Pool Maintenance 101: How to Keep Your Pool Water Clean and Clear

Knowing how to keep your pool water clean is an essential skill for any pool owner. In this video, the Doheny’s Pool Pros will make pool cleaning easy by guiding you through the basics of pool maintenance, equipment, and chemicals.

The first step in learning how to properly maintain your pool is getting to know your current pool equipment. What type of filter do you have, what brand of pump? Check the manufacturer and model number on the back of the units, and read more about them in their owner’s manuals or on the internet. Once you know what you’re working with, you can begin the cleaning process.

Circulation, Cleaning, and Chemicals

Circulation:
In order for your pool to run properly, prevent algae growth, and remain clear, it must have good circulation. This is dependent upon your pump and filter. The pump circulates water through the filter, which then removes all the little debris that would otherwise cloud the pool. For this process to work, your system needs to be running at the correct pressure. Filters have a pressure gauge that measures PSI (pounds per square inch), typically located at the top of the filter tank. Different pumps run at different PSI, so you need to consult your owner’s manual or check with your manufacturer to determine the appropriate PSI for your setup.

You can perform a feel test, simply putting your hand in front of a water return jet in your pool, to check if the system is working and water is flowing. If it feels slow, you can check your skimmer baskets for leaves and debris, cleaning them out if they’re full. If the flow still hasn’t improved after that, it’s time to clean your filter.

There are three main types of filters, cartridge filters, DE filters, and sand filters. To clean cartridge filters, simply remove the cartridge and either hose it down or soak it in a cleaning solution. Having a spare cartridge around to use is recommended, so you can always have your pool running. DE filters are similar to cartridge filters, but instead they have grids, or “fingers,” that need periodic cleaning. For sand filters, perform a backwash as directed in your owner’s manual.

Cleaning:
Start out cleaning by using a leaf skimmer on a telescoping pole, removing the larger debris floating around the water. This step is important to do before the chemicals have a chance to break them down into smaller, more troublesome pieces. After removing the large debris, brush the pool walls to remove algae and other small particles. Finally, it’s time to vacuum all around your pool.

There are a variety of different vacuums, including manual, automatic, and robotic. For the purposes of this demonstration, we will be focusing on a standard pole vacuum. Setting up the vacuum is pretty simple. First, turn off your pump and filter. Then, install the vacuum plate on your pool skimmer. Next, attach one end of the vacuum hose to the vacuum plate and the other end to the vacuum head. Finally, turn your pump back on and vacuum the entire bottom of your pool.

Brushing and vacuuming your pool once a week goes a long way towards discouraging algae growth. While it may seem like a chore, it’s a lot easier than trying to get rid of an algae bloom.

Chemicals:
The proper use of chemicals is essential to keeping your water sanitized, safe, and balanced. The first thing you’ll want to do is test your water using a testing strip or kit, which you should do once a week to ensure pool sanitation. You’ll mainly be concerned with three things: chlorine levels, pH, and alkalinity.

Chlorine is used to kill germs in your pool and should be maintained at 1 to 3 parts per million.
pH is the measure of the acidity in your pool and should be maintained between 7.2 and 7.6.
Alkalinity is the measurement of your water’s ability to maintain pH and should be kept at between 80 and 123 parts per million.

Safety is the most important consideration when using chemicals. Make sure you read all the warning labels and safety information before you use a product. If the directions call for you to dilute your chemicals in water, always add your chemicals to water, do not add water to your chemicals! Adding water to your chemicals can cause unexpected reactions and result in serious injury. After you understand safety precautions, you’re ready to start balancing your water.

Start with alkalinity. Since it is a buffer to pH level, it is important to correct alkalinity before you correct pH. If you find your alkalinity is too high, use pH Minus to lower it. If it’s too low, add some Alkalinity Plus. Then, move on to pH. If your pool pH is too high, bring it down using pH Minus. If it’s too low, use pH Plus to bring it up.

Low chlorine levels can be brought back into the proper range by adding chlorine in the form of chlorine tablets, granular chlorine, or shock. In order to shock your pool, you should use two forms of shock, chlorine shock and oxidizing shock. First, use the chlorine shock. Dissolve it in a bucket of water and carefully pour it around the perimeter of the pool, distributing it evenly. You should wait at least 12 hours before using the pool after putting in this chemical. The next step is to add oxidizing shock. Apply it using the same process as you did with the chlorine shock. It is safe to swim just 15 minutes after using this chemical, as it does not raise chlorine levels.

Now you know all the basics of pool maintenance! Make sure to check out the video for a step-by-step visual tutorial on how to keep your pool clean and clear. Follow our Facebook and YouTube pages to keep up to date on tons of helpful tips and how-to’s for your pool journey.