Proper Pool Care – Part 1

Author: Mark Agualera

Caring for a pool can be difficult to do. The instructions for a child's pool are simple: "Fill with water from a hose and enjoy." However, most pools require that you pay special attention to PH, filter types, algae color and extermination, chlorine levels, water hardness, and more. That is especially true for built in pools. It is essential, therefore, that you are familiar with the processes.

It is very important to maintain the correct PH level. Just as your body needs to have the proper PH level to survive, your pool needs the proper PH so that it will be safe for swimming. The PH of your pool is its level of acidity. Too much acid will make the pool toxic. A change in balance the other way will be harmful too - too little acid will also cause toxicity. The PH of your pool must be maintained at safe levels, so check it twice a month during the summer and monthly during the winter. Check your pool carefully in the spring and winter months when it has rained, because this can add acid to your pool.

You can get a kit to help monitor the PH if you'd like to do it yourself. Usually these tests include a small bottle of reagent and a tube-shaped container. Scoop some water from the pool into the tube, add a few drops of reagent, and shake. The reagent will cause the water to change in color from orange to purple or somewhere in-between. You can find the proper PH level on the side of the box, and safe is normally between 7.4 and 7.6. You can use the box to compare the color of the pool water to be sure you have the proper PH level. If you find the PH in your pool isn't safe, you can purchase increaser or decreaser at many stores to bring it back to balance.

The PH level is important, but so is the level of the chlorine. I'm sure you've seen a pool taken over by the color green. This is due to the absence of chlorine. This problem is usually corrected by adding a couple of chlorine tablets and a filter that will float around your pool. Maintaining this device is quite simple. Just add a few replacement tablets each week or so. On the other end of the scale, has your pool ever smelled like chlorine? This is due to too much chlorine, high levels of which can be harmful to your skin. With levels this high you should not be in the water.

You will not need to wait for a long time to swim, as chlorine does not last for a long time during the summer. Heat will destroy chlorine quickly, so during the dog days of summer it's wise to keep extra chlorine tablets in your pool. Chlorine is eaten up by body oils and sun lotions, in addition to anything accidentally dropped into the pool. If you happen to have children, things will surely fall in the water, so just learn to expect it. And it is not difficult to check the level of chlorine; you can purchase a testing kit. Merely fill the vial, add a few drops of your reagent, shake, and compare the color to the chart on the side of the box. During the summer months, chlorine tests will need to be performed every couple of days and once a week or so in cooler months.

PH and chlorine levels need to be monitored, and it is a rather simple procedure. However, it can be costly and time-consuming to remember those important steps: monitor the chlorine levels; test the water; purchase the kits, tablets, and chemicals; and monitor the PH content in the water. This is one of the reasons why having a pool care service is a good idea, especially when you have a nice pool. It may cost the same amount to hire a pool service as it would to go out and buy the products yourself. Hiring a pool service relieves you of the time and effort it takes to own a pool and maintain it yourself. All you have to do is remove the cover and swim.

About Author

As a contractor, Mark Agualera is gone for long hours. And after a ten hour day, he wants to eat dinner, kiss his wife, and play with his kids, not spend 20 minutes taking care of the pool. That’s why Mark hired a Serrano pool cleaning company to take care of his pool, leaving him time to take care of his family. Foothill Pool Care takes all of the guess work out of PH and Chlorine levels and allows Mark to relax, knowing his pool is in good hands. For more visit www.foothillpoolcare.com and http://www.foothillpoolcare.com/pages/pool-services.php

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