Dive in to Spring Pool Maintenance
Check the water level.
The pump pulls water from the skimmer and sprays it back out through the jets in the pool. When there’s not enough water in your pool, the pump will be forced to run dry, which can break internal parts or even cause a fire.
The water level in your pool should be between middle and top of the skimmer—the suction line that connects to your pump. For most inground pools, this is right around mid-pool height. If you’re unsure where that is for your specific pool, check with your local swimming pool contractor before getting started on any repairs or maintenance tasks.
Shock or Super Chlorinate your Pool.
Shocking or super chlorinating your pool once a week is essential to maintaining clear, odor-free water all summer long.
If you shock your pool at night, you will avoid the risk of the sun reducing the effectiveness of any added chlorine. After shocking your pool, avoid swimming for 24 hours and check that there is enough free chlorine in the water before letting anyone back in.
If algae is present in your pool, it will have to be shocked or super chlorinated every day until it is gone.
Check the pump.
By now you’re probably familiar with the pump box and the timer that controls it. It’s easy to set and forget it, but make sure you check it monthly to make sure your pump is running properly.
Pull out the filter basket and clear out any debris. Then start the pump, and listen for noise or leaks. If there are no problems, run the pump for a few minutes longer than normal at high and low speeds, to ensure that everything on both speeds is working properly. Look inside the filter housing for air bubbles coming from the pump seals or shaft seal. If you see air bubbles coming from these areas, replace them immediately to prevent damage to your pool equipment or a leak in your pool system (and possibly under your house). Check that all of your pipes are still connected securely after shutting down the pump manually. After turning off the timer switch, check for any moisture between two of its terminals caused by arcing within the timer switch contacts when turned on or off.
If everything checks out, then give yourself a pat on the back—your pool should be up and running fine!
Backwash the Filter.
Backwash frequency varies, depending on your use of the pool. Start by checking your water pressure gauge---if it reads above 10 PSI, backwash immediately.
If you have a sand filter, turn off the pump and set the filter to "backwash". Open the air bleeder valve to relieve any built-up pressure. Begin backwashing for two minutes. Turn off the pump, return the filter to its original position and restart it. Check for any leaks in your system and check that your sight glasses are clear before returning your pool to normal operations.
If you have a DE filter, turn off all electrical power to the pool equipment and move both the multiport valve handle and locknut over to the "BACKWASH" position---the water flow arrow should be pointed towards "BACKWASH". With all valves open (including skimmers), turn on all pumps at highest speed until air is purged from system (you may hear a hissing sound). When no more air comes out of ports or lines, shut down pumps. Turn multiport valve handle clockwise until it stops; lock into place with locknut mechanism against strainer body housing. Turn on pumps at highest speed for one minute; shut down pumps; repeat this procedure three times for a total of four minutes---this should be long enough to thoroughly flush out dirt particles from inside filter element. Return multiport valve handle and locknut back into service mode ("NORMAL"); turn on pumps at highest speed until water runs clear through sight glass or pressure gauge indicates about 8 PSI below normal operating pressure; then shut down pumps again---this should take about 2-3 minutes (usually less). If needed after this point, you can restart pump(s) briefly if necessary if water isn't running completely clear yet through sight glass or gauge still hasn't returned to normal operating pressure yet---if this happens, just repeat step #7 above briefly until water runs cleanly through sight glass and
Clean the skimmer basket.
To clean your skimmer basket, follow these steps:
Remove the leaf basket
Clean it with a garden hose
Put the basket back in
Vacuum your Pool.
You should vacuum your pool at least once a week. Vacuuming removes dirt and debris from the pool floor, which also helps to keep your water clearer.
Sand Filter: After vacuuming, backwash the filter for 2 minutes.
DE Filter: Clean the grids after vacuuming with water from a garden hose or bucket.
Test the chemicals in your pools water.
In order to keep your swimming pool in good condition, you need to check the levels of the chemicals in it regularly. This is usually done using test strips. These strips are dipped into the pool water and then removed and checked against a chart that indicates what needs to be added (chlorine or pH reducer) or taken out (backwash). You should do this every week.
Clean the tile surrounding the pool.
In addition to vacuuming algae, it's important to keep the tile surrounding the pool clean. If left untreated, this can be a breeding ground for bacteria and can attract germs. After you finish vacuuming the pool, use a brush with a long handle to scrub off any algae or other debris from your tile. You'll also want to use a tile cleaner before rinsing the tiles thoroughly with water. It's best to let them dry completely before entering the pool again.
Although bleach is an effective cleaner for many things, it can damage your tiles over time. For that reason, it's important not to apply harsh chemicals on your tiles when cleaning them.
Clean the deck areas around your pool.
Clean the deck areas around your pool. Leaves and other debris that fall off of trees can accumulate on the deck around your swimming pool, posing a slip hazard. Use a broom to sweep up these leaves and other debris, then hose down the area to wash away any remaining dirt or residue.
Maintain your pool yourself or hire a pool cleaning service
You have two options when it comes to pool maintenance:
Hiring a professional pool cleaning service
Taking care of your pool yourself
When you hire a pool cleaning service, you don't have to worry about keeping up with the chemicals or any special maintenance needs. As an added bonus, the service will arrive at assigned times, so you won't forget to treat your water at all. There are some initial costs associated with hiring a cleaning service—sometimes up to $100 per month—but this is still lower than the cost of installing and maintaining your own saltwater system. The down side is that many people who hire a pool cleaning service must sign annual contracts. If you move before your contract expires, you'll be stuck paying for the rest of services even though you're not using them!
On the other hand, if you take care of your pool yourself, there's no recurring expense beyond buying the chemicals needed to keep algae and bacteria from growing in your water. That said, regularly checking the chemical levels in your water can be time-consuming and difficult work that some people would rather avoid. Even worse is what happens if something goes wrong: without regular monitoring from an expert eye, it's easy for inexperienced swimmers to overlook things like low pH levels or high chlorine levels until it's too late!
