What Do You Use To Clean Your Cartridge Filter
Cartridge filters effectively purify pool water from particles flowing through the cartridge attachment. Best of all, it’s easy to clean by rinsing the filter chamber and cartridges with a garden hose. Most pool owners clean their filter systems every six months, depending on the chemistry of the water.
How To Balance Total Alkalinity
Finally, ensure that total alkalinity is within the required range of 80 ppm and 120 ppm to avoid bringing up pH levels and causing calcium scaling. To lower total alkalinity without extra equipment, add muriatic acid and aerate the pool to restore pH levels without having to add a pH increaser, which will increase alkalinity levels too.
How Often Must Your Pool Be Cleaned And Maintained
In short, the answer is Everyday!. There is always something you can watch for and clean up and maintain, its best to clean things and resolve issues as soon as possible, dont wait until the weekend, if you want to maintain your pool at the highest level. Doing smaller tasks throughout the month help so you dont have to do a ton of tasks and maintenance in a weekend. Its best to spread them out and do a little bit regularly throughout the month, so al the things on your to do list dont add up. Keeping your pool clean and maintained, you prevent problems from occurring and thus you are increasing the life and usability of your pool.
The most important thing you can do on a regular basis is to vacuum your pool. This should be done at least once a week, ideally twice. However, if you dont have a lot of debris, such as leaves, bugs, etc. or if you have a screened in pool, once a week should be sufficient. Vacuuming helps control the pH level in your pool much easier, so its a great regular maintenance and cleaning task you can do to keep your pool clean and safe.
Another weekly task to keep your pool in tip-top shape is to test your pH levels. Generally, the pH level of your water should be between 7.4 and 7.6. Be sure to adjust your chemicals as needed to maintain the correct numbers. Remember: vacuuming your pool regularly will help keep your pH balanced easier and more controlled.
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Check The Water Level & Remove Water As Necessary
During the course of a major storm, a good amount of water most likely will have found its way into your pool. This is OK all it means is that you should remove the excess water and return your pool to its normal level while cleaning. Using a sump pump or a siphon, take out the excess water and bring your water level back to normal, which should be just about halfway up your skimmer opening or the pool tile. You can also lower the water level by vacuuming to waste.
How Do You Replace A Swimming Pool Filter
Install a plug at the inlet and outlet of the pool before opening the filter. The plugs prevent water from flowing through the filter by gravity when the filter cartridge is replaced. Unscrew the cap from the chamber. Remove the used cartridge. Install a new cartridge. Replace the cover and tighten the screw.
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Prepare Your Cleaning Solution
Fill your bucket with a gallon of water. Pour 8 ounces of muriatic acid into your measuring cup, then slowly pour that acid into the water. Always pour acid into water instead of the other way around, because acid is more likely to splash out the other way. Another thing to keep in mind is that you want to pour slowly, because mixing the two together can produce heat, causing the mixture to boil.
Skim Leaves & Clean Storm Debris From Pool Surface
The first step to getting your pool back in shape after a storm is to remove the debris that is either floating on the pool surface or that has settled to the bottom of the pool. Using a skimmer or a leaf net, along with an extendable telepole, rake the leaves and debris from your pool. You will most likely need to clean out the skimmer basket often due the amount of debris in your pool. Do not worry about the small dirt particles they will be vacuumed up later in the cleaning process.
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How Many Lanes Are There In A Swimming Pool
Commonly a swimming pool will have enough space for 3-4 lanes. However, bigger Olympic pools which are much wider may even go as wide as to be able to fit in 8 lanes. Leisure pools are likely to make their lanes a little wider too to allow for swimmers doing lengths to easily overtake one another if need be. Lane swimming is often delineated as having a fast, medium and slow lane.
Schedule A Yearly Service Appointment Whether You Think You Need It Or Not
Sometimes you need to trust an expert. Especially when it comes to your pools mechanical equipment pumps, filters, heating systems you may not have the proper knowledge for care. At least once a year, have a pool service professional come out to check your devices.Before your appointment, take a thorough look at your pool as a whole, making sure to use all of your senses. Compile a list of any leaks you see in the piping, holes you notice in the linear, loud sounds coming from the mechanisms, or odd smells coming from the water. Mention them to your serviceperson in oder to give him or her an idea of where to start.In the event that there is noting amiss with your pool, the yearly service appointment may seem like a waste of money and it can be tempting to cancel. But remember: Detecting and fixing a small problem now can save you from having to fix a huge crisis later down the road.
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Administer Shock And Algaecide Weekly
Even if you maintain proper chlorine and pH levels in your pool, the water may need a little boost to keep it clear and sparkling. Once a week, you should shock or super-chlorinate your pool to kill any lingering bacteria or algae that may be growing. Shock treatments are available at your pool supply store make sure to read the package instructions carefully to know how much shock to add to the water since it varies based on the size of the pool. If youve noticed algae growing on the walls of your pool, you should also treat the water with an algaecide, a product designed specifically to kill algae. Algae can turn your pool water green, yellow or cloudy, so its important to prevent the growth.
Why Is The Pool Cloudy After A Rain
Rain water brings dirt, mud, dust, and other contaminants that contain phosphate, which breeds algae. With the presence of phosphate, the water will start to become cloudy even before the algae begins to grow. If you know a storm or shower is about to come, make sure there is ample chlorine to counter the dilution that rain water will bring, and have the filter running during the rain.
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Tips For Cleaning Pool Coping
- Written by Beth Dawson on Jul 23, 2010To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by
- 20-300
Cleaning pool coping can be a very tricky task due to the chemicals and tools involved. Pool coping stones are very susceptible to dirt and grime build-up and must be cleaned on a regular basis to prevent mold and mildew growth. This article will give you some tips on how to thoroughly clean your pool coping.
1. Use an Acid Wash
One of the best things you can use to clean your pool coping is an acid wash. The acid will eat away any and all of the dirt and grime, leaving your pool coping sparkling clean. However, before you handle any acid at all, make sure you wear proper personal safety gear and follow the acid manufacturer’s instructions. Failure to wear the proper personal safety gear can result in serious injuries to your skin, eyes, nose, respiratory system, or hands. Mix 1 part acid with 2 parts of water in an approved container. Apply the mixture to the pool coping very sparingly.
2. Use a Pressure Washer
How To Remove Calcium Deposits From Pool
You do what you can to keep your pool clean and well-maintained. You skim for leaves, bugs and other debris. You sweep. Even when you are not sure you need to, you vacuum.
Compared to some of your neighbors, you feel like a responsible pool owner.
One day, you notice that the plaster seems to be discolored right around the water line. Whats going on?
If this has happened to you, you are absolutely not alone. This is one of the more common questions pool owners have, along with another frequent query: Why is my pool green? Most likely, if you notice stains along your waterline, youre dealing with a calcium deposit. Unfortunately, it tends to be very difficult to clean calcium deposits.
Youre likely wondering how to remove calcium deposits but, what exactly are they?
What Youll Learn:
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Keep Distance From The Tiles
Another tip would be to keep distance from the place you are spraying. The thing about pressure washers is that they shoot extremely concentrated amounts of water, thats why they can cause damage to some tiles. To make the water not so concentrated, stay far from the spot youre hitting. We recommend at least 3 feet of distance.
Can A Reusable Face Mask Be Worn Inside
Some reusable face masks come with filter cartridges that can be used inside the mask for extra protection. Alternatively, you can choose a mask with built-in filters, commonly referred to as P2 or KN95 masks. These filters require special care, replacement and replacement, especially when washing the mask.
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Cloudy Pool Water: Causes Treatment And Preventive Measures
Cloudy or milky swimming pool water is caused by seven main issues: improper levels of chlorine, imbalanced pH and alkalinity, very high calcium hardness levels, faulty or clogged filter, early stages of algae, ammonia, and debris. This article will cover the seven main ways to clear that cloudy water and get your healthy pool back.
The Best Ph For Your Pool
Another thing youll want to watch is your pools pH level. Ideally, it should remain from 7.4 to 7.6. Veer outside of that for too long, and it can reduce the life span of your pool by as much as 50%.
Specifically, a high pH can result in rough mineral and scale deposits on your plumbing. Meanwhile, low pH water can cause the inside of your pool and its equipment to deteriorate, says , COO and co-founder of ConnectedYard, a Hayward Industries company.
Resurfacing your pool can also cost thousands, Janes cautions.
It doesnt take long to lose a pool, warns Carroll. Were talking days, not weeks. Maintaining it well is a lot better than trying to fix it afterwards, he adds.
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Can You Use Baking Soda To Clear Up A Cloudy Pool
NO! Baking soda is a base and will hugely increase the level of pH, which actually causes the water to turn cloudy. Some people may suggest using baking soda as a quick fix if alkalinity is high, but it is not a reliable pool chemical. Chlorine should be the only substance used to clear a cloudy pool.
How To Clean Pool Tile With Vinegar
Baking soda, borax, dish soap, toothpaste and vinegar can all be used in pretty much the same way to clean calcium deposits, so you can use most of the information here related to vinegar and apply it to those cleaning agents as well.
What do you need to start cleaning?
- a cleaning brush
- a spray bottle
- vinegar
Once you have these items, you can start cleaning.
There are no special tricks. You either put the vinegar in the bottle and spray the solution onto the calcium deposits or simply pour it on from its own bottle, then use the brush to scrub the scale away. Thats it.
These types of cleaners tend to work quite well if you catch and deal with the problem early on and employ them fairly regularly to prevent build-up.
What if the deposits dont go away with a little scrubbing? Its time for a different plan.
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Clean The Skimmer Basket
Frequency: 1-2 times per week
Cleaning the skimmer and pump baskets regularly is important to the overall maintenance of your swimmingpool. Clogged baskets make your pump work harder to try to cycle the water. This can decrease the lifeand stress the seals in your pump. Additionally, critters like frogs can get stuck in your skimmer, soyou will want to make sure those are removed in a timely manner as well. We suggest cleaning yourskimmer once or twice a week depending on how often you use it.
To clean the skimmer basket, simply turn off your pool pump and empty the removable basket under theskimmer lid, then replace.
Every once in a while, you should also clean out the pump basket on your pool pump. You dont have to dothis as often since the skimmer catches most of the debris.
Could It Be Ammonia Or Algae Starting Up
In rare circumstancesespecially during the beginning of summer when swimming pools are opening after closing for winteryour pool may have severe cloudy water that is difficult to clear. FC and cyanuric acid levels drop to zero or close to 0 ppm, there are very high CC levels, and there is a high demand for chlorine in your water, but FC levels will not rise easily, even after adding a lot of chlorine. If you notice these signs in your swimming pool, you have ammonia and you need to use a lot of chlorine to get rid of ammonia in your pool.
Early stages of algae make pool water look cloudy and dull. To be sure it is not algae starting up, perform an overnight chlorine loss test , which is done by adding chlorine to pool water in the evening when the sun is down to avoid depleting FC and taking the FC reading the following morning. If FC levels drop by more than 1 ppm through the night, the result is positive, and you have algae starting upand the sooner you get rid of the algae the better. Ammonia and algae come as a result of low FC levels, and the only way to keep them away from your pool is to maintain proper FC levels.
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Getting Rid Of Calcium Deposits
For light, thin calcium deposits, try using a soft brush and a solution of vinegar and water. If that doesnt work, try cleaning the tile with a solution of water and muriatic acid . Some retailers also sell specially formulated tile cleaners.
Another option is pressure washing. You can rent a pressure washer from just about any big-box home improvement store. Just be sure to use a low setting, and dont use a pressure washer on any loose or cracked tiles!
Pumice Pros and Cons
Pumice stone is another popular choice for removing small calcium scale deposits. Its inexpensive and easy to use, but wears out quickly and its not the fastest method, so this isnt the best option if youre cleaning all of your tile. Just be careful that you dont scratch your tile
If youve tried everything and those stubborn calcium deposits simply wont go away, it might be time to call in the pros. Check with your pool professional to discuss options like bead blasting.
When Should A Child Do Swimming Lessons Without A Parent In The Pool
As soon as a child can swim on their own for five meters, they could do a swimming lesson without a parent – especially if the lesson is in a teaching pool with a shallow depth. If you are in doubt or at all concerned, ask for advice directly from the instructor.
This information was published as a general guide by a guest author and should not be taken as fact as all trades differ with demand, time of year and so on.
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How To Clean Your Own Pool
This article was co-authored by Rob Litman. Rob Litman is a Landscaper, General Contractor, and the CEO of Vitoli Inc., a landscaping, hardscaping, ecoscaping, and swimming pool design company in Los Angeles, California. With over 20 years of experience in construction, Rob specializes in energy-efficient and drought-tolerant landscaping. He holds General Building Contractor and Registered Pool/Spa Contractor Licenses. In 2007, Rob won House of the Year in Gardena, California.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 12 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 385,612 times.
If you have your own swimming pool, you may want to save money by cleaning the pool yourself. It takes quite a bit of work to clean a swimming pool and you’ll have to monitor chemical levels at least three times a week. However, it’s worth it to keep your pool clean and safe for use.
