What Are The Most Common Swimming Pool Maintenance Mistakes?

Posted by  on 4 January, 2016

Maintaining your pool, ensuring it’s in working order, and keeping it beautiful can be hard work at times, but the work is made all the more difficult if you’re not doing it right!

It is important to stay on top of your pool’s appearance and health, so we’ve compiled a list of the most common mistakes people make when maintaining their swimming pools. Read on to learn how you can save yourself time and effort so you can better enjoy your perfectly maintained swimming pool.

  1. Not testing the water enough
    All pool owners (we hope) know that the the water must be tested, but many do not test the waters frequently enough and this can lead to problems. You should test the water two-to-three times a week and make sure that the pH is in balance and the chlorine is in the right proportion.

    The pH should be slightly above neutral, between 7.2 and 7.6 parts per million (ppm). The chlorine level should be at 1 to 3 ppm. These levels are easy to check with a testing kit, which can be found at your local pool supply store.

  2. Neglecting chlorine shocks
    You should occasionally give your pool a chlorine shock treatment. A chlorine shock treatment gets rid of organic compounds that have built up in the pool, which will prevent chlorine from sanitizing the water. You should buy a water chemistry testing kit, which will tell you how to determine how much chlorine to add.

  3. Forgetting the pool pump
    You should occasionally check the pump to make sure it’s working properly. If the pump pressure is 8–15 psi above normal, backwash the system. Turn the valves to reverse the flow and clean it out properly. This should take about three minutes.

  4. Ignoring the pool filter
    Another chore too many forget is cleaning the pool filter. This should be done two-to-three times a year. Clean the debris out of the filter, then soak it in a 10% solution of muriatic acid. Rinse the filter, let it dry, and put it back, easy as that.

If you’re having a problem keeping your pool clean or have questions regarding the maintenance of your pool, contact the Solda Pool team today!