Common pool maintenance mistakes can take years off of your pool’s lifespan. Keeping your pool clean and in good operating condition will reduce many possible problems. At Hawaiian Pool Builders, we want you to be aware of some of the common pool maintenance mistakes in order to keep you ‘in the swim’ all summer long.
We’ve listed four to get you started on a mistake-free summer:
Allowing your skimmer basket to “float up”
When skimmer baskets are brand new, they come with some sort of weight that sinks the empty basket under water into its proper position in the skimmer. When that weight is lost, many people continue to use the basket. Sometimes the basket floats up when the pump is turned off and continues to float when the pump is turned back on, which allows debris to be sucked underneath (rather than through) the basket and then directly down the skimmer line which often causes clogged lines. Put a large rock into the basket to weigh it down if you have lost the weight. Make sure the rock is larger than the hole in the bottom of the skimmer so if the basket cracks the rock can’t be sucked down the PVC line! Don’t use any metal object that can rust as a weight.
Letting the pets play in your pool
There is nothing like a fun day in the pool with your long-haired retriever, however, make sure to properly care for your pool if it’s both human and K-9 friendly. Net your swimming pool promptly after your animal’s swim. Also clean your skimmer basket and filter the following day to ensure the hair doesn’t get back into your swimming pool. Proper maintenance can prevent excessive debris or worse – a clogged impeller.
Vacuuming large debris through skimmer without using a leaf trap
A leaf trap has a bag inside for catching debris and is placed between the end of your pool vacuum hose and the skimmer. It keeps leaves from clogging your skimmer line when you vacuum. It’s OK to not to use a leaf trap as long as you are vacuuming small things that can’t clog the skimmer line, but never go without it when sucking out acorns, sticks, large quantities of leaves, etc. This can lead to a service call to unclog the skimmer line.
Incorrect use of algaecide
Most algaecides will highly reduce your chlorine level upon application. It’s important that you counteract this effort by ensuring that you have a high level of chlorine in the pool prior to applying the treatment. Low levels of chlorine in conjunction with the algaecide can turn a green pool even greener! Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to keep your pool pump on to allow the algaecide to reach all corners of your pool.
At Hawaiian Pool Builders, we offer excellent maintenance packages, so you don’t have to worry about this common pool maintenance mistakes.
