Some pool owners choose to have a pool company maintain their pools. Others prefer to do it themselves. At Goodall Pools & Spas, we have complete pool maintenance programs, but also have some tips for those who decide to do it themselves.
Test the Water
We recommend you test the water regularly, at least every other week. If you use test strips at home, the strip will show you roughly if your water is balanced, but the strips do not tell you what to do to fix any problems or tell you how much of any particular chemical to add.
You can have your pool water tested for free at any of our stores. Bring it to us, and we will test it and provide you a print-out of all the different water balance levels. The print-out will tell you what you need to do to balance the water and the order in which you need to add certain chemicals. It also is personalized according to the size of your pool and the chemicals you use.
In addition to what you need to balance your water based on your current test, the in-store water test will also show you what you need to add as part of your weekly maintenance like shock, and algaecide.
Balanced water has several benefits:
- It improves the water comfort for swimmers.
- It is safer for your family & friends.
- It increases the life of the liner.
- It makes it easier to maintain the equipment.
Filter Cleaning
The pool filter needs to be cleaned at least once a month. It may need cleaning more often if your pool has algae or cloudy water. Pollen season may also be a time when the filter needs to be cleaned more often.
Our service department has a filter cleaning service, so even if you choose to take care of your pool yourself, you may want to hand off the filter cleaning to someone else. We will come to you and clean your filter in your own backyard.
General Weekly Maintenance
There are things you need to do every week in addition to the water testing and filter cleaning. Routine weekly pool maintenance requires:
- Brushing the water line.
- Emptying the skimmer baskets.
- Making sure the pumps are running at proper prime.
For any questions about your do-it-yourself approach to pool maintenance, contact us at Goodall Pools & Spas for assistance.
