Your inground pool is one of the best investments you’ve made in your property. Besides increasing the value of your home, having a pool has virtually countless perks. You get to cool off during the hot summer months and host pool parties. Even lounging poolside on a Saturday afternoon is a great way to unwind from the workweek. Your friends and family look forward to jumping into your pool’s crystal clear, shimmering water.
But owning a pool is more than just good times and relaxation. Every pool owner is responsible for keeping their pool in excellent condition through proper pool care. Inground pool maintenance is essential if you want to keep yours looking sparkling and inviting all season long.
If you want to learn how to take care of an inground pool, then you’ve come to the right place. This article covers essential pool care activities and offers some tips to make sure you’re caring for your pool the right way.
When it comes to understanding how to maintain an inground pool, you should know that you’ll deal with different types of debris regularly. From twigs and leaves to dirt and even animals, nature has its way of finding its way into your pool water. It’s up to you to stay on top of this debris to maintain your pool’s components while also keeping your water clean.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take to clean out all the debris that builds up in your inground pool.
You’ll have to do some tasks more frequently than others, and this is one of them. Skimming debris from your pool should be an everyday task, even if you can only see a few small fragments in your water. The longer unwanted material is in your pool, the greater its effect on your water’s chemistry. Plus, debris that sinks to the bottom of the pool can be harder to clean up.
Use a long-handled leaf skimmer to remove any floating debris from the water’s surface. Leaves are common here, but you may encounter other types of debris like litter or insects. If you have trees near your pool, consider trimming them to reduce the number of leaves that fall in.
Taking a few short minutes each day to skim your pool will do a lot to keep it looking great and free from stains. Cleaning the debris while it’s still floating will also help protect your pool surfaces from staining and keep your filter from clogging.
Your pool water is always in contact with the pool walls, making them a common area for debris and algae to build up. Other problem areas include surfaces like slides, diving boards and pool ladders. Once a week, you should take the time to brush these surfaces to remove the dirt and prevent the algae from spreading.
Use a gentle pool brush to dislodge dirt stuck to your pool surfaces. Use a long-handled brush to get the dirt stuck to the bottom of your pool, too. Make sure to brush ladders and other pool accessories. Brush all this dirt toward the main drain to make it easier when it comes time to vacuum it all up.
After removing the clinging dirt and sediment from your pool’s surfaces, it’s time to remove it from the water. You’ll do this with either an automatic or a manual pool vacuum. Here’s how to use both types of pool vacuums:
If you want to remove even the smallest unwanted particles from your pool, add some flocculant to the water. Some particles are too small for your skimmer or vacuum to remove. They can build up in your water, hindering the chemical balance and giving your water a cloudy appearance. Flocculant is the answer to getting rid of these particles.
Flocculant causes these particles to cling together. As they join, they transform into visible clumps in your water that you can more easily scoop out with a skimmer or remove with your pool vacuum.
Remember, flocculant only causes existing particles to lump together. If your pool’s water has a chemistry issue that’s allowing cloudy water to develop, flocculant will only provide a temporary fix. This is good when you need to clean your pool’s water quickly, but you’ll want to address the root cause for lasting results.
Your skimmer is essential to your pool’s wellbeing. Taking care of it is a critical part of every pool care checklist. Aim to clean your pool skimmer once a week, but you may have to do it more often if needed.
To do this, remove the skimmer’s lid and ensure it’s empty of any large pieces of debris or anything else that could restrict the flow of water through it. You should also note the water level, as water that is past the halfway point of the skimmer will be less effective at capturing debris.
A clean skimmer operates more efficiently, helping your pool stay cleaner. That’s why it’s so important to clean out your pool skimmer at least once a week. You’ll enjoy cleaner water as a result.
A truth to understand about pool care is that moving water is always safer, clearer and cleaner than still water. Still water can become stagnant if it goes an extended period without movement. Bodies of stagnant water have links to health concerns like Legionnaire’s disease, insect breeding, pest attraction and other threats. You’ll need to keep your water circulating to avoid these risks and enjoy a clean, swimmer-friendly pool.
When you ensure good circulation in your pool, you reduce your chances of dealing with pool algae, cloudy water and other factors associated with still or stagnant water. Here are some tips to help you achieve the desired results:
By doing the above practices, you’ll be well on your way toward cleaner, clearer pool water that will invite you and your guests to take a dip on those hot summer days.
When it comes to knowing how to care for a pool, proper pool chemistry may be the most important knowledge you can have as you begin the process. Pool chemistry is pretty straightforward, and if you have the right foundation, you can successfully balance your pool water.
Balanced pool water is safe to swim in. It also stays cleaner longer, which means the more effort you put into your pool’s chemistry, the easier it will be to maintain throughout the swimming season. The opposite is true if you neglect proper pool chemistry. You’ll find yourself fighting against the elements as your water makes sudden and drastic swings between looking clear and inviting and looking discolored and offputting.
Pick up a water testing kit from the local hardware or pool store, and test for the following chemical factors in your pool’s water:
Weekly pool maintenance is necessary if you want to enjoy your pool at your convenience all summer long. Imagine the perfect weekend weather comes, and your pool is cloudy, green and full of debris. Instead of being able to set up the lounge chairs and fire up the grill for a pool party, you’ll be spending your perfect weekend cleaning your pool. You can always be ready to enjoy your inground pool by keeping up with your pool care routine.
But more than that, weekly pool maintenance is an investment in your property. A pool that is well cared for can increase the value of your home, which means more money in your pocket if it ever comes time to sell. A pool is an attractive feature, so you should do all you can to keep yours looking beautiful.
Another critical reason for weekly pool maintenance is the health of you and your family. As we noted, a dirty, stagnant pool can be a breeding ground for diseases and disease-spreading animals and insects. When you keep your pool water clean, circulating and balanced, you create a defense to keep those health risks far from your property.
At Lotus Pools, we know what it takes to achieve proper inground pool maintenance. Our services cover all your pool care needs so you can enjoy your pool, invest in your property and protect your family’s health without putting in any of the work. Our friendly professionals make you feel like family and are willing to answer all your questions so you can enjoy peace of mind when it comes to your pool’s wellbeing.
Contact us today if you have any questions about our services. Or, you can act now and schedule a service call for your Chicagoland area pool.
