Pool Care — Silky Soft Pool Water
Hot weather can create problems for swimming pools. We asked Blaise Brandon of Masterpiece Pools to share his top tips for keeping your pool looking and working great this summer.
1. BRUSHING — Steps, seats, benches and corners are low circulation areas in the pool, and, therefore prone to become algae and bacteria hot spots. To combat this, add a weekly brushing of the walls and floor into your pool maintenance routine.
2. CIRCULATION — In order for the pool water to stay clear it must be circulating at least 8-12 hours per day. So, set your pump run times to match.
3. FILTRATION — We need to keep debris out of the pool. Always do a daily skimmer basket, pump basket, and filter debris check so you can empty out/clear any problems. It’s important to also make sure that your filter is operating properly (anything over 30 needs attention) and be sure to keep your filter backwashed (or cleaned).
4. MAINTAINING PROPER CHEMISTRY — Maintaining the proper pH level is the most important key to managing your pool during the summer. Ideally, chlorine and salt pools should have a pH value of 7.2.
To achieve this…
We recommend testing weekly for these values:
- chlorine – 2.0 to 4.0ppm
- pH – 7.2 to 7.6
- cyanuric acid – 30 to 50ppm
- salt level in a salt pool –2700 to 3500 ppm
We recommend testing monthly for these values:
- total alkalinity – 80 to 100 for calcium hypochlorite, salt pools, & liquid chlorine pools and 100 to 120 for dichlor and trichlor pools
- calcium hardness – 200 to 400 ppm
Keep in mind your pool may look great (bright and clear) but not feel great as sometimes the water can feel too chalky or hard. This is due to calcium hardness levels in the water. Refer to the numbers above for optimal levels that will get you that silky, soft pool water we all love to dive into.
Have a great summer!