How to Look After Your Backyard Swimming Pool – A Guide

Having your very own pool in the backyard is like a dream come true. It adds a lot of activities to do in your free time, whether it’s throwing a party or swimming as an addition to your workout routine. Either way, a backyard swimming pool adds many benefits to your life. However, these benefits do not come without a cost- the maintenance.

If you are new to the subject, then chances are you do not know much about how you should take care of your swimming pool. We have researched to give you the best advice on how you should keep your backyard swimming pool safe and hygienic for everyone to dive into.

1. Skimming & Scrubbing

The first thing to take care of is taking all the debris out of your swimming pool. Skimming the leaves and other solid materials out of the pool water is necessary and requires effort daily. If you want to avoid having to do the cleaning yourself every day, consider getting a robotic pool cleaner that will do your job for you.

Another issue pool owners face, is the problem of cleaning the sidings. Getting rid of algae and other contaminants stuck to the sidings requires you to scrub the pool weekly. some of the spots can also be quite stubborn to clean so try using chlorine. Chlorine weakens the algae and makes your life a whole lot easier when it comes to cleaning.

2. Keep the Filters Clean

Just as humans have kidneys, the filters of your swimming pool serve the same purpose. All the dirt, leaves, and other impurities in your pool are removed by the filters, so taking care of them is a must. You can turn the filters off and take out the filter basket and remove all the piled-up debris. You should do this every week so that the filters can do their job efficiently. Again, for cleaning the filters, you could take help of professionals who provide pool supplies as they have experience in installation and maintenance.

Next, we need to clean the pipes used by the filter to drain away all the unwanted substances. Use the backwash function on the filters and remove all the leaves from the basket. Afterward, run your pumps until clean water comes pouring out. Lastly, set up a timer and routine for your filters as constantly turning them on and off can be harmful to the system.

If your pool is located in an outdoor area, you can rest assured that everything from small twigs, leaves and other particles are going to get into your filters. One of the best ways to ensure that this does not happen is to go for the best pool grates. They will not only provide protection in terms of preventing things from seeping inside, but will also add the visual attraction you are looking for.

3. The Chemicals

One of the most important parts of maintaining your swimming pool resides in the chemical levels that are present. If neglected, improper levels of chemicals can cause harmful effects when you use the pool as bacteria can build up. Hence, the water should be tested weekly. Buy a few testing kits which will help you figure out the current conditions of your pool’s chemical levels.

Some important chemical levels need to be taken into account to keep your water crystal clear and odor-free. First is cyanuric acid which protects chlorine from the sunlight and tells you the level of free chlorine which should be present. Free Chlorine acts as a sanitizer for your pool and keeps it free from bacteria.

Next, you need to test the backyard swimming pool for its acidity or alkaline levels. Total alkalinity balances the PH scale so that the pool does not erode and is recommended that you keep the level between 60-120. Last but not least is calcium hardness which you need to maintain to prevent plaster damage. Levels of 220-350 are fine for usual pools.

4. Baking Soda & Pool Shocking

A pool is quite expensive to maintain especially when you need to buy chemicals for it. Enter baking soda, the cheaper alternative to chemicals. This helps control the PH levels and does the same job as other expensive solutions since it has sodium bicarbonate in it.

One procedure you can try is to give your pool a shock. Now, this doesn’t mean dropping some live electrical cables into the water, instead, it refers to a process commonly used by public pools. Increase the chlorine ( or other cleaning substance) so that all the bacteria are cleared up in a few hours. Mix chlorine with water and insert it in the pool return line and then let it do its work before you slowly start refilling the pool with water. It is worth noting that shocking may cause damage to your pool’s sidings but is still recommended that you do this once or twice every season.

5. Maintain the Water Level & Clear Out Oil

Maintaining the water level of your backyard pool is just as important as maintaining the chemical levels. The water levels are bound to change with water splashing out of the pool or rain naturally increasing the water levels.

You can easily deal with this issue by pouring more water in when the level is too low and by pumping out the excess. Pumps are quite heavy and may cause harm to your pool so contacting a professional is a good idea. The chemical levels have a close relation to the water level so make sure to recheck them after leveling the water.

When you have an impressive outdoor environment for a pool, throwing parties and jumping in with friends is only a matter of time. When people exit the pool, they leave behind the oil from their bodies as well as lotions and body/hair wash residue.

Cleaning these oils has a simple and cost-friendly solution with the use of tennis balls. Tennis balls can absorb oil and other substances and gives the pool a fresh feel.

  6. Clean the Backyard Swimming Pool Surroundings

The area surrounding the pool, especially the pool deck also needs to be cleaned and maintained to get the best outdoor experience. The best way to do this is by power washing where water, high pressure, and speed are used to clean off all stains and rust. You can easily rent a power washer from most home improvement stores.

To do this efficiently, first, you should brush away all the physical debris so that you don’t end up flushing them into the pool by mistake. After that set up the pressure washer and begin washing away. Make sure to redo areas several times to give the surface a shiny look.

7. Rely on a Professional

A professional can make your new or years old pool look like it’s straight out of a movie. There are several functions such as the heating and the filters which are quite complex and need to be fixed by a professional. Pool service professionals are highly knowledgeable about every part of the pool and can help your pool reach its peak.

It is highly recommended that you should seek help from a professional at least once a year. Not only will they clean your pool, but they can also fix issues with the pool’s machinery. They may also detect problems that cannot be seen with an untrained eye and so small issues can be dealt with before they cause big problems in the future which might cost a lot of money to repair. Hence, the cost of hiring a professional is worth it.

8. Prepare for Winter Season

Your pool requires maintenance throughout the year, especially in the winter season when it is rarely ever used. Test out the chemical levels and the water level. Then, work on removing all types of debris. You can consult a professional for this matter to know all the precautions you can take to avoid damaging the pool when you close it up until reopening it next summer.

9. Make a Routine

Lastly, you should consider making a routine to keep your swimming pool in perfect shape. Do the light tasks every week and the other more intense tasks once or twice a month when you are free. Of course, things will be easier if you hire an expert who will fix all the issues whenever they arise and cleans up your pool regularly. This can be expensive, so we suggest taking on some of the work for yourself or getting a robot to do the skimming and scrubbing.

In Conclusion

You need to maintain your pool regularly to reap all the benefits from it. This proves the point that caring for good things always requires consistent hard work. We hope that this article has given you an idea of how you should maintain your swimming pool so that you can throw all the parties you want and enjoy it to its highest potential. 

Photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash