Soon it will be pool season again in Arizona…even though in most most parts of Arizona, it is pool season year round! The days of 60 and 70 degree weather will all-too-soon be replaced by scorching 100 and 110 degree days. Before you jump in you should make sure your pool is still working at its full potential. CENTURY 21 Northwest has a helpful guide for what to do to prepare for a spring and summer of great pool adventures!
Pool Draining & Pressure Washes:
The first step to making sure your pool is ready is to drain the old water and clean the surface. Even if your pool is clean, there can still be accumulations of debris and unsafe organisms that can have very negative long term effects. After draining the pool, it is recommended that you pressure wash the surface. Pressure washing involves very pressurized water that can be warm or cold, even steam pressure, and is used to rid the pool of rocks, sand, debris, and harmful organisms that have built up over time. If you don’t own one, renting a pressure washer is simple and inexpensive!
Maintaining the correct pH:
Maintaining the correct pH of the pool is absolutely essential. If the pH is too high or too low, it can be hazardous to the health of you and your pool. If the pH is too high, it can hurt the equilibrium of the human body, but if it is too low, it can hurt your pool’s equipment. The recommended pH for your pool is 7.4, which happens to be the same pH of the human eye! However, a pH range of 7.2 to 7.8 is usually fine. Chemicals such as chlorine are more effective in the 7.2 to 7.8 pH range.
Suggested tips for pool maintenance:
-Empty all debris-catching equipment and run your pool filters after large storms as debris can be forced into your pool with high winds and rain.
-Set the timer on your pool equipment to run all of the water in the pool through the filter each day. In the summer months, you should run it for a few extra hours, and in the winter months, a couple hours less.
-If you see any form of algae, which can form in black, green, or yellow patches, make sure to act quickly! If the algae can be seen with the naked eye, there is already a major amount of algae formed.
-Purchase a pool cover or tarp to cover the pool equipment so that the pool equipment lasts longer and does not deteriorate in the sun.
Real life problems pool owners deal with:
-Not checking the pool’s chemistry often enough. Make sure to check the pool’s pH and alkalinity twice per week in the summer.
-Adding chemicals during the day. It is a little known fact that if you add chemicals to your pool during the day, it is far less effective than adding the chemicals at night. The reason for this? The chemicals will evaporate during the day!
-Not cleaning the pool often enough. Something as simple as brushing the walls of the pool will reduce algae growth!
-Not running the pool pumps long enough. A good rule of thumb is to run your pool pump for 1 hour for every ten degrees of outside temperature.
You are now ready to make this summer one of the most successful yet by utilizing your pool more often. By following our tips you will be able to maintain your pool longer and keep costs down. With the help of CENTURY 21 Northwest, you will make a splash this summer and beyond!
