It’s especially important to stay on top of your water chemistry while your pool is open for the summer. This week in Michigan, you’ll also want to monitor the system to make sure it is running, and have your water balanced with the continual downpours of rain that we keep getting. People who are in the outdoor construction and service business know just how disruptive so much rain can be – even though it’s super for growing our lawns.
Here are a few tips to help you stay on top of your water chemistry and proper pool water balance:
1. Circulate your water. Bacteria and algae find it more difficult to thrive in moving water. Moving water also maximizes the sanitizer’s effectiveness. We recommend circulating the water for at least 10 hours. If you have a chlorine generating system on your pool, it’s also important to remember that if your system is not running, chlorine is not generating. Keep it moving! Most pumps and systems are perfectly designed to run 24/7 during the summer, though some homeowners set automated schedules running the system for at least 12 hours a day.
2. Clean filters help to keep your pool clean. For sand filter systems, it’s easy to tell when a filter needs backwashing. When the pressure gauge gets 8 or 10 psi above the manufacturer’s recommendation, it’s time to backwash. For cartridge filter systems, the filter should be taken out and rinsed off regularly. Filter elements should also be chemically cleaned with regularity, to remove oils and deeply embedded debris. A filter is an important line of defense against debris, as well as microbes like algae and bacteria.
3. Pietila Pools recommends sand filters for most installations in Michigan, though in certain cases and areas around the country, installing a large capacity cartridge filter can eliminate the need to backwash. Filter cartridges can simply be removed and cleaned with a garden hose and a brush. That can save you up to 2,500 gallons of water every season! That’s important everywhere and critical where water is scarce. Changing water also means re-balancing the chemistry in your pool.
4. Brush the pool down to prevent any debris from settling. Running an automatic cleaner will also help to keep the surface of your pool clean, and slime free. Be sure to brush hard to reach areas, and vacuum those spots by hand once per week to prevent algae and microbes from taking hold. With a good pool cleaner, it should take just a few minutes of your time.
5. Test your water two or three times a week with test strips or an at home testing kit, if you don’t have an automated testing system in place. We can’t stress enough how water chemistry needs to remain balanced so water does not become aggressive and corrode elements of your pool or equipment. Testing regularly helps you understand variables like bather load and weather conditions that affect the water. You should also have a water sample tested by a pool professional once a month. Along these lines, if you have a salt system, you MUST HAVE a Zinc Anode in your pool system. If you don’t you are going to have extensive maintenance issues down the road. If you need a zinc anode installed, Pietila Pools is happy to help!
