Swimming Pool Chemicals
When you’re shopping for a new home, having a swimming pool may be one of your major determining factors. Swimming pools have an unlimited number of shapes and styles, in ground and above ground, vinyl lined, plaster, you name it. You may be looking for an in ground pool due to how it looks, adding aesthetics to the backyard. Since you care about how it looks, you’ll probably want to know how to keep it looking its best.
To begin with, what will you need? When you shop online or walk into a pool store, there is a dizzying amount of options and variety. Things with bags, things with bristles, things with wheels, attachments, bottles of liquid, bags and boxes and buckets of powder, what is all this stuff?
Let’s start at the top. Cleaning attachments are almost always universal to a standard telescopic pole. An 8′ model that extends to 16′ is great, and will accommodate most pools. These are normally aluminum, but fiberglass is another common option if you’re looking for something a bit more substantial. Keep in mind, if you’re cleaning up a lot of leaves or debris, a fully extended aluminum pole can and will bend under the weight.
Now that you have the pole, let’s get to some basic attachments. You will want to have a pool brush for cleaning the sides and the steps of the pool. An 18″ to 22″ nylon or poly bristle brush is about all,you’ll ever need for everyday cleaning. You’ll want an attachment for picking up leaves and debris – There is a leaf skimmer, and a leaf rake. It’s a good idea to have one of each – The skimmer isn’t very good at picking up debris from the bottom, and the rake can be a bit too cumbersome for everyday surface cleaning. To attach the attachments, insert the handle of the attachment into the open end of the pole and secure it with the spring-loaded tabs interlocking with the pole.
Those tools are certainly helpful, but they won’t do everything. Consider purchasing a leaf bagger for the larger jobs. A leaf bagger is an attachment that you can add a garden hose to and it “sucks” debris into a bag that you can empty out. There are many different styles, but stay away from budget models if you’re prone to debris buildup. They just won’t last. Pick up a nice sturdy model with wheels (for concrete or fiberglass pools) or brushes (for vinyl pools, you don’t want any sharp edges tearing the vinyl).
For the deep down, thorough clean, you’ll want a vacuum head and vacuum hose. They make these specifically for pools, and they’ll pick up the finer dirt and grit from the bottom. One end of the vacuum hose is typically added inside the skimmer – You can either get a vacuum plate for the top of your skimmer basket, or remove the skimmer basket and plug the hose directly into the suction port. The other end of the hose attaches to the vacuum head; the vacuum head itself has an attachment for your telescopic pole. A few tips here – When you’re using a manual vacuum, you want to make sure the hose is fully primed before adding it to the skimmer. Just submerge it under water until all the air is out. If a large pocket of air gets sucked into the pool pump it can be difficult for the system to prime back up, and your vacuum cleaner won’t suck anything up!
You of course have the option of picking up an automatic pool cleaner which handles most of the previous steps for you. Whenever your pool is running, the pool cleaners are actively cleaning the pool as well. A pool cleaner is not a miracle worker though, they’re fantastic at maintaining a clean pool, but if you have a lot of debris they just can’t keep up without some babysitting. Common options are Pressure Side Cleaners, Suction Cleaners, and Robotic Cleaners. I’ll cover these more thoroughly in a later topic, but Robotic Cleaners offer the most value by far. They’re a bit more costly, but they’ll pay for themselves in no time.
Some basic tips to follow –
1.) Keep an eye on your skimmer and pump baskets. When these get full of debris circulation slows down, and the problems begin to compound. Keep me clean.
2.) Test your pool chemistry at least once a week, either at home or at a pool store.
3.) If you’re cleaning your pool manually, stay on top of it. It’s much easier to maintain an already clean pool.
4.) Keep your filter pressure below 30psi if possible. 8-12psi is typically ideal.
5.) Listen for any strange noises, your pool will talk to you if there’s a problem.
6.) Have a look at the equipment pad every once in a while. Look for any water leaks or erosion problems, you’ll want to address these quickly. Catching major problem before it happens will save you money.
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