Regular Maintenance For Pools

• Operate the filtration system six to eight hours a day in winter and 12 hours a day during summer

• Regularly check sanitiser levels, ideally on a daily basis

• Check the pH every two days

• Test Chlorine weekly and adjust the amount you add to compensate for temperature changes throughout the year. Chlorine levels fall in warm months and rise in cooler months. For salt chlorinators, the dial of % Chlorine production will need to be adjusted.

• Test pH and add acid as required, as indicated by acid demand test. Most often, the pH will be high, and acid will be needed.

• Clean skimmer basket (and if used empty the skimmer sock).

• Check water clarity.

• Look for algae in the corners of the pool.

• Check filter pressure gauge. If gauge says clean, then clean filter.

• Check water level and add water if required. The water level should be halfway up the skimmer box.

All of the above, plus:

• Test Total Alkalinity and adjust by adding Buffer, if necessary. Most often, the Total Alkalinity will be high, and no Buffer will be needed.

• Take a water sample to your pool shop for Stabiliser (sunscreen) and Phosphate tests. They will also do Chlorine, pH and Total Alkalinity, which will be an excellent guide to how accurate your pool water testing is.

• Check salt chlorinator cell and clean with cell cleaner, if necessary. Avoid using Hydrochloric acid, as you risk dissolving the coating on the cell plates. If your salt chlorinator is the self-cleaning / reverse polarity type, there should be minimal scale build-up, and it may not need cleaning.

• Clean pump basket. Remember to grease the pump lid "o" ring with silicone grease.

• Vacuum the pool into the filter, but if there is a lot of dirt in the pool, you can always vacuum to waste. Be aware this will lower the water level by 5cm so a top-up will be necessary. If you have an automatic pool cleaner fitted, you can ignore this step.

All of the above, plus:

• Take a water sample to your pool shop to test for Calcium hardness. You should also have this test done if there has been a lot of rain which dilutes the Calcium and Stabiliser in your pool.

All of the above, plus:

• Clean filter with a filter cleaner to remove oily residues and scale deposits that regular cleaning does not remove.

• Clean salt chlorinator cell with cell cleaner even if it is self-cleaning. There will be some scale deposits at the top of the cell, which will reduce chlorine production.

• Check pool surface for discolouration or stains and treat with a stain remover. Check pool cleaner and grease with silicone grease, where required.

Chlorine, also known as sanitiser, should be tested weekly during the swimming season. This is the most important test as it measures the water's ability to kill (sanitise) harmful bacteria.

Irrespective of how you sanitise your pool or spa the requirement for a residual level of 1.0-2.0ppm of free chlorine remains the same.

High levels of chlorine may cause staining of your pool surface and bleaching of your test kit reagents giving false readings. Low levels of chlorine allow harmful bacteria to grow; the first sign of which may be algae present in the pool and swimmers ear in children.

pH levels should be tested weekly and be between 7.2 and 7.6 for best results. In this range the Chlorine is most effective, and the water is not harmful to the pool surface. It will also prevent sore eyes and skin irritations for swimmers.

Some fibreglass pool manufacturers recommended the pH be 7.0 to 7.2, always consult your handover documentation to ensure you are adhering to the manufacturer’s advice.

The Total Alkalinity Test should be tested monthly and sit between 80 and 120ppm. Total Alkalinity slows down the change in pH, so that you need to add acid less frequently.

Stabiliser prevents chlorine loss by sunlight. The Stabiliser test involves taking a water sample to your pool shop monthly during the swimming season. The result should be between 30 and 50ppm and must never exceed 50ppm. Stabiliser should not be used in indoor pools or spas.

The Calcium Hardness test involves taking a water sample to your pool shop monthly. Calcium is needed to protect the finish in concrete pool surfaces (pebble, marble sheen). Some pool shops will test for Total Hardness, which includes measuring the Magnesium present in the pool water and is a more accurate test of Hardness. Calcium Hardness should be between 200 - 400ppm.

The Salt Content test involves taking a water sample to your pool shop monthly or if a lot of rain has fallen. The salt level must be kept at the manufacturer's recommendation. A low salt level will lead to not enough Chlorine being produced, and the cell will be damaged. A high salt level and too much Chlorine will be generated, which may cause staining of your pool surface and Chlorine bleaching of your test kit reagent, giving false readings. Salt levels depend on the make of the salt chlorinator but usually between 4000 and 6000ppm.