How Above Ground Pool Filters Work
Before choosing an above ground pool cleaning method, it is helpful to understand how your pool filter works.
An above ground pool pump filters water with a sand filter, removing organic materials from the water like dirt, plants, insects, sunscreen, and hair.
Although sand filtration is the most popular, there are two other filters for above ground pools. A cartridge filter and a diatomaceous earth filter are the two different options for a filter system.
No matter what filtration system your pool has, the cleaning tools we show you work well.
How To Vacuum Above Ground Pool Clean Your Swimming Area With Ease
Cleaning your swimming pool is an inevitable task, regardless which type you have. But for most people, figuring out the steps to vacuum an above-ground pool can be nerve-racking. You may not follow the proper procedures which can be unfavorable for your swimming pool in the end.
Fortunately, this article will break down the step-by-step vacuuming process and everything you need to know to get your pools squeaky-clean.
Test And Tweak Your Water For Winter
Open or closed, knowing whats up with your water chemistry is essential to keeping your pool in tip-top condition. Take a few minutes to test your pool water before you begin closing.
You can test the water yourself with test strips or a water testing kit for a little more accuracy. If you want the most accurate results possible, you can also take a water sample to your local pool store and have them test it for you.
Your goal is a pH between 7.4 and 7.6, and alkalinity between 100 parts per million and 150 ppm, with 125 ppm being ideal. Also make sure the calcium hardness is between 175 ppm to 225 ppm, and that the chlorine is between 1 ppm and 3 ppm. If you use a different sanitizer, just make sure its at the proper level for whatever youre using. Since you wont be adjusting the water balance during the off season, its better to be on the high side of these ranges when you close your pool because theyll naturally decrease over time.
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Clean Your Pool One Last Time
You wouldnt put a coffee cup away dirty . So why do it to your pool? Head into the off season with a clear conscience. Before you winterize, clean your pool. Vacuum the entire pool, brush down the walls, and skim the surface.
A little prep now will save you from some potentially nasty surprises when you open your pool next spring. A clean pool makes it much easier to properly balance your water. It also ensures nothing is left behind to feed algae or mold that might develop during your pools long winters nap.
The Filter Is Your Friend
While the pool shock is doing its job, youll need to run your pool filter and pump to make sure the killing chemicals are circulating properly. If you have the right pool pump and the right pool filter for you, an eight-hour run time should be right on the moneyand save you money, too.
Since you just ran your vacuum or robotic vacuum, make sure that your water level is still about halfway up the skimmer, and top it off if it needs a boost. The last thing you want during an algae infestation is for your circulation system to run dry in your moment of need.
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How To Close Your Pool For The Seasonin Ten Steps
Okay, so youve got what you need. Now its time for the real work to begin. I wont pretend that its easy to close your pool for the winter, but I can tell you that itll all be worth it in the spring. And once youve got this process down, itll come back to you faster and faster every year. Because as you know: when it comes to pool maintenance, youre in this for the long haul. Better eat some protein for this first step.
How Do I Clean A Cloudy Above Ground Pool
Cleaning an above ground pool that has become cloudy is a must for the owner. If you own such a pool, you just cannot delay in doing so, or otherwise, there would be a chain of complications. So, if you are wondering how to become good at it, the following ways will certainly be of great help. Take a look:
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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.
Item Have Been Added To Cart
When pool water is cloudy, you may wonder why. Pool chemicals could be out of balance or the pH might be off. Chlorine levels and the right pH are key to keeping a pool clear.
If a pools pump or the filter isnt working right, the water may look murkier than usual. Storms or increased rainfall can affect your pool. So can too much sunlight, which can heat up the pool, allowing more bacteria to grow. The suns ultraviolet rays can break down a pools chlorine, resulting in lower levels of this chemical. Even having a lot of people over to swim might lead to a cloudy pool.
When pool water is cloudy, start by looking at the pool filter. Its designed to clear excess dirt and debris from the water. Dirty filters can leave trace amounts of particles in your water, leading to a foggy pool.
- Use a pool brush to sweep the area near your filter.
- Then inspect the filter to make sure it is both clean and functioning properly.
- Clean your filter at least twice a year to help it perform at its best.
Faulty or failing filters may have issues with their valves. Its possible that the filter cartridge may need to be replaced. If this is your first time using the pool, check to see if the filter is correctly installed.
To treat cloudy water due to poor filtration:
Tip: Replace the cartridge in your pool filter at least once each season for the best performance.
How to clear a cloudy pool with baking soda:
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Chlorine Is Too Dilute Or Concentrated
Adding chlorine to pool water helps to keep your pool safe for swimmingsimple as that.
Chlorine kills off bacteria and other micro-organisms which cause unpleasant diseases and health problems like athlete’s foot, Legionnaire’s disease and ear infections .
Your pool’s chlorine levels will fluctuate based on how many people swim in it, based on the amount of rainfall you receive, and based on the amount of sunlight that shines on the water. .
The sun’s UV rays can destroy the chlorine , and lots of rainfall will also dilute its levels, giving microorganisms a chance to multiply, which affects the appearance and safety of your pool.
If the chlorine level in the water is too high, it’s also possible for the water to take on a murky or opaque appearance.
As the levels drop, due to swimmers using the pool or the sun’s rays burning it off, the cloudiness should clear up.
You should test your pool’s levels each day to make sure they aren’t too low or too high!
If a lot of people swim in your pool regularly, you might need to test the levels more frequently.
The suggested amount of free chlorine is between 2.0 and 4.0 parts per million .
Remove The Junk And Debris From Your Above Ground Pool
If you have algae, chances are there is something in your pool to encourage it to grow.
- Dead leaves
- Bugs
- Even just the fact that people have been in your pool.
all that means there is something in your pool for the algae to eat. Your job is to get rid of that meal.
You are going to need a good pool skimmer. You want something with a long handle and a fine mesh.
Start at the edge of your pool and work your way inwards. Make sure to empty the net every so often so that the dirty water flows easily into the mesh and catches all the debris.
The other thing that helps is the above ground pool vacuum. This is perfect if the debris isnt floating anymore and is at the bottom of the pool. The vacuum attaches to your water hose and pushes all the debris into the attached netting.
We relied this a lot when we had our above ground pool.
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Regularly Clean And Replace The Filter
There are several kinds of pool filters, but they all have the same job: capturing debris that can cloud and pollute your pool. Hardworking pool filters should be cleaned about once a week by removing and hosing down the cartridge. Its also important to replace the cartridge when its time, based on the manufacturers recommendation.
Which Pool Filter Is Best
There are three types of filters: DE , cartridge , and sand. Each has its own pros and cons. A DE pool filter is the most efficient when it comes to filtration, followed by cartridge, and the sand filters. Here is my detailed guide on types of pool filters, how to select the best one, and how to properly maintain it.
Private Pools
DE and cartridge filters are recommended for home pools and may not be the best when it comes to public pools due to their tendency to clog. The filter medium for DE and cartridge filters also require frequent replacement.
Public Pools
A sand filter is always best when it comes to public or semi-public swimming pools, but the sand used in a sand filter also gets clogged and becomes ineffective, which may cause your water to be cloudy or dirty. Consequently, the sand should be replaced every year.
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What Causes Cloudy Water In Above Ground Pools
Before we discuss the steps on how to clear cloudy above ground pool water fast, lets first talk about what causes the murkiness in the first place.
We always believe that prevention isbetter than cure. If youre going to prevent the pool from becoming cloudy inthe first place, you need to know what causes it.
Here are the most common causes:
Shock Your Pool At Night
To get rid of all the gross and dangerous crud in your cloudy pool water, shock your pool. This mega-dose of chlorine will help eliminate cloudiness caused by bacteria, organic contaminants, and algae.
Note: If the cloudy water in your pool is due to a pool algae bloom, youll have to double or triple shock depending on the type of algae thats invaded your pool. And always shock your pool at dusk or night for maximum effectiveness. Read more about that here.
Why is my pool cloudy after shocking?Adding pool shock to an otherwise perfectly clean and balanced pool can even cause temporary cloudiness. But if you add the proper dose of shock, it can clear your pool right away if your pool water filtration and circulation are working properly.
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How To Clean Above Ground Pool
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No one wants to swim in a pool with dirty, cloudy water, so pool cleaning and maintenance skills are crucial for any pool owner. In an above ground pool, filtering and skimming the pool regularly is key to maintaining clean water — but so are brushing the walls and vacuuming the floors. Most importantly, though, you must maintain proper chemical levels in the pool so the sanitizers work effectively. However, with an above ground pool, you must be sure to use cleaning equipment that is suited for the pool’s materials so you don’t any damage during the process.
Maintain Your Pool During Winter
If you are closing your above-ground pool during winter or any cold months, there is a way to clean your pool and get it ready for winter so that you dont have to continue to maintain it as stringently as you would during the heat of summer and swimming season. This winter pool maintenance is referred to as winterizing your pool.
Here are some major steps to follow when winterizing your above-ground pool:
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Why You Need To Know How To Winterize An Above Ground Pool
If youre fortunate enough to live somewhere with mild winters, you might not have considered what a pool needs to weather a frigid off season, and you might not close it at all. But if you live in a climate where winter comes to call with frost, snow, and deep cold, winterizing your poolpreparing it for and protecting it against winters ravagesis essential to keeping your pool in good working order.
During the sunny days of summer, your pool is wide open and a tempting target for insects, leaves, branches, and the occasional lost critter. Thats no big deal during swim season, because youre performing regular maintenance.
But in the winter, your pool is unused, and its not so rewarding to grab a skimmer and head out in the blizzard to hunt for debris.
If you leave your pool uncovered, youll have serious work ahead of you come spring. In addition to having to clean out your pool, youll need to rebalance the water, and maybe even deal with freeze damage.
Winterizing your pool minimizes your risk of contamination and cold damage to sensitive components. Youll save time, money, and frustration. Really, what more incentive do you need?
Do Not Empty The Pool
You do not need to empty the pool unless its an emergency situation. Examples: Any major structural work or algae growth that is too thick for you to handle. Emptying the pool just to refresh the water can cause damage. If your pool is built on dirt with a high water table, it can actually lift out of the ground without the weight of pool water to hold it down.
The best way to keep your water clean over the winter isyou guessed it a good pool cover!
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Is There Really Algae In My Pool
If youre looking to identify algae, first take a quick look at your pool water. If its cloudy and has taken on a green, yellow, or even black hue, you can be sure algae is the culprit.
Next, check the corners of your pooland this includes the hidden parts of your stairs. If youre at the beginning of an algae infestation, youll see green, yellow, or black spots around these covert areas. Wait a bit, and the algae will make itself knownand will be a lot harder and more costly to clean out. Again, if theres one thing I can tell you, its this: dont wait.
Oftentimes, its hard to see the actual color of algaeespecially if your pool is extra cloudy. If this is the case for you , its probably helpful to know exactly what youre dealing with.
There are three types of pool algae:
How To Know If Your Chlorine Is Imbalanced
The wider the range between free and total chlorine, the more combined chlorine is present in the water. Combined chlorine should always read below 0.5 ppm or just 0 ppm, if possible. This means you should test chlorine levels on a daily basis and adjust it as appropriate before there’s excess chloramine, especially during the summer when it’s hot and the pool is used heavily.
Safe pH Level for Swimming
The correct level of pH in a swimming pool should be between 7.4 and 7.8, with 7.6 being the ideal level.
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Accumulate The Unwanted Stuff To Get Rid:
Among the smart pool equipment, there is a pool clarifier that is now used by many modern pool owners. This tool helps in bringing the junk at one place. Thereafter, bring on a vacuum that would pull them up right from the bottom. In this process, you cannot do things manually. Just keep the water running and the filter close as it would do its work right at the bottom of the pool.
