Inground Pool Care

28 Apr Inground Pool Care

How to Take Care of an Inground Swimming Pool

From SF Gate

Owning a swimming pool can be an intimidating experience for many.  Knowing about pool water chemistry and balance, how the equipment works, how to clean and maintan the pool and equipment, and how to administer chemicals can all be complicated and are easy to screw up.  This post from the SF Gate presents a practical, easy primer on swimming pool maintenance for anyone.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

In-Season

1 Check your pool’s pH and chlorine levels at least twice per week. Your pool water should maintain a pH range of 7.4 to 7.6 and a chlorine level of 1.0 to 3.0 parts per million (ppm), according to the My Pool Supply website. Test the pool water levels at dusk at least four hours after all swimmers have left the water and at least eight hours after a rain or wind storm. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for the testing strips you choose. If necessary, add products to re-balance these levels.
2 Clean the pool at least once per week. For a thorough cleaning, empty the skimmer baskets, skim the leaves and debris from the water. If there is debris on the bottom of the inground pool, use a vacuum cleaner designed for pool use. Skim the surface with a cleaning net.
3 Apply pool surface cleaner to the waterline on the pool walls. These cleaners eliminate waterline stains to keep your pool looking fresh. Apply the cleaner with a pool brush. Once you rub the cleaner into the wall at the waterline surface, dip the brush into the water and give a quick scrub to the walls under the water surface.
4 Shock the pool water once per week. Shocking involves adding a large dose of chlorine to the pool to eliminate algae and other contaminants. The amount of shock you use varies based on the specific chlorine product and the amount of water in your pool; follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Shock the water at dusk, allow the pump and filter to run overnight and avoid swimming for at least 24 hours after shocking the pool.

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