When you own a pool, there is reason to celebrate! It’s like having a private resort in your own backyard. Friends and family will delight in hours upon hours of frolicking, splashing, and swimming. As a new pool owner, you clearly have every reason to be excited about the new addition to your house, but you also need to realize that a pool comes with responsibilities. You should be maintaining your pool weekly for the water to remain clean, so setting up a pool maintenance schedule is vital for pool owners. Here are some weekly pool maintenance tips to get you started.

Pool water needs to circulate to stay clean. The water pump removes dirt, dust, and other debris from the pool, then sends the clean water back into the pool. To find out how long you should run your pump, consult your local pool professional. They will look at the size of your pool, piping, and how many swimmers there are to determine the specific amount of time the pump should be run to keep the pool water clean and clear. You must run the pump to keep the water properly filtered.

Your pool’s filtration system removes any undissolved debris and dirt from your pool, along with the skimmer and hair and lint baskets. The filter serves as the primary element of the filtration system. It is important to consult the owner’s manual for specific instructions related to the type of pool filter your pool has. A pool professional can also help educate pool owners on the importance of the filtration system. There are primarily three types of filters for in-ground pools to remove debris and dirt from the water: sand, diatomaceous earth (DE), and cartridge.

Pool owners should perform weekly pool maintenance by testing the water at least once a week, two to three times a week during the height of summer, and once a week during the winter—keeping in mind that adequate water chemical balance and cleanliness should be maintained to ensure that swimmers are comfortable in the pool. Using test strips is a quick way to test that the pool is maintaining the proper pH and adequate sanitizing levels. Proper pH levels should be in the range of 7.2-7.6 while total alkalinity should fall between 120-150 ppm.

Using chlorine products will properly kill bacteria and sanitize the pool for swimming. Choose stabilized chlorine to keep the pool water sparkling. This product comes in chlorinated tablets, multi-functional chlorine granules, and skimmer sticks.

Shocking the pool is another example of weekly pool maintenance that will keep the water clean and clear. Swimmers and environmental factors add waste to the pool, and that waste needs to be eliminated to prevent issues like cloudy water and algae growth. Add algaecide after you shock the pool to prevent the growth and spread of algae.

Taking proper care of your pool is a matter of maintaining the pool weekly with due diligence and following a pool maintenance schedule. You’ll be happy with the resulting pristine pool water, allowing for an endless amount of fun and frolicking in the pool!