The Essential Healthy Pool Guide
Date: 20th November 2012
It has to be said that having your own swimming pool is one of life’s luxuries. However, every pool owner quickly learns
there is a degree of maintenance required that isn’t nearly as glamorous. Luckily, help is at hand this summer, all you
have to do is follow our guide to easy pool maintenance to ensure both you and your pool stay healthy and clean.
First of all, there are a number of chemicals involved in having a healthy pool - all of which need to be at optimum
levels to keep the water balanced. Negligence in this area will lead to all sorts of problems including algae growth
that will ruin your filtering system, and alkalinity that can cause severe skin irritation (and ruin your confidence).
Fortunately, pool cleaning can be likened to car maintenance; you don’t need to know the technical side of what goes on
under the bonnet, you just need to know an expert who does.
State of the art pool analysis machines are now making pool maintenance even easier by calculating the different
chemicals and printing out an exact report of requirements on the spot. Will Thorne, Manager of Think Water Greenlane,
says that customers love the simplicity of this system, “clients are able to bring a water sample to the store, find out
what is required, then purchase the chemicals all from one place.”
While these machines can take care of the chemicals, debris such as hair and lint still need to be collected from the
various baskets and walls of your pool and tiles need to be brushed to prevent algae. But, by doing this monthly, the
job is quick and manageable and prevents build up that can need a specialist to remove – leaving you time to build up
your tan. Thorne adds, “we have one lady who regularly comes in for the pool testing while her husband empties the
skimmers and cleans the walls. By the time she is back they just pour in the chemicals and the job is done.”
Think Water’s top tips for pool maintenance made easy
1. Add chemicals after sunset for longer lasting results.
2.Water analysis will give you the exact chemical amounts you need for optimum health of your pool. Take a monthly
sample of pool water to Think Water, Greenlane. Call 09 215 7310 for details.
3. Once a fortnight check the skimmer basket, hair and lint pot for debris, as this debris greatly reduces the skimmers
ability to keep the surface clean and prevent all those leaves etc dropping to the bottom.
4. Brush walls and tiles every four weeks to eliminate algae and calcification
5. Regularly backwash your sand filter, backwash your filter as soon as you see an increase in the filter pressure or a
drop in flow, this will keep the filter sand from packing down and increase the filtration systems overall performance.
ENDS