Balancing those chemical levels. A little goes a long way

Written by Tropical Pool & Pavers - 727.474.2142 - 585 S Duncan Ave Clearwater FL 33756 | 18 August 2011

Pool maintenance is like health care – prevention is the key. Due to the extremes of the Florida weather, your chemical requirements will change throughout the year, but the levels need to remain the same.  Why? During the summer, as the pool circulates, chemicals are exposed to higher temperature levels and you will burn through them at a faster rate. As an example, your pool might be experiencing a few issues after the massive rains this week that were followed by the intense heat.

Swimming Pool Start Up, the right way to enjoy new pool, spa.

After your new pool has completed the system start-up phase – which takes about 30 days – most pool companies recommend that you run your pool approximately 6 – 8 hours per day. However, in the summer time, you can split those hours and run your pool approximately 3-4 hours in the morning and the same in the evening. This allows the pool to stay clean while maintaining the chemical level.

Balancing the chemical levels

To ensure that your pool stays balanced, you should always test the Chlorine, pH, Alkalinity & Hardness levels of your pool. After 30 day start-up period, you can test the water with a home kit or go visit your local pool supply company. They will test your water and give you a printed report with your results and their recommendations of chemicals that you need to add. This can make it a lot easier to maintain a schedule of chemical maintenance. As a heads-up, Saturday mornings are normally the busiest time so if you don’t want to wait in line, you might want to test on a different day.

Check the filter and the lines

If you have completed all of the chemical testing, but you are experiencing weird spikes or occasional issues with the water, check your lines and your filter. If the filter is dirty or there is a clog in your line, the chemicals are unable to properly circulate which can cause issues. As a rule of thumb, if you operate an automatic pool cleaner, make sure you clean the filter at least once a week.

Don’t Panic about the Pressure

We recently received a question regarding the water pressure. When your pool starts the daily cycle, it takes a few minutes to come up to full pressure. This is normal and nothing to fret over. When your motor is turned off, there is nothing to make the water circulate and it will take a few minutes for the motor to come up to speed.

At http://www.tropicalpoolsandpavers.com/">Tropical Pools and Pavers, we are firm believers in preventive maintenance to keep your pool beautiful.  If you have any questions regarding your pool chemicals, please feel free to contact us by calling us at 727.424.2142

Happy Swimming!