Regardless if you’re a first time pool owner or a seasoned veteran, pool maintenance can feel overwhelming and daunting. We here at Aqua Tech Pools in Marietta, Georgia are here to assure that pool maintenance does not have to be that way!
Knowing how to properly maintain your pool will give you a sparkling, pristine pool nearly all year round. On the other hand, ignoring pool maintenance or simply not knowing what to do or often to do it, can lead to a dangerous swimming pool environment. Check our list below on some of the most common pool maintenance mistakes to avoid these pitfalls!
8 Common Pool Maintenance Mistakes
1. Not Checking Pool Chemicals Often Enough
Checking pool chemicals should be done at least twice a week during the summer and once a week during the winter (yes, even during the winter!). By doing so, you can make minor adjustments to water chemistry. If the chemicals are not checked enough, you run the risk of having to make a big adjustment to the chemical balance and that, unfortunately, can have the opposite effect and actually cause a chemical imbalance in the water.
2. Taking a Sample to Your Local Pool Supplier
This might sound surprising to most, and while we don’t mind if you bring us your sample, we want you to be prepared to answer some vital questions: how long does the pool pump run daily, do pets use the pool, what is the plaster condition, does the pool have a leak, what type of pump is used, etc. All of these questions can have an impact on pool chemicals…and could have you spending hundreds of dollars on chemicals that you don’t need, which could create a chemical imbalance. If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
3. Not Cleaning the Cells in Saltwater Systems
Cells can become corroded or calcified, which produce little chlorine. Just as a filter needs to be cleaned, so does a salt cell to operate efficiently.
4. Backwashing (aka Backflushing) DE Filters Too Often
If DE filters are backwashed or backflushed too often, the filter can never reach its full cleaning potential. If you backwash on a regular basis for no reasons, you are wasting water. DE filters require backwashing when the pressure gauge rises 10 PSI above normal or every six weeks for maintenance. Filter pressure is determined after a filter clean is done, which is considered a “clean reading.”
5. Not Backwashing DE Filters Enough
Backwashing a filter is simply reversing the water flow back through the filter and into the skimmer. In essence, you are rinsing the grids.
6. Using Too Much or Too Little DE After Backwashing
Too little DE will not properly coat the grids; too much will cause it to cake inside the filter. Either way will damage the grids, and you will have to replace them sooner than later. Always consult the DE bag for the amount to add back through the skimmer and use a DE scoop or one pound coffee can for accurate measurement.
7. Not Emptying the Skimmer Basket Enough
When you have pets that swim, trees that drop leaves, or landscaping that can wash into your pool, you must empty the skimmer baskets and pool pump pot several times a day if necessary. Pet hair, leaves, twigs, etc., will pack the skimmer baskets and pump pot so that water cannot flow through them. This results in poor circulation and can cause equipment damage. It can also create algae from the decaying leaves and water not circulating in the pool.
8. Not Running Pumps Long Enough
During the summer you should run your pool pump eight hours during the day because that’s when it is hottest in Marietta. It is all about keeping the water circulating in your pool, which is key to maintaining a healthy swimming pool.
Aqua Tech Pools LLC: Pool Services in Marietta, Georgia
Don’t let these common pool maintenance mistakes damage your swimming pool! Instead, contact Aqua Tech Pools, the leading provider of weekly pool maintenance services and pool repair services in Marietta, Georgia. See why hundreds of Marietta, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, and North Atlanta residents have entrusted their swimming pool maintenance to us over the last 30 years.