spirited workout regimen that includes laps after work, and spending hours by the pool tanning to perfection.

However, one important aspect of owning a pool is frequently overlooked in such daydreams: maintenance. Without a regular maintenance schedule, your pool may experience a number of less-than-luxurious circumstances, including algae buildup, damaged filters, and green water. Nobody likes to lounge by a pool that has seen better days, either.

Here are some pool upkeep ideas you should attempt immediately. Check out these suggestions to start your summer season off well, whether you've just opened your pool for the first time or have been a happy owner for years.

1. Make scrubbing and skimming a regular part of your life.

Although it should go without saying, skimming the leaves and other debris off the water's surface is important. Daily skimming is required for a pool to be absolutely spotless. Consider investing in a robot vacuum that can clean the pool's bottom for you if you have some extra cash. Cleaning is acceptable once every other week. Keep your siding looking new and clean by simply keeping an eye out for any growths and attacking them with a scrub brush. For those exceptionally difficult-to-remove blemishes that defy all attempts with manual labor? Utilize an outdated sock. Before scrubbing again, fill it with chlorine and leave it on the stain for a few hours. The algae will be destroyed by the chlorine, giving you a use for those unpaired socks. Win-win situation.

2. Imagine the filter as the kidneys of your pool.

Your pool's filter is in charge of clearing the water of impurities like dirt, leaves, and even small toys, just like your kidneys are continually trying to eliminate impurities from your body. Typically, cleaning a pool involves turning off the filter, removing the filter cap from the pool deck, lifting out the filter basket, and clearing out any debris before replacing everything. It's best to empty your filter basket once a week at the very least. Additionally, you should backwash the pipes that your filtration system uses once a month to clear them out. Set your filter to "backwash," take out the leaf basket, and clean it out to accomplish this. When the waste pipe begins to discharge clear water, turn on your pump and let it run for a while. Final word on activating and deactivating the filter: If done too frequently, the mechanics of the filter may crack. Your filter should be set to run for at least six hours each day.

3. Pool Chemical Levels Must Remain Consistent

Undoubtedly, one of the most crucial aspects of pool is its pool chemical levels. Water that isn't correctly balanced has a murky appearance, irritates the skin and eyes, and can make your pool a haven for microorganisms. The ideal time to test the water is once per week. There are six chemical levels to take into account, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

Acid Cyanuric - Determines the needed Free Chlorine level and shields chlorine from sunlight. For outdoor pools, a good reading is between 30 and 50.
Chlorine that isn't trapped - A sanitizer that keeps the water in your pool clean and safe from pathogens.
Acidity/Alkalinity - Acidity, sometimes referred to as the PH level, must be maintained between 7.5 and 7.8 to minimize irritation and guard against degrading pool equipment.
Total Alkalinity - Assists in maintaining a stable PH. Levels should fall between 60 and 120.
Calcium Hardness - Proper levels aid in avoiding plaster damage. Aim for 220-350, but lower for vinyl-sided pools.

It's simple to test the water. Purchase a couple testing kits at your neighborhood pool store. Fill it up with a sample of the water from your pool. Close the vials after adding the supplied solution to the testing equipment. Your sample water will change color after a brief period, and you should be able to determine the current chemical levels by contrasting it with the colors on the testing kit. To get the optimal balance, alter the values as necessary. The water should be crystal clear, smell like nothing, and leave very little residue on your skin when all the ingredients are adjusted properly.

4. Are Chemicals Too Expensive? Try using baking soda

No one can argue that buying pool chemicals may be expensive, so why not get a little assistance right from the grocery store? The majority of pool stores advise using sodium bicarbonate to regulate a pool's alkalinity without significantly lowering the PH levels. To complete the task, they will attempt to market expensive solutions. As it turns out, normal baking soda works just as well as sodium bicarbonate and costs far less. Even the labels on all baking soda boxes list "sodium bicarbonate" in the ingredients section. Look at this! Don't be concerned that utilizing baking soda will require performing numerous challenging arithmetic conversions. The amount you would need to add to your water would be the same because baking soda has the same amount of sodium bicarbonate per pound as the solutions.

5. Be Bold And Shock A Cloudy Pool

Regarding chemicals, don't be reluctant to shock your pool as required. Although it would appear like a procedure best suited for public pools. But consider how the water in your pool appears after a large party. It's probably more overcast than it was the day before the huge party. That uncertainty? You should eliminate the microorganisms as quickly as you can. Shocking is the process of temporarily boosting chlorine levels to dangerously high levels in order to destroy microorganisms. It is accomplished by carefully pouring three to five times as much water as typical into the pool's return line, letting it slowly filter throughout the pool, and then gradually replenishing the pool with water. Although shocking the pool too frequently runs the risk of damaging the sides, you should try to shock the pool at least twice per season.

6. You Must Pay Attention To The Water Level

The physical water level is equally as significant as the water's chemical makeup. The levels will inevitably change following a significant downpour or a day of cannonball practice by the kids. Maintaining a level that is halfway up your skimmer's aperture is ideal. Simply use a garden hose to add the required amount of water back in if the water level is too low. Rent a submersible pump from a home improvement retailer to remove the extra water if the level is too high. Consider seeking professional advice if, however, your pool's liner is made of a vinyl or fiberglass material that could be easily harmed by the weight of the pump. Remember to recheck the chemicals once you've reached the proper water level. They would have been unbalanced due to changes in the water level.

7. Soak Oils With A Tennis Ball

Typically, when people imagine tennis balls in a pool, they picture playing catch. Those toys, however, have multiple uses. Sunscreen, hair products, and the natural oils produced by our skin can all be left behind in the water when swimmers leave the pool. Though it's terrible to consider, there is fortunately a simple fix. Just fling a tennis ball into the ocean. The tennis ball's fibers will help the oils soak and prevent them from producing a glossy sheen on top of the water.

8. Using Power Washing to Shine Up the Pool Deck

Your pool's surroundings are just as crucial as the actual building itself. Power washing will help maintain your pool deck spotless. Pressure cleaning, sometimes referred to as power washing, will assist in removing any rust or weather stains that develop over time. Any home improvement business will rent you a power washer. Sweeping the deck clean of any loose debris or leaves at the beginning of the operation will prevent you from spreading them around when cleaning. The power washer should next be assembled in accordance with the instructions. Remove the surface dirt in layers using the machine's weak to medium strength spray, then continue the operation until the surface is clean. To assist avoid streaks, make sure to overlap the areas you've cleaned as you spray. In order to avoid gouging, keep the power washer's nozzle at least a few feet above the pool deck's surface.

9. Regardless of whether you believe you need it or not, make a yearly service appointment.

You should occasionally have faith in an authority. You can lack the necessary understanding for maintenance, particularly when it comes to the mechanical components of your pool, such as the pumps, filters, and heating systems. Have a pool service expert examine your equipment at least once a year. Examine your pool well before your appointment, being sure to use all of your senses. Make a list of any leaking pipes, linear holes, loud noises coming from the mechanics, and strange smells emanating from the water. Mention them to your service member so that they would know where to begin. It can be tempting to cancel the annual service appointment if there is nothing wrong with your pool and it seems like a waste of money. But keep in mind: Catching a tiny issue early and addressing it can prevent you from having to deal with a major crisis later on.

10. To prevent damage, learn how to properly winterize.

Even while maintaining a pool during the summer is important, it's even more crucial to make sure it's properly secured for the winter. Nobody likes to open their pool cover at the beginning of the summer only to discover that there is a leak or that the water is contaminated with harmful bacteria. You may save a ton of time and money on repairs for the next season by taking the necessary procedures to properly winterize your pool. Buy a water testing kit before you close your business in the fall to make sure your chemicals are balanced properly. After that, blast any extra water out of your plumbing pipes and get a cover for the pool to keep debris out. A certain amount of labor is required to keep a pool in good condition, but it doesn't have to be onerous. You can make sure that you'll spend more time relaxing in the sun than cleaning the pool by including these pool maintenance recommendations into a regular cleaning schedule. That's exactly how it ought to be. Do you want to share an excellent pool maintenance tip? Please share in the comments section.

Author:

MKM Pool Spa

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