Isn't it great having a swimming pool during the warm months? A pool gives hours and hours of pleasure. It is a great place to exercise and a great place to cool off during one of those languid summer days.

But you don't want all of that pleasure spoiled by an unmaintained or poorly maintained pool. You need to maintain your pool regularly, correctly, and efficiently.

So, what must be done to do so?

1. Chlorine levels must be balanced. Balancing your chlorine levels is driven by how often you use your pool. You also have to consider weather conditions.

Chlorine addition is important in pool maintenance, because it keeps your pool free of bacteria living in the water. You don't want those swimming to become ill from your pool! Chlorine is usually added either by hand or through a chlorine feeder.

2. You must maintain the appropriate pH level in your pool. You can't have too much acidity in your pool. That can and will hurt swimmer's eyes. It can also corrode your piping, and that can mean even more money to repair your pool.

Stick to a pH level that is between 7 and 8. If the level goes outside those parameters, the swimming experience of your family and guests is negatively affected.

3. Get rid of the algae. You have to kill or prevent algae growth in your pool and doing so is important to the maintenance of your pool. If your pool shows a green tint, you probably have an algae problem. You want a blue pool that is algae-free. An algae inhibitor is used to control algae in your pool.

4. Run your filters on a regular basis. On average, you should run your filters between 6-8 hours per day. The regular circulation of water will help keep the amount of particles and sediment that reaches the bottom to settle to a minimum.

5. Brush and vacuum regularly. While running your filters helps tremendously, there will still be some sand and dirt which sticks to the bottom or sides of your pool. As such, it's a good idea to brush or vacuum on a regular basis to keep these sediments from building up and becoming a problem.

6. Clean swimming pool filters regularly. You must keep your swimming pool filters clean, and you should never skip this task. If you want clear water, you have to have clean filters. With sand and earth filters, you also should replace that sand or earth about every two years.

View all Matthew James's articles

---

About the Author:
Dealing with animals in a metro settings is now commonly known as nuisance wildlife control, and is becoming a popular topic the more we encroach on the natural habitat of animals. I suggest you don’t try to handle these animals on your own; instead contact a pest control professional in your local area just to be safe.

More Gardening & Landscaping articles