The Right Tools Make A Big Difference
9. Using an automatic pool cleaner can be a simple way to keep a pool clean. Its important to use it properly, though. In general, using a robotic cleaner two to three times a week during normal, temperate weather for about two hours is all thats needed to maintain a clean pool. Excessive use should be avoided. Excessive rubbing of the cleaner against a vinyl liner can be abrasive enough to cause the pattern to wear off of the vinyl.
10. Use equipment which is designed specifically for use in a vinyl liner pool. Keep all equipment in good condition. Replace any badly worn or defective parts before continuing use in the pool. For example, a vac head with missing brushes may cause a wrinkle to form in the liner and possibly tear the liner if the suction is strong, and if the vac head remains in one spot for a long period of time.
A Fair Bit Of Warning
Before revealing to you the different household products you can use to clean your pool, its important to point out that they work only on traditional chlorine-based swimming pools. They might not work as well if youre using other pool maintenance systems like salt pool water systems and oxidizers.
How To Remove Organic Pool Liner Stains
Theres no doubt that cleaning and treating organic stains is easier than tackling metal-based ones. By first ridding your pool water and filter of foreign debris, you will be able to see the stain and pinpoint where exactly it is coming from to be mindful of the area in the future. Vacuuming the surface and scrubbing the walls and pool floor will also help treat and get rid of the organic stain. During this process, it is essential to test your pool water. Investing in a test-kit that measures the level of chlorine and pH will be beneficial to minimize the appearance of stains before attempting to scrub it or use powerful shocking chemicals.
For tough organic stains, you may have to use pool stain removers. Make sure to purchase one that can be used on your specific pool liner as they can cause more damage than good if not used properly. As always, be sure to store these chemicals properly as they can pose potential hazards to children and pets.
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How To Select An In Ground Pool Liner
The first step in installing an in ground pool liner is to make sure to gather the right measurements. Excessive numbers can cause loose and wrinkled results. Short measurements can cause too much stretching. This can lead to poor durability over a period of time. In ground pools usually have different levels of depths. Consider this when taking measurements.
After that, the next step is to know the thickness of the liner that you will be using. The usual thickness used is 20 mil. Other options are 28 mil on the wall with 20 mil floor thickness and 27 mil thick pool liner. There is also the 30 mil thick liner.
20 mil liners are the cheapest among these choices. Durability is average and usually lasts up to almost a decade. You can use this up to 10 years, provided it goes through proper maintenance. If not, it can last for only around 3-5 years. 27 mil liners are also great options for in ground pools. They offer added durability and improved protection against UV rays. UV rays can damage the liner material and shorten its lifespan.
30 mil is the most durable and offers better protection against sharp objects. However, the thicker the pool liner is, the more difficult it is to install it. The thicker options also cost extra every time you upgrade to a thicker one. After deciding on the thickness, check the design, pattern and color choices. You may choose designs and patterns that match your homes décor.
Installing A Pool Liner Can Drastically Improve Your Pool But It Also Needs A Lot Of Maintenance Check Out These Tips For Cleaning A Pool Liner Here
Have you noticed stains on your pool liner? Are you worried about the build-up of bacteria and other germs in your pool?
Cleaning your pool liner is a vital part of owning a pool. It’s the best way to keep the pool fresh, clear, and looking beautiful. Without regular cleaning, you’ll find that you and your family often get sick after a swim.
The problem is that if you don’t know how to clean the liner correctly, you could end up doing a lot of damage.
That’s why we’ve put together this in-depth guide to help you every step of the way. Check it out down below!
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Keep In Balance: The Chemicals In Your Pool
The chemicals in your swimming pool should always be balanced. Testing the chemistry of your pool water is rather easy to do. For instance, in order to maintain a hygienic environment that prevents algae and bacteria from festering, you should keep your chlorine levels balanced. Any substance that comes into contact with your pool water, be it leaves or other types of debris, might affect the waters chemistry. But a regular check will have you covered.
Can You Patch A Pool Liner Underwater
In most cases, youll probably have to patch your pool liner underwater. If the leak isnt too far down on the pool wall, you can drain some water, if youd like, to make it easier to work with.
However, dont drain all the water unless theres just no other way to do it. Draining the water out of a vinyl liner exposes it to the elements and dries it out. This can make it brittle and more prone to tears.
Pool patches and adhesives are waterproof and made to be used underwater. So, while its sometimes not the easiest thing to do, repairing your pool underwater is necessary.
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The Largest Selection In Canada
We carry liners from the industrys leading manufacturers, such as Swimline Pool Products! With largest online selection of above ground liner patterns and over 10,000 liners in stock, were sure youll find a refreshing new pattern for your pool all available for order at the best prices online in Canada!
Guide To Cleaning A Pool Liner
If you need to clean your pool liner, there are many ways to do so. Pool owners have a few different options for how they can go about cleaning the liner. First, you should know that there is no right or wrong way to clean a pool and it just depends on what works best for you.
The first option is using an automatic cleaner or robotic vacuum cleaner. This type of vacuum cleaner would work well if you dont want to bend over and scrub the bottom of your pool manually with a brush or netting.
The second option is scrubbing your liners by hand which may be more effective than using an automatic cleaner depending on how dirty the bottom of your pool is as well as what type of pool liner you have.
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The Best Solution Prevention
A regular maintenance schedule can help ensure that you can spend your summer hours swimming in your pool instead of scrubbing it down. Check the pool on a daily basis and scoop up any debris or toys that may have been left in the pool.
If you do find that a stain is beginning to form, make time to scrub it away before it has a chance to get comfortable. Being slow to respond to stains could turn a minute long job into an hour of scrubbing.
For any extra questions about how to keep your vinyl pool liner clean, or to ask the experts to help with some stubborn stains that your pool has acquired, simply pick up the phone and get in touch with Pool Craft. We can give you the advice you need or we can send our team out to make your pool squeaky clean!
Everything To Make Installation Easy
At Pool Supplies Canada, we want to make installing your own above ground pool liner easy so in addition to our large pattern selection, we also have the largest selection of above ground pool accessories online in Canada. We sell everything to make your DIY liner installation as easy as possible!
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Video Answer: Continuing Education : Vinyl Liner Cleaning
- You want your patch to stick to the liner, so its important to make sure theres no dirt or debris hanging around it. You can use a rag, pool brush, or gentle scrubber pad to wipe it clean. But use a light hand so you dont make the tear bigger.
- Maintaining the Pool Liner Use a pool cover. To keep the pool liner clean, use a pool cover when you are not using the pool often. Have the proper chemical levels in the pool. Most pools will self clean and maintain themselves well if there are proper chemical levels in the pool. Clean the pool regularly.
Weekly Above Ground Pool Maintenance:
- Skim the surface, vacuum and fully brush the pool, in that order.
- Test total alkalinity, should be between 80-120 ppm.
- Clean the pool deck and surrounding areas, helps keep the pool clean.
- Add maintenance doses of algaecide, clarifier, metal control.
- Add chlorine tablets to refill the floater or chlorinator.
- Backwash or clean filter, only if pressure gauge rises 7-9 psi.
To clean your above ground pool, youll need pool cleaning tools, like a tele-pole, skim-net or leaf rake, pool brush, and a vacuum hose and vacuum head for vinyl pools. Brushing is important to remove films and dust particles from surfaces, where they can be filtered out of the water.
Pool pH is very alkaline dependent. Your total alkalinity level helps your pH remain stable. If too low, your pH level can fluctuate easily, and if too high, your pH level can be difficult to adjust.
Maintenance doses of algaecide and clarifier are very important for above ground pools, which can quickly turn swampy if chlorine or filtration suffers. Algaecide acts as a backup to such situations, and clarifiers help small filters immensely, to prevent cloudy water and algae blooms.
Add enough chlorine tablets to raise the chlorine level into the 2-4 ppm range, and strive for consistency. Most above ground pools use 2-4 of the 3 chlorine tablets per week, in a chlorine floater or chlorinator.
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Balance Your Water Chemistry
Test your water chemistry at least once a week to ensure its proper balance. Maintaining balance will keep the pH at the correct level and prevent corrosion. When the pH I too low, and the water becomes acidic, your liner will slowly degrade over time.
Key Chemicals
Keep an eye on these elements of water chemistry. They are the most likely culprits for damaging your pool liner:
Chlorine – High chlorine levels will degrade your pool liner faster. Always dissolve chlorine in a bucket first and then add it to your pool to prevent the granules from coming into direct contact with the vinyl. And when adding multiple chemicals, only add one at a time. This will prevent over-concentration in one area that can bleach and damage your liner. In addition, try not to over-shock your pool. If you aren’t having any issues, you might consider shocking a little less often.
pH – try and keep your pH levels between 7.2 and 7.8 to prevent the âacid bathâ effect.
Calcium Hardness – the âhardnessâ or âsoftnessâ of your water is determined by the calcium in your pool. Water that is too soft can also damage a pool.
Alkalinity – your total alkalinity will affect your ability to influence your pool pH. If it’s difficult to make adjustments to your pH, test for your total alkalinity.
Try Using Natural Cleaners
If youre not one for harsh chemicals, there are plenty of natural and organic options for removing stubborn stains on your pool liner. White vinegar or organic dish soap are great alternatives and can help you tackle most mildew and stains with less health and environmental impact. Theyre also cheaper than many of the other pool cleaners you can buy.
Pro tip: Be careful when using any cleaner to avoid bleaching or fading your liner. Always follow your manufacturers instructions and test new cleaning products on a small area before moving forward.
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Clear Away Debris Regularly
One of the best ways to keep your swimming pool clean and free of bacterial stains is by clearing out the debris every day.
Leaves, bugs, and other debris all contribute to adding foreign germs to your pool water. If left alone for too long, all that debris starts to build up. It creates stains and discoloration throughout the entire pool.
It’s also no fun to swim in a pool full of debris.
Instead of cleaning out the debris only on the days you go swimming, make sure to make it a priority every day your pool is open.
How To Patch Any Pool Liner Fast
Vinyl pool liners are a popular choice among pool owners for a lot of reasons.
For one, theyre less expensive than concrete or fiberglass pool options. And for another, they make swimming pool maintenance much faster and easier.
Theyre also pretty durable, but that doesnt mean theyre never susceptible to tears or holes. Unfortunately, thats one of the cons.
Depending on the size of your pool, a leak may or may not cause you some alarm. But try not to panic.
Leaks arent fun, but theyre certainly not hard to fix yourself in most cases. Hopefully you dont need this tutorial just yet, but bookmark this page in case you ever do!
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Measure Twice Buy Once
All you need to determine which size liner your pool requires is a tape measure and something to write down your measurements. Because pool walls can warp and shift, take each measurement twice.
To get the height of any shape above ground pool, measure from the bottom rail to the top. Remove any obstacles from the ground to ensure an accurate measurement.
Check your result by measuring the height on a second section of wall. If the figure is between standard liner heights, round up.
Don’t Cover Your Pool Right After Treatment
Another way to take care of your vinyl liner is to leave your pool uncovered after treating your water. You will need to leave it uncovered for at least 24 hours after adding chlorine or other chemicals. The sealed environment under the pool cover prevents the chemicals from being able to properly dissipate. And keeping them trapped can cause excessive exposure and lots of fading.
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Clean Your Pool Frequently
The more often you clean your pool, the cleaner it will stay. That probably sounds like common sense, but not everyone realizes the importance of daily maintenance when it comes to pools.
- You will want to pay close attention to the waterline of your pool. This is where you will notice a build-up or possible discoloration. The discoloration can be caused by a variety of things, but the two most common causes are dirt and metal.
- If you notice an extreme amount of discoloration or staining that keeps returning after cleaning, you may need to have the copper or metal level checked in your pool. If any of the components of your heater are going bad, copper can be leached into the water. When this level is high over a long period, it can result in damage to both the liner and your pool pump and filtration system.
- When you clean the edge of the pool, you can use a handheld brush or mitt. You may see pool cleaning stones on the market. STAY AWAY from these! They are made to clean stains but not for vinyl liners. They are too abrasive and will destroy the top of your liner.
As Far As Possible: Sharp Objects And Toys
Now, this tip might not seem related to your pools cleanliness, but it in fact has a lot to do with your pools safety and hygiene. Sharp objects and toys that are unsuitable for the pool environment could either tear your liner or alternatively, introduce new bacteria to your pool water. The tears of the liner could accumulate unwanted algae and other debris. Eventually, harming your pools cleanliness.
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Keep An Eye On Your Pets
Pets love the pool too – but you might want to keep an eye on your liner, especially where they exit the pool after swimming. Small scratches can turn into holes, so make sure your dog can easily exit the pool or they may try to swim to the side and claw their way out. Training your dog on how to exit the pool is important for the health of your liner and for the safety of your pets. Don’t assume all dogs know how to swim!
Keeping The Liner Clean
The most important thing to remember as you begin to clean the liner is that it is not indestructible, so you need to practice care when cleaning. While you can feel comfortable using gentle force to scrub the side of the pool, you dont want to use anything extra abrasive because it will harm the liner.
To clean your vinyl pool liner, follow these steps:
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