There are over 10 million residential swimming pools in the United States. A pool is a great way to spend time with family, entertain guests, or just unwind after a long day at work.
Maybe you’ve just had a pool installed at your home, or perhaps you’re training to become a certified pool operator. If that’s the case, then you need to understand the basics of swimming pool maintenance.
Stick with this article to learn the art of maintaining a swimming pool.
Anatomy of a Pool
Before you take a look at cleaning a swimming pool, it will help you to familiarize yourself with all the components of your pool. Your swimming pool will have four basic components: the water, the interior, the filtration system, and the cover.
The main thing to remember with the water is that it needs to remain balanced. You can treat the water with a number of different swimming pool chemicals to make sure that it stays clean.
The interior of your pool can be made from a number of different materials. The most common pool liner material is vinyl. If you take care of it, your pool’s interior could last for over a decade.
The filtration system is one of the most important parts of the entire pool. It’s what keeps your water free from contaminants and is vital for swimming pool safety. Finally, the cover is what helps to keep your pool water clean when you’re not using it, and also stops people or animals from falling in accidentally.
Swimming Pool Maintenance: The Three C’s
Now we can look at the three core principles of pool maintenance, the three C’s. If you’re studying for your POOL CERTS, then you’ll want to pay attention to these.
1. Circulation
Stagnant water is not something you want to swim in. That’s why the circulation system in your pool is so important. Put simply, the circulation system keeps the water moving and stops algae from growing.
If you want your circulation system in tip-top shape, then make sure to run the pump often and regularly clean the filter.
2. Cleaning
It seems like a no-brainer, but you need to keep your pool clean. Regular pool cleaning can prevent a lot of problems from ever arising and it will save you a big headache.
If you want to stay on top of your pool cleaning, then you should definitely invest in a pool vacuum.
3. Chemicals
There are a lot of swimming pool chemicals that you need to put into your pool water, and the important thing is to keep them balanced. The main chemical that you’ll use will be a sanitizer (usually chlorine), but you need to use other chemicals to balance out the effects of the chlorine.
In a well-maintained pool you will find:
- Sanitizer
- Shock treatment
- pH increaser and decreaser
- Alkalinity increaser
- Calcium chloride
You should make sure to stock up on all these things.
Good Swimming Pool Maintenance Saves Time and Money
Swimming pool maintenance is a good habit to get in. It can head off any potential problems that you might have with your swimming pool, and just generally make your life as a pool owner much easier.
Looking for more information on home maintenance? You’re in the right place, take a look through some of our other great informative content to see what else you could learn.
