Pool Maintenance – The Basic Rules

Having a concrete swimming pool in your backyard is a real privilege, but it also involves certain actions you should take if you want to keep this aquatic feature in good condition. It is definitely a solid investment, one that can add value to your property and exponentially improve your leisure time, but good maintenance is all important if you want to fully enjoy all the benefits that your concrete pool offers for years to come. To this end, here’s what you have to do.

To begin with, you’ll have to equip yourself with certain things for the right upkeep of your swimming pool: a plastic-bristle pool brush, pool skimmer, pool vacuum, pool chlorine, algaecide, and pool test kit. Visit this website to learn how to use a pool test kit.

It would be great if you could keep your swimming pool away from deciduous trees and shrubs, since fallen leaves are your worst enemy when we talk about swimming pool maintenance. If this is impossible, however, use your pool skimmer to remove leaves andother floating debris from the surface of the water.With all the debris removed, you should clean the sides of the pool by scrubbing them with a plastic-bristle pool brush. Work your way around the entire pool moving the brush in circular motions.

Once you’ve scrubbedall sides of your pool, wait for about 10 minutes for any tiny particles or dirt to fully settle at the bottom. Vacuum the bottom of the pool by subtly moving a pool vacuum across it. The vacuum should be moved in straight lines and quite slowly in order to avoid stirring up debris or dirt settled at the bottom of the pool. Watch this video to find out more aboutpool vacuuming.You should perform brushing and vacuumingat least oncea week to keep the pool clean.

Adding the proper amount of algaecide to your concrete pool on weekly basis is crucial for keeping algae at bay. The typical dosage of this product is 1 dl per 40,000liters of water, but you shouldn’t invariably stick to the manufacturer’s instructions for the right amount.Additionally, you should sanitize the pool water by adding chlorine once every two weeks. It is available both in liquid orsolid form, so just consult the instructions on the package for the proper amount to add. Remember that you shouldn’t add the whole amount of chlorine in only one spot becauseit is you will get better results if you dilute it by gently pouring it around the outer edge of your pool.After you added chlorine, you should wait for a couple of hours beforeusing your pool.

Using a pool test kit once a month, check the water’s alkalinity and pH levels. The chlorine level should be about 3 parts per million, while the pH level should bebetween 7.2 and 7.6.Since you will also requirea good filtration system to circulate the pool water and keep it clean and debris-free, know that filtration traps may emerge around your pool, so make sure you clean them outonce a week.For proper filtrationand circulation, run your the filtration system 8-10hours a day.

Author Bio: Lillian Connors is an avid blogger and home improvement enthusiast keen on doing all sorts of DIY projects around her house and passionately writing about them. She is also an online marketing consultant, closely cooperating with numerousbusinesses from all over the globe. You can check her out on G+, Facebook and Twitter.