Top 5 Water Chemistry Tips

Getting clean, balanced water isn’t just about water.  It’s also about the way your pool system operates.

Water circulation is key!  Bacteria and algae find it much more difficult to thrive in moving water.  Moving water also maximizes your sanitizer’s effectiveness.  Hayward recommends circulating your water during daylight hours, for at least 10 hours.

Clean filters make clean pools.  And, it’s easy to tell when a filter needs backwashing.  When the pressure gauge gets 8 or 10 psi above the manufacturer’s recommendation, you have a job to do.  Filter elements should also be chemically cleaned with regularity, to remove oils and deeply embedded debris.  A filter is an important line of defense against debris, as well as microbes like algae and bacteria.

Installing a large capacity cartridge filter can eliminate the need to backwash.  Filter cartridges can simply be removed and cleaned with a garden hose and a brush.  Not having to backwash can save you up to 2,500 gallons of water every season!  That’s important everywhere and critical where water is scarce.  Changing water also means new chemical treatment to re-balancing the chemistry in your pool.  Not a fun job and it can do some damage to your wallet!

Brush areas that are hard to reach.  Robotic, pool cleaners do an excellent job, but many pools have spots that are difficult for cleaners to reach.  Brush and vacuum those spots by hand once per week to prevent algae and microbes from taking hold.  With a good pool cleaner, it should take just a few minutes of your time.

Test two or three times a week, if you don’t have an automated testing system in place.  Regular testing helps to prevent really big problems later.  pH and sanitizer levels are the most critical.  Testing helps you understand variables like bather load and weather conditions that affect the water.  You should also have a water sample tested by a pool pro once a month.

Do you have some great tips of your own?  Share them with your fellow pool owners.