Pool Maintenance Steps for a Sparkling Clean Backyard Pool
One of the most important things you can do to have a clean backyard pool is making sure you adhere to the right pool maintenance steps to keep it clean for you and your family’s health. Having a pool comes with responsibilities and keeping it clean and hygienic is at the top of the list.
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Having an outdoor pool in your backyard is an excellent way to increase your property value. However, these pools do come with some unique maintenance tasks that you might not be familiar with if you’re new to pool ownership. It’s easy to fall behind on pool maintenance if you aren’t careful.
The last house we owned had a beautiful inground pool and the kids loved it but that meant a whole new level of understanding how to keep it clean. We had to make sure we followed the right pool maintenance steps to make sure we had a clean backyard pool. And that’s exactly what we did.
Once you get used to the steps you need to follow to keep it clean, it’s not that bad and can easily be done on a regular basis. Failing to take proper care of your pool could lead to an infestation, pests, or even unsanitary swimming conditions. You don’t want any of that in your backyard pool, so make sure you take these steps below seriously.
1. Skim and Scrub Regularly
Nobody wants extra chores to add to their weekly routine, but it’s just a part of living with a pool in your backyard. If you want your pool to be perfect and pristine, you’ve got to get in the habit of cleaning leaves and debris regularly as well as scrubbing your pool surface. You don’t need any fancy tools to get the job done right. A pool skimmer and scrubber will do the trick perfectly.
When you don’t scrub your pool surface regularly, buildup sticks to the side of the pool. The longer you wait between cleanings, the more challenging this will be to get off. Scrubbing once or twice a week should be enough as long as you don’t have excessive debris in the pool. If you’re noticing challenges with scrubbing your pool, you’ll want to look into the signs of how to tell if your gunite pool needs resurfacing.
You should pay attention to any wear and tear on a pool especially over an extended period of time. We all know it’s unavoidable especially when it’s exposed to freeze and thaw cycles, pressurized water, and disinfecting chemicals throughout the years.
2. Clean the Filter Weekly
Your pool filter does the heavy lifting for you so you don’t have to worry about impurities getting into your pool. From leaves to small toys, your filter is your first line of defense. Just like an air filter, you need to change your pool filter regularly to keep it running smoothly.
Clean your filter once a week to ensure there’s no debris slowing down the system. Every month, you’ll also want to clean the entire filter system. You can do this by backwashing a setting that should already be on your filter. Finally, to keep your filter performing at its best, make sure you allow it to run for at least 6 hours a day.
3. Check the Chemicals
Your pool chemicals are the most complex part of owning a pool. It’s not always easy to tell the quality of your chemical balance without testing it through a pool maintenance center. The Center for Disease Control recommends considering your cyanuric acid, free chlorine, acidity, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness.
If you don’t check these water levels regularly, your pool can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria and other irritants. You don’t want your family to swim in bacteria and other unsafe chemicals, so take testing seriously.
4. Raise Chlorine Levels for a Deep Clean
Adding more chlorine than necessary might sound unsafe, but it’s a healthy part of your pool cleaning cycle. Think about when your pool gets a lot of use. You’ll likely notice it becomes more cloudy. This is because when your pool is used frequently, it’s exposed to heightened bacteria levels. If you let your pets into your swimming pool it’s even more important to keep it clean and bacteria free.
We always used to let our dog jump in the pool, and boy, did she love it! That was all the more reason why we had to keep it clean and make sure we had the right amount of chemicals in it too.
The best way to even this out is by “shocking” your pool system. This is the process of drastically increasing your chlorine levels for only a short amount of time. You’ll dilute 3-5 times the amount of chlorine or sanitizer which will filter through the pool system. You should shock your pool at least once a season.
5. Clean Around Your Pool
Pool maintenance doesn’t stop outside of the water. The area around your pool also needs to be in good condition to keep your pool clean and functional. The best way to do this is by pressure washing your deck area to clean off any dirt and debris that could make its way into your pool.
Not only will your pool deck be shining, but it’ll keep your pool cleaner for longer. That means less work for you to do overtime, a win/win for all.
Are you taking the above steps to protect your pool? If not, it’s time to take pool maintenance seriously. This is one of the biggest assets of your home. Make sure it’s clean and working properly all year-long.
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I would give anything for a pool. Love your tips for keeping it clean.
Thanks Sue, I miss the pool we had. It was a lot of work but so worth it! Maybe both of us will get one in the future someday!