Tips for Keeping Your Pool Water Looking Great

Your pool’s contents are comprised of two basic variables: water and chemicals. Those two need to be in proper balance in order for your pool to remain a healthy environment. In addition to weekly testing of pool chemicals, sometimes you will need to shock your pool, alter your pool’s water levels, or remove excess oil from your pool.

Occasionally Shock Your Pool

What is that murky stuff that often builds up after a pool party? You don’t want to know. But you really should know, so we’re going to tell you: it’s bacteria. And you want to get rid of it as soon as you can. So you need to shock your pool. Shocking your pool means to raise the chlorine levels for a short amount of time in order to kill bacteria. Dilute up to five times the typical amount of chlorine into the water by pouring it very slowly into the return line of your pool. It will then filter throughout the pool, slowly refilling it with water. If you shock your pool too often, you could risk damaging your pool’s liner or siding; however, you should try to shock it at least twice during each pool season.

Keep Water Levels in Check

Another concern that relates to your pool’s chemical composition is your pool’s water level. The chemical composition will fluctuate with the amount of water in your pool, so after kids have been doing cannonballs or following a heavy rainstorm, you’ll want to take action. The goal is to maintain a water level that coincides with the halfway point of your skimmer’s opening. To bring up a water level that’s too low, just use your garden hose to add more water. To bring down the water level, you may need to rent a pump you can submerge to drain any access water. (If you have a fiberglass or vinyl pool liner, the pump’s weight could cause damage. In that case, we recommend hiring a professional to do the job.) After reinstating a proper water level, be sure to re-check your pool’s chemical levels.

Easily Eliminate Surface Oils

When swimmers leave your swimming pool, they can leave behind all kinds of oils. From skin’s natural oils to hair products and sun block, these oils can leave a sheen on top of your pool’s water. Unfortunately, your pool’s chemicals won’t necessarily do anything about these unintentional additives. The good news is that this situation is simple to remedy. Just throw a standard tennis ball in, and let it do the work for you! The tennis ball’s fibers help absorb the oil, making your pool’s surface crystal clear once more.

We get it. These pool maintenance tips seem like a lot to remember. But really, they’re not that bad. Consider that you should need to shock your pool only twice per year, and water level issues only surface occasionally. Oh, and that tennis ball trick? It seriously takes a few seconds. You’ve got this.

Learn More about Pools

• Pool Safety for Pets
• How to Find a Swimming Pool Contractor

Lyon Financial

Since 1979 Lyon Financial has made the backyard resort dream come true for over 400,000 families across the U.S. Through our solid relationships with more than 3,000 pool contractors and our continued commitment to putting our clients first, we have built a reputation as the first choice in providing pool financing solutions. For more information, visit lyonfinancial.net or call (877) 754-5966 today.