With the warm weather upon us now this is the time of year you should be enjoying your pool the most. Today we are going to give you a few pointers on how to deal with the peak of the season, including a few tips on what to do when you encounter hot days, increased pool loads, storms and also what` to do when you go on holiday. The most important thing you can do for your pool during the peak of the summer is pay more attention to it. In particular, the way it looks. If its dirty, the water has gone cloudy or its starting to change colour then basically it generally means something is wrong. The quicker you remedy this the better. It is always advisable to test your PH and chlorine on a daily basis, however this can be difficult with your busy lifestyle, however under normal circumstances it would still be good to test the PH and chlorine on a weekly basis. You should also check and clean your skimmer basket and the filtration pump at this time. Just note some baskets and the skimmer may need to cleaned daily depending on you’re the volume leaf matter that drops around your pool.
During summer there are many factors that can greatly change the balance of your pool water. Three of these factors are swimmers, heat and storms. Now we’ll have a look at these factors and the best way to resolve any issues.
High Pool Load
A big day of entertaining family and friends is always enjoyable but it’s important to remember that after a long day like that, your chlorine levels are going to drop. If you have had a lot of swimmers in the pool, if it’s been an unusually hot day it’s important to check your PH and chlorine levels.
If you don’t have enough chlorine in the pool you will start to see your pool water turn cloudy and start to change colour.
A great addition to your pool filter system is Magnapool. It will help maintain your chlorine and chemical balance.
Magnapool is a mineral sanitation system which uses the properties magnesium and potassium to disinfect the pool water which dramatically improve the look, smell and feel of your pool water. It’s perfect for children’s delicate skin and for those suffering from skin allergies and red itchy eyes. It also helps to prevent alkalinity fluctuations saving you hundreds of pounds which you would otherwise spend on sanitizing chemicals.
Summer Storms
After a summer storm its important to spend a bit of time tidying the pool and the pool area. A summer storm can make the pool turn green overnight so a little bit of help now will help solve any problems that might arise down the track. The first thing to think about would be the water level. After heavy rain the water level is going to get quite a bit higher in your pool, if this is the case you want to make sure that you lower it to allow all the leaves and debris to skim into the basket. While the water level is very important it would be better still to catch the leaves before they skim into the basket. So you’re going to need to spend a bit of time with your net, go round the pool picking up as many as you can. It might take a while for the leaves to drop to the floor so that will give you the right opportunity to get in there and get rid of them, otherwise they’ll just clog your cleaner up or your basket.
Heavy rain will also cause chlorine levels to drop significantly. It is a good idea to take your water sample up to your local pool shop for testing. In addition to low chlorine levels garden run off and storms coming from inland areas can lead to phosphates in your pool which can turn your pool green overnight. Finally check the clock and timer on your chlorine generator to ensure that lightening has not damaged the circuitry.
Going Away
During the summer there’s a good change you’re going to go away on holiday for a while, here are a few pointers that will help keep the pool as healthy as it can be for when you get back.
Fill the pool as high as you can, high water levels will reduce the amount of leaves being poured in the skimmer basket. You may come back to a dirtier pool but at least you’ll have less chance of damaging your pumps.
If you have a Swimming pool Solar Cover over your pool make sure you turn your chlorine generator down as pool blankets may lead to high levels of chlorine because water and chlorine is not lost through evaporation.
Lastly it’s a good idea to get your neighbour or friends to check the pool for you while you are away. If you do not have a Swimming Pool Maintenance contract with us, we are very happy to do this for you while you are away.
