The following swimming pool maintenance tips should get you started.

• The best time to test the water is in the evening, before adding chemicals and again first thing in the morning to ensure it is suitable for the days bathing.
• If the swimming pool is used heavily then water tests should be carried out at least three times a day.
• The ideal pH level for pool water is pH 7.5
• Strong sunlight can reduce the amount of Chlorine in a swimming pool, therefore, monitor levels closely during hot sunny spells.
• Pool water should generally appear clear blue in colour, any variations, such as cloudiness, may be caused by bacterial or algae growth, suspended matter or other contamination which must not be ignored.
• Check water at the return flow of water to the pool and add any chemicals at this point as well to ensure effective mixing with filtered water.
• Regularly clean the pool surfaces including the waterline to ensure that build up of sun-oils, body fats, algae, airborne pollution and other dirt is not left to build up.
• Pool surround paving slabs should be cleaned with a strong Chlorine solution, brushed away from the pool.

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Running a swimming pool does involve daily maintenance. These tips should give you an idea of how easy this is though.

• Test pH & Free Chlorine levels using a test kit. Ensure pH is within the 7.2 - 7.6 range.
• The pool filter should run at least 8 to 10 hours per day (24 hours per day is best). Set your pool timer or remember to run the pool manually if you don't have a timer. If you are not running your pool 24 hours per day, it is best to have it running during the daylight hours (instead of night).
• Make sure your skimmer baskets are empty and clear of leaves or other debris.
• Chlorine must be added to the pool daily idealy by either by placing 3" slow dissolving chlorine tablets in the skimmers once per week (4-6 tablets are normal for 16x32 pool) or using an automatic chlorinator. Make sure the unit is full and that the dial is set to a level that gives you a good daily chlorine reading depending on how long you run your system.
• Alternatively you could use a chlorine floater with slow dissolving tabs inside it. Keep floater in pool at all times and refill it weekly.
• The next best method is to manually add either granular chlorine or quick tabs to pool skimmer every day.

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There are some maintenance jobs that should be conducted weekly to ensure that your swimming pool is kept in tip top condition.

• Completely backwash filter
• Check return flow of water to the pool. Add chemicals at this point to ensure effective mixing with filtered water return.
• Test & adjust water for Chlorine, pH and Alkalinity.
• Add Chlorine to pool (see "Daily Pool Operation" section).
• Vacuum pool floor and walls.
• Shock pool and add algaecide.
• It's a good idea to do this on a Friday evening ready for heavy weekend usage.
• Empty skimmer baskets.
• Check pool ladder and board/slide fittings are secure.

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Just like regular household chemicals there are guidelines for storing swimming pool chemicals.

• Minimise the different types of chemicals you store.
• Don't buy more than you will consume in a season. Some of the more hazardous pool chemicals don't keep well.
• Keep wet hands and dirty scoops out of your chemicals. Contamination is often a cause of problems.
• Don't store pool chemicals where other materials can fall into them.
• NEVER mix swimming pool chemicals of any type! When adding chemicals to your pool allow one to disappear before adding another.
• All forms of acids react dangerously with all forms of chlorine or bromine. NEVER mix Chlorine compounds that look or smell alike may not be the same: you have to know the actual chemical. Allowing even small amounts of different chlorine sanitisers to touch each other can be REALLY dangerous. In particular, trichlor and calcium hypochlorite can react dangerously on contact with each other. Once they're dissolved in the pool, though, they get along fine.
• Use gloves and glasses.
• Make sure chemicals are locked away from small children.
• Always label containers

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At times for maintenance it may prove useful to work out the weight of the water in your swimming pool. The below figures are for guidance only.

• One gallon weighs 10 pounds.
• One cubic foot weighs 62.7 pounds.
• One cubic foot of water contains 6.25 gallons.
• One cubic meter of water contains 220 gallons.

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The below calculations are for measurements in feet, if metric multiply the end result by 220 to get the correct gallons of water.

• Rectangular pool: length x width x average depth x 6.25 = gallons of water
• Round pool: 3.143 x radius x radius x average depth x 6.25 = gallons of water
• Oval pool: length x width x average depth x 6.25 = gallons of water

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There are several types of filters available for swimming pool water. Sand and gravel, diatomaceous earth, anthracite, and cartridge types are the filter mediums most commonly employed. Regardless of the medium used, the basic principles are the same.

This consists of passing water through tiny passageways. Particles larger than these passages are trapped and thereby separated from the main body of the water. This process continues until all of these passageways are blocked. The filter must then be cleaned and the cycle repeated.

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A filter is designed to remove sediment and suspended matter from the main body of water, however, some dirt will inevitably settle to the bottom of the pool during periods when the filter is not in operation. The only way for this sediment to be removed is through vacuuming.

The swimming pool vacuum operates in a similar manner to the common household unit except it draws water through the vacuum head instead of air. There are two ways in which this may be accomplished. One method employs a jet of water supplied by a garden hose to power the suction which draws the dirt into the head to be trapped in a cloth bag. The other method uses the suction power supplied by the filter which draws the sediment and dirt from the pool floor for removal through the filter. When there is a considerable amount of sediment to be removed the filter valves should be adjusted so that the vacuumed water will bypass the filter and run to waste.

It is recommended that the pool be vacuumed about once weekly, the exact schedule to be determined from the pool owners experience.

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Hair, lint, leaves and insects which enter the pool and remain floating on the surface can be easily removed with surface skimmers. There are two types of surface skimmers-hand and automatic. The hand skimmer is simply a plastic screen or net attached to a long pole and should be used to remove the larger floating objects such as leaves and grass.

The automatic surface skimmer is a device which is attached to the filtering system. During the filtering process, part of the surface water is drawn through the skimmer and into the filter, carrying with it dust, small insects, and other fine debris before these can settle to the pool floor.

The pool should be skimmed frequently since most dirt enters the water through the surface.

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On occassion pool water may appear cloudy or murky

Causes:

• Algae
• Too high a hardness level
• Too frequent backwashing
• Inefficient filter
• Plugged or channelled filter
• Precipitating calcium compounds
• Improper pH
• Improper total alkalinity
• Too high a total dissolved solids content

Remedies:

• Inspect the pool's filtration system
• Adjust you pH and total alkalinity to proper levels, as well as the free available chlorine
• Maintain a consistent 1.0 - 1.5 ppm free chlorine level

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Algae. Green, cloudy water or dark green or black spots on pool walls. Algae is not only unsightly, but it makes surfaces slippery. Algae can clog pumps and filters, and may harbour bacteria.

Causes:

• Insufficient free-chlorine residual
• Not following routine pool maintenance, including testing and sanitising.

Remedies:

• Super-chlorinate
• Check pH and adjust, if necessary, to comfort zone: pH 7.2 - 7.8
• Brush spots with pool brush to remove clinging algae
• Maintain a minimum chlorine residual of 1.0 to 1.5 PPM

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You may have suffered from sore or burning eyes after swimming in a pool.

Causes:

• Improper pH
• Combined chlorine

Remedies:

• Super-chlorinate
• Adjust pH to proper 7.2 - 7.8 range
• Maintain proper levels of pH, total alkalinity, and free chlorine residual

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On occassion you may find brownish stains on the pool surface.

Causes:

• Corrosion of pool's metal hardware due to low pH
• High pH
• High alkalinity
• Dissolved metals

Remedies:

• Adjust pH to 7.2 - 7.8
• Adjust total alkalinity
• Check with us about acid washing your pool

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You may find that water flow through your filter is impeded, resulting in increase in circulatory system pressure.

Causes:

• Algae
• Calcification
• Hair
• Suntan lotion
• Improper pH
• Improper total alkalinity

Remedies:

• Check the guidelines for your pool, including proper pH and total alkalinity, adjust them to proper levels
• Maintain proper levels for pH and total alkalinity

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Although pool water may look nice when it resembles soap bubbles it's not very practical!

Causes:

• Too high a concentration of algaecide
• Organic debris in water

Remedies:

• Read product labels carefully, and obey dosage instructions
• Discard water, as necessary
• Super-chlorinate
• Adjust pH, total alkalinity, and free chlorine residual to proper ranges
• Maintain those proper levels

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Scale deposits are the White, grey, or brownish deposits on the swimming pool surface or the heater coils.

Causes:

• Calcium carbonate deposits caused by excessively hard water
• Accumulation of dissolved solids

Remedies:

• Adjust pH to 7.2 - 7.8
• Adjust total alkalinity
• Check with your us about acid washing your pool

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The water in your pool may appear an unusual colour. Treatments and causes vary between newly filled pools and those with existing water.

In a newly filled pool the water turns blue, brown, or black when first treated chemically.
Causes:

• Chlorine turns unseen copper, iron, or manganese in the water into unwanted and highly-visible compounds
• Water velocity in circulatory system too high

Remedies:

• Adjust pH to 7.8
• Run filter continuously and backwash as required
• Vacuum settled material to waste
• Check velocity of water to make sure copper is not leached out of lines

Sometimes water in already-filled pool turns various colours.

Causes:

• Leaves, other organic debris in water
• Algae

Remedies:

• Clean pool of leaves or other debris
• Super-chlorinate
• Adjust the free chlorine residual, the pH and total alkalinity to proper levels
• Maintain those levels

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The term Total Dissolved Solids refers to all dissolved materials in the swimming pool. They can cause erratic pool behaviour, scaling, staining, reduced chlorine efficiency.

Cause:

• Insufficient fresh water added to pool

Remedies:

• Discard 'old' pool water
• Adjust your pool guidelines to proper range
• Maintain those proper levels

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