Owning a swimming pool is a very exciting thing, but a swimming pool will need daily/weekly attention to receive the best outcome. Swimming pool water is re-circulated and is being reused, because of this the water needs to be properly sanitized to prevent us from catching bacteria, viruses, and other organisms that are carried into water. These organisms must be destroyed by proper sanitation to prevent them from being passed from one person to another. Wind and rain can also add other impurities to pool water and these need to be removed.
To achieve good water quality there are daily, weekly, and monthly tasks pool owners should do.
Daily:
- Run filtration system, we recommend 24 hours a day
Weekly:
- Test and adjust pH, Chlorine, and Total Alkalinity levels
- Shock weekly with shock treatment at a rate of 1lb poolife® TurboShock® or 1 gallon per 10,000 gallons of water. More shock may be necessary depending on levels of chlorine.
- Add preventive dose of preferred algaecide (poolife® Defend+®, Super AlgaeBomb® 60, or AlgaeKill II) according to label directions
- Remove leaves and other debris from pool
- Empty skimmer and pump baskets
- Brush pool floor and walls
- Check water level and top up if needed
- Check filter pressure and backwash only when pressure builds 5-7psi above the normal clean reading.
Monthly:
- Check Calcium Hardness, Cyanuric acid (stabilizer), and metals
Helpful tips:
- When collecting water for a sample collect water that is 18 inches below the surface and away from returns.
- Test water directly after collecting
- Adjust Total Alkalinity before adjusting pH
- Check dates on testing reagents and test strips at the beginning of pool season.
- After shocking pool wait 24 hours before rechecking chlorine and pH levels.
Ideal Ranges
- pH: 7.2-7.6 (chlorine is more effective the closer to 7.2)
- Free chlorine: 1-4ppm
- Total Alkalinity: 80-120ppm
- Calcium Hardness: 200-500 ppm
- Stabilizer: 20-50 ppm (max of 60 for commercial properties)
“Pool Maintenance.” Poolife, Innovative Water Care, 2019