You thoroughly enjoy your pool, but if we’re honest, it can be a true time-suck and money-monger.
That is if you don’t know what you’re doing.
We’re going to let you in on a little secret to pool maintenance that will save you time and money – and keep your pool water looking fantastic.
Here’s what it is: Circulation.
Yep, if you can keep your water flowing, the pool will stay clean and sparkly.
But if the water isn’t flowing well, the pool will look dirty, you’ll be a slave to the cleaning master, and you’ll spend more money on chemicals than you need to.
So just why is good water flow so important? Without great circulation, the pool’s filter can’t do its job. Essentially, circulation is the foundation of a fantastic-looking pool, while the filter is the heart of it all.
Here’s another way to look at it:
Imagine you’re making a glass of sweet tea. You pour sugar (chemicals) in your glass (pool) but don’t stir it. All the sugar would fall to the bottom of the glass. When you take a sip, you’ll be getting unsweetened tea from the top of the liquid – not the bottom.
That’s what happens to your pool chemicals, too, if you don’t follow effective pool maintenance practices.
Here’s what you can do to save time and money on pool maintenance.
1. Skimmers
Your pool skimmers should pull the water directly into the filtration system. And so should the main drains.
Not sure where they’re pulling? Put your hand adjacent to the suction port, located underneath the skimmer basket. Then, adjust the valves to ensure that the pool pulls from each port.
Once you have them all set, you can label each valve to ensure they stay in the correct position, or create a diagram you can refer to later.
2. Return jets
The jets should all point in the same direction, ideally at a 45-degree angle that’s directed toward the bottom of the pool. One way to remember it: Point the jets at 4 o’clock or 7 o’clock and ensure that the jets are not pushing water toward the skimmers.
This way, you’re really stirring up the bottom of the pool (remember that glass of tea?), helping to move the chemicals (sugar) and direct debris up.
3. Step jets
Keep the stairs to your pool clean by angling the jets on the actual steps upwards – pointing to the top of the steps. This way, the jets will help dislodge the dirt that rests on the steps.
4. Pressure gauge
One of the best ways to promote optimal circulation involves the pressure gauge running at a normal range.
What is normal pressure? You can check the gauge after the pool system backwashes. That is your normal range.
You can also check the return jets, using your hand. The pressure should feel pretty strong.
Once you see that the pressure is rising above normal by 8 to 10 pounds, it’s time to backwash the filter or clean it.
5. O-rings
A damaged o-ring will affect your pool’s water pressure. So it’s important to check these every so often and replace any that are compromised.
You can take the o-ring in your hand and bend it gently. If you see any cracks, it needs to be replaced! It’s that simple.
When checking the o-rings, you can lubricate the ones that are in good condition. You’ll get a more effective seal around the o-rings and promote better water pressure.
Getting started
That’s it! These are the five steps you can follow to ensure you’re not wasting time or money on pool maintenance.
Where do you struggle with pool maintenance? Is it with finding time to do it, or knowing the proper steps to follow?
