Most Common Pool Owner Mistakes

Swimming pool maintenance for a residential pool can vary in difficulty depending on many different factors. But for the typical backyard pool, keeping a sparkling clear pool should be a relatively simple task. Just a little knowledge, a little work, and a basic understanding of what makes the pool tick should do the trick. Most pool problems develop when the pool owner makes one several common mistakes.

No Chlorine - no matter how good a job is done with other pool care tasks, if there isn't any chlorine in the pool, it will lead to an algae bloom. During the summer months when temperatures are hot, a pool can turn from crystal clear to green in as little as one day. Diligence in testing and keeping a sufficient level of chlorine residual in the pool is a must.

Ignoring the Pool After a Party - most pool parties result in all the chlorine in the pool being used up. Ignoring this situation will leave the pool unprotected and lead to an algae bloom. Make it a habit to shock the pool and run the filter for several hours immediately after swimming is done for the day after a pool party.

Not Cleaning the Pool Filter - the goal of pool filtration is to turnover every gallon of water through the filter each and every day. When the pool filter becomes too dirty, the water flow through the filter becomes restricted leaving more and more of the pool water unfiltered each day. It pays off big time to get to know the pool filter cleaning requirements and make sure the filter never gets too dirty.

Clogged Baskets - it is very common for many different pool problems to be caused by either the skimmer basket or the pump basket being neglected and allowed to become clogged with debris. When this occurs, water flow is severely restricted and pool problems will be close behind. It only takes a few seconds to check the baskets every day.

Short Filter Runs - another common mistake is trying to save money by reducing the filter run time. Skimping on filtration will only lead to problems that will cost more than the savings in electricity. Do the calculations on how long it will take to turnover the water based on the size of the pool and pump and don't reduce the filter run time below those numbers.

Water Level - many swimming pool have slow leaks that lead to an insufficient water level. Also in the summer time evaporation can be significant, requiring the pool to be filled occasionally. Many pool have automatic fillers that solve this problem, but if not close attention should be paid to maintaining the proper water level. If the water level is allowed to fall below the skimmer intake, the pump could lose prime. If this happens the best scenario is a lack of filtration and a green pool. The worse case is a damaged or burnt out pool pump.



Having a nice swimming pool that's easy to maintain is surely an achievable goal. With proper care and maintenance, most pools should only require, on average, a few minutes a day, with a filter cleaning mixed in three or four times a year. Get to know the pool and learn what it requires to keep it looking good, and avoid the most common pool owner mistakes listed above.

 

 

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