Owning a pool is a rewarding accomplishment. It’s the perfect way to cool off and unwind with your family after a long week.
To get the most quality family time by the pool, you need to maintain it well. However, be wary of misusing pool tools and equipment. This negates the impact of maintenance and can put you and your family at risk.
As a pool owner, you want to ensure that everyone using your pool is safe. Fortunately, we got you covered. Read on to learn some of the common mistakes people make and how to avoid them.
1. Adding Shock into the Pool Directly
One of the things you must protect your family and guests from is germs. To achieve this, you’ll need to add pool shock, which is concentrated chlorine, to the pool. When added to a pool, chlorine forms hypochlorous acid that kills bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella, and others that cause swimmer’s ear and diarrhea.
Adding chlorine is an integral part of pool maintenance. However, too much of it will bleach everything that gets into the pool. But, seeing white clothes become yellow and black ones turn pink is the least of your concerns.
If you have a vinyl liner, the shock granules will sink to the bottom and disintegrate it. As the liner becomes brittle, it will result in leakage.
Instead of tossing pool shock directly, try dissolving it in a bucket of water first. By doing this, you’ll ensure that the chlorine will spread evenly in the pool after pouring it. Any time you’re handling pool shock or other pool chemicals, be cautious of dangerous splashback.
For this, you’ll need to wear protective gear such as chemical-resistant gloves, a chemical mask, and protective eyewear. Also, follow the simple rule of adding chemicals to water and never vice versa.
2. Always Leave the Robotic Pool Cleaner Inside the Pool
When it comes to pool equipment, a firm favorite for most is robotic cleaners. These use advanced cleaning technology to scrub all the dirt off the edges and sides of your pool. In doing so, they relieve you of the biggest burden of owning a pool – cleaning it.
These devices are designed to work underwater. As such, you may not think much about leaving them in the pool. However, that’s a grave miscalculation. When you leave your robotic pool cleaner in the water for extended periods, the soft elements inside may become damaged. This is due to the oxidation of plastics and metals and aggressive water conditions.
It\’s imperative not to leave your robotic pool cleaner inside the pool longer than it needs to be, as well as avoid shocking the pool when it\’s inside. If you observe these simple tips, you’ll significantly increase your robotic pool cleaner’s lifespan.
3. Not Running the Pump Long Enough for It to Clean the Pool Properly
At the heart of your swimming pool is the pool pump. Its primary function is to ensure sufficient water circulation and evenly dispersed chemicals. Therefore, it needs to be running in optimum condition for your pool to remain safe for use.
However, people’s biggest challenge with their pool pump isn’t damage. Instead, it’s running it for a shorter duration than recommended. As a result, chemicals remain in the pool longer, and you\’ll notice the color turning greenish.
Ideally, your pool pump should run for 8-10 hours daily. But, the most important thing is not the duration. It’s about ensuring that each gallon in your pool goes through the filter for cleaning. For this, you’ll need to do some calculations to know the minimum amount of time the pump should run:
- Multiply the length, width, and average depth of the pool to know how many gallons of water it holds.
- Check the pool pump’s label for the gallons per minute it pumps, and then multiply it by 60 to get gallons per hour.
- Divide the gallons per hour by the total gallons in your pool to get the minimum number of hours the pool should be running.
4. Not Paying Attention to pH and Alkaline Levels
The pH of a pool is its measure of acidity and is represented on a scale from 0 to 14. When the pH is 8.0 and above, the water is alkaline or basic. When it drops below 7.0, the water is considered acidic. Ideally, your pool should have a pH of 7.4 to 7.8.
Maintaining the pool at the right pH has many benefits. These include:
- It protects components such as the pump and heater from damage.
- It keeps the water looking sparkling clean.
- It keeps the finishing of your pool looking like new.
Along with these benefits, you’ll also avoid the risks such as:
- Skin irritation caused by low pH
- Vinyl liners become damaged from low pH
- Inactive chlorine due to high pH
- Cloudy water due to high pH
- Corrosion caused by low pH
To maintain the ideal pool pH, you’ll need to use test strips daily. When testing, do so from an area away from the skimmer and the returns. Follow the instructions on the strip’s packaging and compare the strip with the color range that comes with the product packaging.
Once you know the pH, you’ll need to adjust it accordingly using pH increasers (bases) and pH decreasers (acids).
5. Using Robotic Pool Cleaners in Pools with Algae
A common challenge with pools is the emergence of algae, making the pool slippery. As a result, swimmers can easily slip and fall, resulting in bruises, bumps, cuts, and even broken bones. It also increases the risk of drowning. Other effects of algae in a pool include:
- Low visibility- Algae reduces the clarity of your pool which can impede rescue efforts if there’s a drowning incident.
- Bacterial infections- If swimmers accidentally ingest water with algae and bacteria, it may result in diarrhea, fever, and other symptoms of infection.
With such risks, it’s essential to get rid of pool algae as soon as it appears. However, that’s easier said than done. This is why many people turn to a robotic cleaner, but it’s an ill-advised move if you have algae.
Instead of getting rid of algae, your robotic cleaner will push it and other debris up through a mesh bag, spreading the algae further and increasing the infestation. To address your algae problem, you’ll need to use a manual vacuum. Before you begin, remove the drain plug or switch the filter to waste. Although you may lose a lot of water as you vacuum, you’ll also get rid of algae.
6. Not Protecting the Pool Heater
Pool heaters are a great option for those who live in a cooler climate, like to swim in the early morning, or just prefer to keep their pool water at a desired temperature.
Pool heaters are easy to take for granted, however, as they work at the periphery. As such, it’s also difficult to detect damage until it stops functioning. Given that they’re constantly exposed to harsh elements and pool chemicals, heaters can become damaged over time.
To protect your pool heater, buy a pool heater cover. Along with preventing acidity and alkalinity from stripping copper, it will keep insects and rodents out, extending its lifespan. In addition, it will also help you avoid one of the primary hidden pool costs.
7. Taking Your Day Clothes into the Pool
Beyond enhancing comfort and performance, swimwear is designed with pool water in mind. As such, the material has little to no impact on the water. However, that’s not the case with your street clothes.
Your outfit may be carrying dirt from the places you visited during the day. Moreover, they may contain chemicals and other elements that can react with the water, compromising it. Such reactions can also ruin your clothes. So, even if you\’re excited to jump into the pool, it’ll be better off waiting a few minutes till you have your trunks on.
8. Invest in a Good Pool Rake
If there’s one thing you can expect from an outdoor pool, it’s for leaves and debris to fall inside constantly. Therefore, you’ll need a pool rake to remove the dirt and debris effectively. There are many pool rakes on the market, but not all are good quality and may be susceptible to a broken handle or torn mesh.
Fortunately, we have a pool rake special that gives you access to a high-quality pool rake. The aluminum alloy frame ensures that it does not twist, bend, or break. In addition, it also features a double-stitched nylon mesh bag that’s resistant to mold, mildew, and abrasion.
Keep Your Pool in Peak Condition
If you want to keep your pool safe and in peak condition, you need to be proactive with maintenance and avoid these costly mistakes. And this starts with choosing the right pool equipment and tools.
ProTuff Products is the ideal solution when it comes to swimming pool tools. Our products are high quality and will serve you for life, guaranteed, or we replace them for free. So, get in touch with us today for reliable pool equipment.
Disclaimer: Pool ownership and maintenance are very complicated, and we know every situation is unique. While we\’ve done our best to cover the best practices here, we encourage you to reach out to ProTuff directly at [email protected] with any specific questions you may have.
