It’s almost time for summer in sunny South Africa! With that comes our innate desire to be in the pool with friends and family.
There is, however, nothing worse than planning your first pool party for the season and then realising the pool looks scandalous!
Here are some tips on how to get your pool ready for pool party season and having loads of fun!
- Don’t empty your pool
Pool owners are advised never to empty their pools as the lack of weight from the water, can result in pools in high water tables lifting out of the ground.
- Clean it up
Before doing anything else, do a proper clean-up of the pool. Start by emptying all baskets and cleaning the filters. Remove all plugs used, but make sure to leave the cover on while doing these tasks.
- Top it off
If your pool’s water level dropped during the winter, make sure it is filled to the brim
- Test your water
Have your water tested by a professional, like a Pool Professional off the Junk Mail website!
- Balance your chemicals
Based on the results from the Professional, balance the chemicals in your pool to the below:
- PH levels between 7.2 to 7.4. The pH level dictates how much Chlorine turns into hypochlorous acid in the water. Use soda ash to increase pH; muriatic acid or sodium bisulphate to decrease.
- Total alkalinity from 80 to 120. Alkalinity is a pH buffer—pH levels will be consistent if the alkalinity level is correct. Use sodium bicarbonate to increase alkalinity, muriatic acid to decrease it.
- Calcium hardness from 150 ppm to 250 ppm (parts per million). This is directly dependent on the hardness of the water. The softer the water, the more calcium it will absorb from its environment. It will actually ruin a marble dust (a finish product), it will even affect vinyl. Adjust the calcium hardness by using calcium chloride.
- Chlorine from 1 ppm to 3 ppm. A popular product for backyard in-ground pools are cyanuric-based tablets (the ones that look like large white hockey pucks). Cyanuric acid inhibits the sun’s ability to burn off chlorine. It’s like a sunscreen for the water. You can put the tablets in your skimmer baskets, but their low acid content means they’ll eat metal—a problem if your pool has a metal filter system or a heater with a copper heat exchanger.
- Wait for the water to clear
Don’t dive in yet. The filter has to be cleaned every day until the water is clear. Expect the entire process to take about a week. You may have to add chlorine to keep it at the right level. Only when the water is clear and you can see the pool floor should you remove the cover. Remove the cover too soon and you’ll end up with more leaves and pollen and debris to clean out.
- Clean the debris
Now that you’ve removed the cover, make sure to vacuum all debris, leaves etc from the bottom of the pool to keep the water clear.
- Maintain
For the rest of summer, you simply need to make sure the pool stays clear of any debris and keep the chemicals balanced in the pool water for all-round fun!
Now the fun starts! Send awesome summery invites to all your friends to celebrate your clean pool!
