How to Keep Your Swimming Pool Clean

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If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, then you’ll be well aware of the copious benefits they can bring to your home. 

From providing a tranquil place to kick back and relax after a long day to becoming a social hub for your friends and family, owning a swimming pool is one of the best decisions you’re ever likely to make. 

However, it isn’t always as glamorous as you might think. In fact, pools can quickly become dirty and unclean if you don’t provide them with the regular attention, cleaning and maintenance that they require. 

While it may not be at the top of your list of favourite pool tasks, it’s absolutely integral that you keep your swimming pool in the very best condition. 

In this article, the team at Claffey Pools will outline the various ways you can keep your swimming pool clean so it can be enjoyed by everyone all year round.

Empty your Skimmer Basket

All pools have skimmer baskets installed on the side, and it’s their job to collect any debris or contaminants that may have entered the pool. You can get skimmers in all different sizes, with larger skimmers able to more effectively skim your pool’s surface. 

However, they can soon become full so it’s important to empty them on a regular basis. In order to do this simply open its panel, remove the basket and properly dispose of what’s inside. 

If you do not frequently empty the skimmer, it won’t be able to operate as effectively as it will be too full to collect all of the debris – meaning your pool will begin to get dirtier. 

Empty the Hair and Lint Pot

As well as the skimmer basket, it is also important to empty your pool’s hair and lint pot. Located in your pump, this pot is your secondary line of defence and is designed to capture any significant pieces of debris, dirt or contaminants that your skimmer basket has missed.

It doesn’t need to be emptied quite as regularly as the skimmer basket, but we’d recommend you do it at least every fortnight. Be sure to check the pot hasn’t become damaged by any stones or large pieces of debris in the meantime. If it has then it may not work properly and might cause more wide-reaching issues.     

Keep Your Water Level Stable 

You may be surprised to learn that your pool’s water level plays a key role in keeping the swimming pool clean. Every pool skimmer has an optimum level of water required for it to perform at its best, your skimmer’s manual should inform you of what this is, or you can check with pool maintenance professionals such as Claffey Pools.

If the water level is too low your pump may burn out, and if it’s too high debris will be left in the pool as your skimmer will be unable to work effectively. 

Don’t Over Shock Your Pool

Sometimes it’ll be necessary to ‘shock’ your pool. This process involves adding chemicals (typically chlorine) to the water in order to remove bacteria, raise the chlorine level and break apart nasty chloramines. 

However, shocking your pool too often can actually have the opposite effect. If you have an ozone generator in place you won’t need to shock the pool as this will do it for you. If you do decide it needs a shock, then do it at night time as this way the sun won’t be able to weaken its effectiveness. 

Check Your Pool’s Infrastructure

While it’s important to monitor your pool’s water and various equipment to keep it clean, you should also regularly check its structure, too. This includes checking the pool’s walls for any rusting or corrosion, and looking to see if any cracks have formed anywhere around the pool’s perimeter. 

This kind of damage can make it easier for dirt and debris to enter your pool. 

There are plenty of other ways to prevent your pool from becoming dirty but there is no substitute for regular maintenance. At Claffey Pools we offer a dedicated servicing and maintenance service that assists customers across North Texas, Southlake Texas, Colleyville & Coppell. As well as this, our online store features a whole host of great products that can keep your pool at its best all year round. For more information on how we can help you, get in touch today.