In addition to ongoing maintenance, perform these tasks once a year to prevent problems and get maximum enjoyment from your swimming pool.
A swimming pool can be a source of wonderful family fun. However, it does require a substantial amount of attention. In addition to ongoing maintenance such as vacuuming and adding chemicals - which must be done throughout the swimming season - there are several things that should be done at least annually. Perform these 10 tasks once a year to head off problems and get maximum enjoyment from your pool.
1. Take a water sample to a pool professional for testing. Keeping the water in a swimming pool clear, sparkling and free of bacteria requires more than simply dumping in chlorine. Many other factors affect the water's clarity, including pH, hardness, and the presence of minerals. Properly adjust these levels before trying to fix a problem of cloudy or discolored water with simply chlorine.
2. Inspect the liner for small tears. Even a tiny rip or hole in your liner can cause a substantial loss of water. These holes or tears usually occur on the bottom of the liner. Tiny rocks can work their way up through the sand under your pool, and even tree roots can snake their way under your pool. In addition, when a removable ladder is used, sometimes a tear will occur where the ladder rests. Buy an underwater patch repair kit to fix these tears or holes without having to remove water from the pool.
3. Clean the sides of the liner. In the same way that a ring can occur around the edge of a bathtub, an unsightly ring also can form around your pool. Using a brush and a cleaner especially made for vinyl pool liners, scrub around the top edges of your pool to remove lines left at varying water levels. If algae has formed in the pool, scrub all the way down the sides and on the bottom, paying particular attention to the area where the pool sides meet the bottom. After cleaning, thoroughly filter the water.
4. Check the filtration system to ensure that it is running at peak efficiency. A clogged or dirty filter will cause your filtering system to work hard and produce poor results. The sand in a sand filter system should be replaced every year. Use only very fine sand recommended for use in pool filters.
5. Perform a safety check around the pool area. Different municipalities have varying rules about what must be done to prevent accidental drownings caused by children entering the pool, but most require some kind of fence with a locked gate around the area. Check that there are no openings in the fence that a small child could come through and that locks are latching correctly. The day after an accident is too late.
6. Spruce up the area around the pool. A little landscaping goes a long way toward beautifying a pool area. If the pool is surrounded by a deck, pressure-wash the wood or paint areas that need a touch-up. Consider buying new patio furniture or cushions.
7. Update your toys. Most pool toys are inflatables that don't last forever. Finding the source of an air leak is hard, and making a lasting repair is even harder. Usually, you're better off simply throwing out the toy and buying something new. Tubular foam "noodles" are cheap floating toys that last a long time. Connectors allow you to put the tubes together to form open chairs and other shapes.
8. Throw a party! One of the nicest things about owning a pool is the enjoyment that comes from having friends over to share in the fun. When you invite guests, make sure to tell them to bring a suit and towel. Then, for an instant celebration, set out some drinks and snacks and just add water!
9. At the end of the swimming season, prepare your pool for winter. Thoroughly vacuum the water. Get out every visible particle, then add sufficient chemicals to retard the growth of algae and bacteria. Lower the water to below the filter level. Unhook the hoses and empty any water from the filtering system. Put a winter cover over the pool and secure it tightly.
10. Count the days until you can open your pool again and start having another season of fun!
