POOLSIDE BLOG
Is your pool ready for Summer?
Make the most of your pool this summer with an easy 4 step program that will help put you pool/spa in good stead for the summer and keep your it looking great! Plus, with regular water testing, balancing and maintenance will ensure your pool it’s always ready to go during the hottest time of the year.
Make the most of your pool/spa this Summer with an easy 4-step program that will help put your water & equipment in good stead for the Summer and keep it looking great! Plus, combined with regular water testing, balancing and maintenance will ensure your pool it’s always ready to go during the hottest time of the year.
If you would like a personalised pool maintenance plan, head in-store and we can advise on the easiest and most cost-effective way to maintain your water this Summer.
Step 1: Remove your Pool Cover
If you haven’t already, the warmer weather means it’s time to take off your cover so you can jump in whenever you’re ready. You will need to drain off any water, dirt, and debris that has collected on the cover, and try to not let any go back into the water as these contaminants not only look unsightly, lots of debris can promote algae growth.
Once you’ve pulled the cover off, give it a good clean with the hose and store it away from the sun which will increase its life.
Step 2: Check the Water Level
If your water level is low, give it a top-up from the hose. Ensure the level is at least halfway up the skimmer opening to allow for proper circulation.
Step 3: Get your Water Tested
Once you’ve topped up your water levels, allow your pump & filter to circulate the water for 24-48 hours for a pool, or 4-6 hours for a spa. Fill a water sample bottle (at elbow depth), then visit us for a state-of-the-art water test and grab the required chemicals to balance.
If you’d prefer to undertake the water testing yourself, we recommend using the Biolab 6-in-1 Test Kit or Biolab Test Strips that we stock in-store. Healthy pool water has a free chlorine level of between 1-3ppm and a pH of 7.4-7.6 (*this will differ for fibreglass pools & spas).
Step 4: Check the Pump, Filter, and Skimmer Basket
Give all your pool equipment a once-over and make sure everything is in good working order. If you come across any damage or something that just doesn’t look right, take a photo of it and come in to see us for assistance, alternatively, you can book one of our service technicians to come to you.
We also recommend using BioGuard Filter Brite™ to clean and sanitise your filter. It restores the efficiency of your filter by removing scale and rust deposits, greases, oils, and organic wastes. It will also extend the life of your filter!
Following this simple maintenance program at the beginning of summer will ensure your pool water is healthy and sparkling over the warmer months.
If you’d like to know more, or just need some expert advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us in person, on the phone, or online.
Simple pool care tips
“It will cost you the same to maintain your pool for 12 months – whether you visit your pool shop every month in winter and every two weeks in summer, or if you ignore it and let your pool turn green throughout winter”
When the first hot day of summer strikes the last place any pool owner wants to be is standing in their local pool shop.
Grant Forbes, the owner of Poolside Beaconsfield, knows this better than anyone.
But lucky for pool owners everywhere, Grant has some handy tips to keep them out of store queues and in their pools – and it all starts long before summer hits.
If you do this, your visit to the pool shop at the start of summer will result in you requiring more chemicals and you not swimming until the pool has turned back to what is considered chemically safe.
So you can have a pool that looks fantastic all year round and is ready to use when you need it or you can stand in your pool shop on a hot Saturday morning getting frustrated because you’re standing in a queue in the pool shop to be told you need all these chemicals and cannot use your pool.
“It will cost you the same to maintain your pool for 12 months – whether you visit your pool shop every month in winter and every two weeks in summer, or if you ignore it and let your pool turn green throughout winter”
According to Grant, one of the keys to maintaining a quality pool is investing in quality equipment such as pumps and pool cleaners, because, as he says; You shouldn’t have to come home and work on a pool. You should come home and be in the pool!
Another important factor in keeping a pool looking tip-top is a pool cover.
A pool cover does three things, firstly, it keeps large debris out. The second thing it does is keep the heat in, and the third thing is that it reduces your water evaporation by 97%.
Once summer is over, a heating system can extend its use well into the cooler months. There are multiple heating systems on the market now with each having its own benefits. The first is a solar heating system that ideally goes on the north-facing roof and uses the sun to heat your pool water by way of a circulation pump.
Second is a gas-fired heating system that uses natural gas to heat your pool water by circulating the water through the heater.
The third is a heat pump which uses similar technology to reverse cycle air conditioning using the heat in the air to heat your pool water by way of a circulation pump.
Advice for any time of the year
The best advice I could give anyone is to visit their pool shop on a regular basis and do what the computer-generated report tells you to do without question. There are millions of pieces of data that come together in the software program to recommend what is best for your pool as no two pools are the same.
I also suggest having your equipment serviced each winter so it is in reliable condition for your summer swimming experience.
Swimming Pool Summer Maintenance checklist
As the weather heats up, storms become more frequent and the pool gets a lot more use. Here are our top tips to help your pool survive Summer!
As the weather heats up, storms become more frequent and the pool gets a lot more use. Here are our top tips to help your pool survive Summer!
Hot weather
Keep an eye on your water level. Especially if it's a little more windy than normal. This will cause the pool water to evaporate more quickly. Once the water level goes below the skimmer box, your pump won't work and your filtration system will also stop, which is the quickest way to get a green pool!
Storms & Heavy rain
When heavy rain is expected, lower the water level of your pool to avoid overflowing as this can pull dirt and debris from around your pool back into the water. You may need to drain the excess water from the pool using the waste setting on the multi-port valve on your filter.
Turn off the pump,
Change the valve handle from FILTER onto WASTE (not backwash!),
Open any valves on the waste line,
Disconnect any suction cleaners & vacuum plates,
Then turn the pump back on to lower the water level,
Once the water level is halfway up the skimmer box,
Turn the pump off,
Return the multiport valve to FILTER,
Reconnect the cleaner and
Turn the pump back on (or set the timer to auto).
If however, dirt has already entered the water, the use of a floccing agent to clear the pool water may be required. We strongly suggest coming into the shop to get the best technical assistance or book a service to ensure the best results.
After a storm, remove larger debris, empty your baskets and then allow your filtration system to run a little extra or even overnight to help clear the pool until you're able to give it a really good clean and correctly balance the water again.
Sometimes, power surges or outages will require you to reset older pool timers. Most newer chlorinators are the timer for your pool pump and have battery backups so they’ll continue to keep time until the main power returns.
If however, it does require adjustment, analogue timers are easy to reset, just spin the timer clockwise until the time is correct. Digital timers will require going into the settings and updating through the display, please refer to your user manual (most can be found online with a quick Google search).
If you need further assistance, contact us for help over the phone or come in-store.
High Usage
When you know the pool is going to get used a lot it's always best to ensure your pool water is chemically balanced.
Shock your pool with 5lts of chlorine or 500gms granular chlorine for a 50,000lt pool. During heavy use we recommend running the pool without the automatic cleaner attached, this will increase water flow and also prevent swimmers from being tangled in the hose.
Once everyone has finished swimming for the day, remove all debris from the pool such as toys, dirt, streamers, paper, bottle caps etc. Clean out all the baskets (both skimmer and pump baskets) and leave the filter to run for 24 hours as well as bring us a water sample to be tested and balanced.
Use an oxidiser such as Oxysheen or Burn out Extreme to quickly destroy organic material and clarify the water without excessive chlorine required.
Pool Safety
Every pool must have a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) sign prominently displayed, ideally in eye-sight of the step area as this is the most obvious place assistance would take place.
The addition of knowing how to perform CPR by taking a First Aid course (or getting a regular refresher) is vital in an emergency situation.
We hope these quick tips help you this Summer, we look forward to seeing you in store soon!