Effective Pool Maintenance For Vancouver Island & Sunshine Coast

Proper pool maintenance is an important part of having a pool. This can easily and effectively be done by all pool owners. Just remember these simple steps and your pool will be ready to go in the summer.

The Fun Starts During Spring

Though some people use their pools all year, most outdoor pools in BC are 'winterized' and go on hiatus for several months. But when Spring arrives, it is time to get your pool ready for the swimming season.

Removing Your Swimming Pool Cover

The first step to getting your pool ready is removing the cover. If you have a solid winter cover, be sure to drain as much of the water sitting on top of the cover as possible before removing it. This can be done easily when using a cover pump.

Once you have drained the water off and removed the pool cover, we recommend that you clean it off using a cover cleaner to remove dirt and grime. After cleaning, leave your pool cover out to dry. Once it is dry, simply fold it and store it in a dry place until next fall.

Check Your Water Chemistry

Properly setting up and maintaining a swimming pool revolves mainly around getting your water chemistry correct. Water chemistry in your swimming pool, if not maintained properly, can and will damage your interior structure. It can also lead to the pool being unsafe to swim in.

You can easily test your swimming pool chemistry through various water testing methods. We will not cover them here, but if you look them up online it will be easy to find one that works for you.

Maintaining Proper pH Is Crucial

New pool start-ups (and Spring start-ups) need special attention given to their pH levels. This is something a swimming pool builder should take time to check and will stress the importance of proper care. In fact, maintaining pH levels is the most important area to pay close attention to on start-ups.

Think back to your science class as a student and recall the pH scale from 0 to 14. pH determines the acidity of your pool water. Neutral has a pH of 7. If your pH is below 7, your water is acidic, above 7 the water is basic, or alkaline. Proper pH range or balance for you swimming pool is 7.4. The further away from this number your water is, the more damage it can cause. Those who swim in an unbalanced pool will face eye irritation, scaling, pitting of the interior finish, staining, cloudy water and chlorine inefficiency, to name a few.

Fill It Up With Fresh Water Please!

Add enough fresh water to bring your swimming pool to the desired height. Remember that the water you add to your swimming pool may contain minerals. Testing water chemistry continuously is recommended after adding any amount of water to your swimming pool.

Carefully Inspect Your Pool's Equipment & Plumbing

Before activating your swimming, pool pump and filter system be sure to double check that all lines are open. This includes checking that the pump and skimmer baskets are in place and free from debris. During this time, make sure to follow your manufacturers guidelines for starting up your pool heater, pool filter, and pump. Also make sure to have a clean filter before starting up.

Remove Debris From The Bottom Of Swimming Pool

When pools are stored throughout the winter, they often accumulate a lot of debris. You will need to remove leaves, twigs and other large items from the pool's bottom using a leaf rake. It is important that you perform this carefully and thoroughly.

The reason for this is that chlorine shock seeks out contaminants to oxidize with. This can often include leaves. As a result, much of the chlorine added will be consumed by debris if the pool bottom is not cleaned.

You may also use an automatic pool cleaner to easily remove debris from the bottom of your swimming pool. This can make it easy and help make your pool maintenance routine a success.

Start Up The Filtration System & Vacuum

To fully remove the debris, you need to the filter and circulate the water. To do so we need to mix in a clarifier chemical. This will help your filter remove small particles. Once this is done, go and get your vacuum. Vacuum all areas of the pool and brush the walls afterwards. Do not forget to clean the cartridge or backwashing of your pool. This is a simple maintenance routine to keep your pool pump and filter working properly.

Shock Treatment

When the swimming pool is free of debris and has recirculated overnight, it is time to shock treat the water. This is done by adding 1 pound of chlorinated shock treatment per 10,000 gallons. Be sure to follow label directions for the proper way to introduce the shock treatment to your pool.

Water Stabilization

Swimming pool water needs to be stabilized or "conditioned" to prevent the rapid loss of chlorine due to the sun's UV rays. To condition your pool water, add the recommended amount of stabilizer by dissolving it in a bucket of water before adding it to the pool. This will help reduce chlorine usage throughout the season.

It Is Time for Chlorine

Now you can chlorinate your swimming pool! When preparing your pool for its first use of the season, use double the suggested dosage of chlorine that is indicated for your pool's capacity. Give it extra time and allow the pool water to circulate overnight.

Algae Prevention

The final step is to use an algaecide. This will not only kill existing algae but will also prevent the growth and spread algae around your pool. Once algae is dead a settling agent can be used to remove it from the pool.