Unique Pool Maintenance Ideas You Can Try at Home

Having your own backyard pool is a luxury worth indulging in. Not only does it provide outdoor fun, physical exercise, and a great place for parties and entertaining, but it also adds considerable value to your home. There’s one problem, though: pools require maintenance. Without the right upkeep, your pool can turn into stagnant, overgrown standing water — a perfect breeding ground for disease-ridden mosquitos. Taking care of your pool is essential. These unique, helpful pool maintenance ideas can help you keep your backyard swimming pool in top condition.

Pool Scrubbing and Skimming

Your pool’s circulation and filtration system help keep out debris, but you’ll still need to skim the water and clean the sides of the pool periodically. For the bottom of a pool, try one of those nifty robot vacuums. Like an underwater Roomba, they’ll take care of sticks, leaves, and other debris that settles at the bottom. You’ll also need to scrub the sides of the pool to stop algae from growing. Even with a high-end Pentair pool pump, optimal pH balance, and a good filtration system, these resilient life forms can still take hold. Mustard algae, in particular, is highly resistant to chlorine. For stubborn algae spots that won’t go away with a basic scrub brush, try this weird but effective pool maintenance idea: fill an old sock with chlorine and let it sit for a while. This eats away at the algae, making it easier to scrub away.

Chemical Levels

Maintaining the right balance of chemicals is one of the most important, and the most challenging, aspects of pool maintenance. If it’s not balanced correctly, the water can become murky from bacterial growth. Improper chemical balance can also irritate your eyes and skin. To maintain the ideal water chemistry, you should test the water at least once a week with a simple testing kit from your local pool store. It’s worth keeping in mind that pool chemicals can be expensive. Fortunately, we have some helpful pool maintenance ideas to keep expenses down. Sodium bicarbonate is sold as a solution in stores, but here’s the thing: sodium bicarbonate is baking soda. You can save money by substituting household baking soda, at a fraction of the price.

Pump Filter Cleaning

Occasionally, you’ll need to clean the pump filter. Having a little bit of dirt in the filter can actually be a good thing, as it helps trap other particles and improve the filtration. But eventually, too much dirt and debris will build up, and you’ll need to take the filter out and clean it. A good rule of thumb is that your filter is due to be cleaned when the difference between the flow meter and the pressure gauge exceeds 10 pounds per square inch.

Features of Pentair Pool Pumps

One of the best ways to reduce the need for constant pool maintenance is to invest in a high quality variable speed pool pump. This is probably one of the best pool maintenance ideas we can possibly offer. Pentair pool pumps are top of the line, providing excellent energy efficiency, whisper-quiet operation, and great circulation to keep your water fresh, clean, and free of bacteria and algae.

At All Florida Pool & Spa Center, we’re Miami’s leading authorized retailer for Pentair pool pumps. A powerful yet energy-efficient pump, combined with regular maintenance and cleaning, can help keep your swimming pool water pristine.