Tip 1 - Lots of Swimmers
Having lots of swimmers at any given time will introduce more pollutants like body oils, perspiration, suntan lotion and so on, and you need to compensate by adding more chlorine. Encouraging pool users to shower first has merit, but welcome to the real world!
Tip 2 - Heavy Rain
Heavy rain will usually make the water in your swimming pool lose its clarity (start to turn green, or lose its transparency). Add a shock dose of chlorine (say 3-4 times the daily dose) to get the water back to normal. Check the pH - the water may need acid. When preparing acid solution, remember: water in the bucket first, acid last.
Tip 3 - Water Levels
What level of water is best in a swimming pool? Ensure that the water level is never less than half-way up the skimmer opening. If the level is too low, the pump will begin to suck air, and may burn out.
Tip 4 - Saltwater Pool Tips
Believe it or not, having saltwater in a pool is really just an alternative way to chlorinate the water. Yes it's healthier in the sense that it's like bathing in the ocean, but its cleansing action is more to do with electrolysis than anything else. Salt, of course, is Sodium Chloride, and chlorine is made when electrolysis occurs in a salt chlorinator. It's not the salt that does the sanitising, it only provides the raw material to make chlorine! Don't forget that a salt chlorinator is only doing its job when the pump is running!
Tip 5 - Green Looking Pool
How do I clean up a neglected, green-looking pool?
- Empty the leaf basket in the skimmer, and the lint pot in the pump
- Backwash the filter
- Adjust the alkalinity to about 100ppm
- Adjust the pH factor to about 7.4
- Shock dose the pool with chlorine
- Run the filter till the water clears
- Vacuum the silt that is now on the bottom of the pool to "waste"
- Maintain the free available chlorine at 1-3ppmdepending on where you live
Tip 6 - In Case of Windstorms
After a wind storm, remove any leaves and other debris from the pool, because they tend to affect the water balance rather quickly. Take in a sample of your pool water to your local pool shop for testing on a regular basis. They can do more rigorous tests than is possible with a simple test kit, and can suggest additives to correct water balance. Keep an eye out for metal parts on kids toys: if they remain in the pool, they may cause rust marks. If the plumber is working on guttering nearby, ensure that metal swarf isn't swept into the pool: rust marks are very difficult to remove!
Tip 7 - Pool Safety
A word about pool safety: always keep the pool fence gate shut, because we can't predict when somebody else's child (or maybe our own) will enter the pool area and get into trouble. Always use plastic tumblers (rather than glass) in the pool area, to avoid unexpected injury. Learn about basic resuscitation techniques before you put in your pool: you won't regret doing a CPR course on the day you use it on your own child!