Prepare your pool for summer swimming
If you’re planning to spend summer lazing around in the pool, you’ll need to get it fit for swimming first.
Megan Cooksley, general manager of Pool Doctor, says how big the job will be depends on how well you’ve looked after your pool over winter.
‘‘Pools that have been looked after and have had their water tested monthly will just need a brush down and a vacuum, and a programme of weekly water testing started,’’ she says. ‘‘It’s a good idea to have the first summer water test done by your friendly local pool shop, so you can make sure you get the levels exactly right.’’
Weekly testing ensures water chemistry is at its optimum for swimming. ’’It’s important for bather comfort and health, to ensure the sanitiser works effectively and to promote longevity of your pool’s surface and equipment,’’ she says.
But those who have neglected the pool need to get it clean first. ’’Algaecides and clarifiers or flocutants will be your friends,’’ says Cooksley. ’’Algae is too fine for filters to catch so you will brush and vacuum it out only to see it return.’’
If you can still see the pool floor, you’ll need to use a coagulant to bond fine particles together so they will be big enough for the pool filter. Otherwise, a floculant will be needed to drop algae and debris to the floor first. Both processes can be tricky, so get expert advice.
‘‘Once the pool is clear, then get it balanced before jumping in,’’ Cooksley says.
The best way to do this is to take a water sample into your local pool store and ask exactly what chemicals you’ll need. Manually dosed chlorine pools will need to start having slow release tablets added and the dose of liquid or granular chlorine increased to once a week.
Pools that are sanitised automatically with liquid chlorine or salt or magnesium chlorine need ‘‘a summer start up’’ of Chlor Save (cyanuric acid) to prevent Uv-related chlorine loss.
All pools need their pump running time increased over summer to keep up with the extra usage. Cooksley advises running it for two hours a day for every 10,000 litres. Back-washing filters needs to be done weekly.
‘‘When you go in to your local pool shop to get your water tested it’s a good idea to bring a photo in showing exactly what products you have at home so staff can advise you on exactly what else you might need to get the pool ready,’’ she says.