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Everyone has maintained their pool, and got it ready for summer, but, when you own an above ground pool, it’s also important to keep maintaining your pool in summer.
Here are our top tips for maintaining your above ground pool this summer.
- Skim debris. If you – or your neighbour has trees or bushes there is a chance a breeze will blow debris into your pool. You’ll need to use your leaf skimmer to remove that debris, so your pool looks clean and clear before anyone jumps in. You will need to continue to do this a few times a week, as it helps increase the pools water circulation and decreases the amount of chemicals in the water.
- Vacuum the pool. To get to any of that hard-to-reach debris you should vacuum your pool on a weekly basis or get an automated vacuum that you can schedule. The vacuum goes over the floor of your above ground pool in the same way you clean a floor. Make sure you overlap each part of the pool, to ensure you don’t miss any spots. It usually takes around 30 minutes to completely clean a pool with a vacuum.
- Clean your pools filter. Maintenance on your pool filter will depend on what type you have, but every pool filter needs periodic cleaning. If your filter isn’t cleaned regularly it won’t trap debris, which means your water may start to look discoloured or murky. The flow of your water will also change, this is generally signalled by the increase in the pressure gauge and flow meter.
- Maintain the pH level. To avoid any injuries or damage to clothing make sure your pools pH levels remain the same. A pH scale measures the acidity of the pool water and anywhere from 0 to 14. The ideal range for pool water should be between 7.2 and 7.8 which is not only keeping the water clean, it is also making the water safe for swimmers. You should have a testing kit and test strips available to test the water.
- Find and repair any leaks. Before summer begins you should have checked for any leaks or problems with your pool, before anyone jumps in, but it can be hard to find some leaks if it’s the beginning of the season and your water just looks *low*. The best way to check is to do a *bucket test*. Fill a bucket to ¾’s of the way and mark the water line. Put the bucket in the pool, mark the water line outside the bucket and let it float around for a few days. If the water has gone down the same amount, it’s simply evaporation. If the water has gone down on the outside of the bucket, you probably have a leak.