‘Tis the season to be jolly, and the time to swim. If you’re lucky enough to have a swimming pool in your backyard, you need to get it primed for the busiest time of the year. If you’re going to own a pool, you need to look after it, and you have to look after your family.
You understand the basics, like scooping leaves out, adding chlorine and making sure the filter is working, but here are some tips and tricks you may not have heard before.
You Need a Tennis Ball
Tennis balls are an essential pool item. Not only do they create the possibility for so many games, but they are also the perfect cleaning item. While your chlorine and filter do a great job of cleaning most things from your pool, they don’t get rid of sunscreen. If this is allowed to build up, it can give the pool that tell-tale surface oil you see in public pools.
Of course, you can’t ban swimmers from wearing sunscreen. Instead, you just throw the ball in, and that fluff will soak up all the excess oil. You can even leave it in there to make sure no oil is ever left behind.
Don’t Get Sucked Into the ‘Alkalinity Increaser’ Scam
When you pick up your pool cleaning equipment, you’ll probably come across something called ‘Alkalinity Increaser.’ You really don’t need this. It does maintain pH levels in your pool, but you can achieve the same thing with some plain old baking soda. Just do a quick google search to see how much you need for a pool of your size, and you’ve got a much cheaper alternative to ‘Alkalinity Increaser.’
Pools Aren’t For Dogs
Yes, your water-loving dog probably relishes using your pool for a swim, but you really should keep them out. Not just because it makes your pool dirty, but because the chlorine can harm your dog. If that’s not enough of a reason to build a fence to keep your pooch out, then maybe keeping your pool cleaner will be.
All that hair will make your filter run overtime, and that could shorten your filters life and mean you spend more of your weekend cleaning out dog hair instead of swimming in it.
If you just can’t bear to let your Lab miss out on the fun, make sure your chlorine is below 3.0 PPM.
Don’t Forget About the Water Line
While you’re going about cleaning the water and your pool surrounds, you need to make sure the water line gets just as much attention. This is where most of the dirt, contaminants and other residues will build up over time. The cleaner this area is, the cleaner your pool will look. Cleaning it at least weekly will also reduce calcium build-up.
Of course, keeping the pool landscaping neat and tidy will help prevent any dirt and grime from entering the pool and creating a problem in the first place.
Invest in a Pool Cover
If you leave your pool uncovered, you’re costing yourself a lot of money in heating bills and making your maintenance job a lot more intensive. By investing in a solar cover, you keep the heat from the hot summer sun locked in, and you keep all the leaves, dirt, pests and other nasties out.
How Much Water Are You Using?
Drought is an ever-present threat in Australia, so we all need to reduce water wastage as much as possible. If you find yourself continually topping up your pool, it means you’re losing too much water to evaporation.
If you’re losing any more than 1.2 centimetres a day, you need to check your pool for any leaks or keep it covered more throughout the day.
Get Your Pool Fencing In Order
This is the most important tip, and it’s not really a tip, it’s a warning. The consequences of improper fencing can be expensive at best, and deadly at worst. Every year young children continue to die in Australian backyards, you don’t want to be another statistic.
You need to be aware of pool fencing regulations in your local area. These aren’t there to annoy you, they’re there to ensure your pool is a place of fun and not a place of misery. Read our blog on pool fencing regulations to make sure you’re in line.
If you’re unsure on anything, make sure you get a certified fencing contractor to carry out the work for you. They’ll be experts in the regulations and ensure you end up with a solution that keeps everyone safe and actually makes your pool look better.
Put these tips into practice and enjoy the perfect pool this summer.
