Keeping Your Swimming Pool Clean and Ready for Use

Owning a swimming pool is fun, but it comes with a lot of responsibility. Not only does the pool have to be kept clean, but all the working parts of the pump and filter must also be maintained or they will not function properly. Adding chlorine and adjusting the pH of the pool are very important, but what else needs to be done to keep your pool running right? Here are a few things to consider. 

Basic Maintenance

Owning a pool means keeping it clean. The filter will do a good job of cleaning the water if it is functioning properly, but you still need to keep large debris out of the pool. Leaves and other large objects need to be removed from the pool manually. These items may get caught in the filter but if they do, they will very likely clog the system or cause damage to the strainer or plumbing of the filter system. Use a net on a long pole to manually remove them from the pool as soon as you see them in it. This will keep them from getting caught in the filter in most cases.

Pump and Filter Systems

Most pools have a pump that moves the water from the pool through a filter system and then back into the pool. There are several filters in the pump system, one right at the pump, and a strainer at the water ingest point. Check the pump filter and strainer daily and clean it out if there is anything in it. The pool filter itself is much larger and uses sand and media to filter the water. In most cases, the filter media will only require changing once a year and can be replaced by a pool maintenance company if you are not comfortable working on the filter yourself.

Above Ground Pool Versus Inground Pool Systems

The big difference between these two styles of pools is that the filter and pump system for an above-ground pool is located on the ground near the pool. It is exposed to the weather and is easily accessible for inspection and maintenance. The inground pool's filter and pump are typically located in a pump house and the plumbing for the system is buried under the surface and failure can mean tearing up the ground around the pool to get to it. This makes the above ground pool system easier to maintain for most homeowners and a pump or filter failure is cheaper because the labor involved in accessing them is much different.

In either case, if the pump and filter are maintaining properly, they can last for years without any problem. Enjoying the pool is worth the work to most people and once you get comfortable with your filter and pump equipment, you can check it regularly and go on to other things, like enjoying the cool, clean water in that pool. For more maintenance tips, talk to a company like Speck Pumps.