Having dirty pools can pose serious health risks to you and your family. While most of the consequences are often attributed to improper maintenance, following incorrect pool cleaning procedures can be as dangerous.
In this article, swimming pool cleaning experts in Las Vegas go over some of the most popular mistakes that you need to avoid.
Ignoring your pool’s chemistry levels
Maintaining your pool requires you to properly preserve several chemical levels to keep it clean, safe, and comfortable to swim in. There are three major levels that you need to watch out for:
- Alkalinity: This refers to the levels of alkaline material in your pool. Too much or too little alkalinity can significantly affect the pH levels and may even damage your pool walls and equipment. Ideal alkalinity is between 80 to 120 ppm.
- pH Levels: This indicates how acidic or basic your pool is. Too much acidity can make the water unsafe, and being too basic can accelerate bacteria and algae growth. Ideal pH levels should be between 7.4 to 7.6.
- Calcium Hardness: Calcium often builds up over time which causes white lines to form around the waterline. That can damage your pool material and equipment. The ideal Calcium Hardness should be around 200 to 400 ppm.
Ignoring the chemical levels since you’ve not been using the pool lately can lead to dire and expensive consequences. We recommend having your pool’s chemical levels checked at least once a week.
Applying chemicals during hot weather
Most pool owners believe that adding chemicals to the water can be done regardless of the weather. That’s not always the case. Pool chemicals like chlorine become less effective if added during hot weather.
When chlorine is exposed to high levels of ultraviolet light from the sun, they convert to gas and get released into the atmosphere. When applying pool chemicals, consider doing so during the late afternoon or early evening.
Not having your pool treated after heavy use
Whether you’ve had visitors or just hosted a pool party, you must treat your pool right after. Even if you just had your pool treated before the event, that should be standard procedure. Dangerous contaminants like bacteria, germs, and algae can easily pollute your pool when many people use it.
Be sure to treat and filter your pool for several hours after heavy use.
Forgetting to clean the pool filters
Many pool owners tend to overlook the importance of cleaning pool filters. If the pool filters aren’t cleaned regularly, algae can grow and infest the water. That can lead to inefficient water filtration and even damage the pump motor.
Keep your pool filters clean or replace them if needed. You can even try soaking the dirty filters in a mild solution of muriatic acid. If that’s too much, you can always hire a professional.
Not running the pool filter and pump system long enough
The pump system and pool filter are what clears your pool of dirt and keep the chemicals mixed when water goes through the filtration system. However, they need to be running for at least eight hours to complete the process thoroughly.
Some pool owners tend to run their pool filter and pump system for less than eight hours daily as a cost-cutting practice. Doing so will give contaminants time to grow. You’ll eventually end up running both your filters and pumps for far longer just to keep up with the spreading pollutants.
Keep these mistakes in mind
Keeping these mistakes in mind and a little preventive maintenance can go a long way in making your pool clean and safe. Having a well-maintained pool can also prevent major issues from occurring and may even reduce lifecycle costs.
However, it is understandable that life may get in the way of keeping your pool maintained. If that’s the case, consider getting assistance from an expert.
Clark County Pool & Lawn is family owned and operated company specializing in residential pool maintenance. Contact us today if you’re interested in our services. Our team would be happy to get back to you.
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