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PoolSchool
Do you wonder why some people have a crystal clear pool all year round and others experience nothing but problems? Sometimes we see identical pools side by side: - one neighbour’s pool is always in perfect condition and the pool next door is one step removed from a swamp. Does this sound familiar?If you’re the one who experiences nothing but problems with the pool, these few words may be helpful to you! Read this from top to bottom or print and keep because it will help you and your pool.And so to begin - Turn the pump on. Vacuum the bottom of the pool, remove leaves with a net and brush the walls and floor. Clean out the skimmer and pump baskets, backwash the filter. If you have a salt pool, check the chlorinator cell. If it looks calcified, soak it in a mixture of hydrochloric acid and water. Use 4 parts water to 1 part acid and just let it sit in the liquid until the calcium has dissolved.Now that your pool is clean you need to test the water to see if the water is balanced. The pool may look clean but it might not be safe to swim in. Test the pH - ideal is between 7.2 - 7.6. If pH is high add hydrochloric acid or sodium bisulfate to bring it down. If your pH is low - just wait a few days and it will rise. If it is very low you can add soda ash.Test the chlorine - it should be between 1.0 - 3.0 ppm. If it’s low, add chlorine as necessary (or turn your salt chlorinator up if you have a salt pool). If it's high you can add sodium thiosulphate or wait a few days for it to come down naturally (if you have a salt pool turn the salt chlorinator down).Measure the Total Alkalinity...this should be between 80-120ppm. Most test-kits don’t tell you the TA level but if you bring a sample of your pool water into our shop, we can test it for free. If TA is low, add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and if it's high you can add muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate to bring it down.Test the salt levels if you have a saltwater pool. The salt should be between 4000 - 6000 ppm depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations. Add salt as required.Never mix chemicals together outside of the pool water, and take great care when using them. Sweep chemical spills up separately to avoid them catching fire. Always dilute (granulated) pool chemicals in a non-metal bucket before your put them into the pool. Add the chemical to water and not water to the chemical.This may seem like a lot of trouble, but do this twice a week and your pool will always be in first class condition. Keep the pool clean and test the water twice a week; you may not have to add anything to the water but safe is better than sorry. Alternatively, take our Pool School Course or, at the very least, buy the Pool School Book - either will save you a small fortune over the life of your pool.For the final ‘sparkle’ use Jolly Gel. This little miracle’ product will keep a pool as gin-clear for a whole summer for just €17.00 (or €24.00 on the coast, if you can find it……).For our free, monthly email newsletter, giving money-saving advice on your pool month-by-month, send an email with the word ‘Subscribe’ as the subject to newsletter@deep-blue-pools.com Copyright remains with Author - KM Walker - Deep Blue Pools, May 2008