It’s getting to that time again, and we all know we can be a little inattentive when it comes to the pool over winter. But it’s now time to get that pool ready for Summer. Here at Crown Pool Superstore, we know how easy it is to just want to jump straight in and get swimming, but for your own health and safety, we need to make sure that pool water is safe to swim in. We know it can be one of those household chores that you just never seem to get around to doing and we know it can sometimes be confusing, so we’re going to do our best to give our customers a simple guide to follow to get your pool in tip-top shape!

First things first, we need to get that water level right up! You’ll probably find that your water level has dropped over the winter months, so before you start to get your pool summer ready, make sure your water level is at least half way up to the skimmer opening.

Next, you’ll need to clean your pool. I know, BORING, right? But all those leaves and dust need to come out, you can easily do this by using a leaf rake and a manual vacuum. You will also need to check on your pump and skimmer baskets and make sure they are debris free.
Now, backwash! If you have a sand filter, you will need to give it a backwash, and to do so we have provided a set by step guide CLICK HERE. We know this can get a little confusing but don’t fret! Our handy technicians can pop over and give you all the help you may need, including a pool lesson so you’re up to date with all of your pool knowledge and equipment to ensure a smooth running pool, all summer long. If you have a cartridge filter, remove the filter and hose it down. If that doesn’t do the job properly, you can buy a cartridge filter cleaner. Once all that debris is gone, it’s time to balance your pool water! Yay!

This is probably the most important part of getting your pool back up and running. Now, testing your pool water at home is something we always recommend if possible. But again, it’s one of those things that you just never seem to get time to do, that’s why we’re here! We offer FREE water testing in store. It’s quick and easy, we’ll give you a print out of where all of your chemicals are sitting and exactly what you need. There are a few things you need to test for in order to make sure your pool water is properly balanced.

Total Alkalinity:

Total alkalinity levels in your pool should be kept anywhere from 80-150ppm (parts per million). It is recommended when balancing your pool to make sure you adjust your alkalinity levels before adjusting your ph. You can adjust your alkalinity levels by either using sodium bicarbonate to increase the levels or hydrochloric acid to decrease the levels.

pH:

pH levels in your pool should range anywhere from 7.4 -7.6. To increase your ph levels you can use sodium carbonate, otherwise known as PH Up, or to decrease your levels, the good old hydrochloric acid will do the trick.

Chlorine:

Now, chlorine in your pool has a big misconception sometimes. A lot of people think just chucking in some chlorine will fix all their pool problems; WRONG. There is a lot more to it than that. Chlorine levels in your pool should range anywhere from 2-4 ppm (parts per million). This is where having a chlorinator connected to your pool system helps a lot.

Salt:

This only applies if you have a saltwater chlorinated pool. (A chlorinator and electrode on a timer that automatically produces and doses the pool with chlorine) Your salt level in your pool should sit between 3000 ppm and 5000 ppm depending on how big your pool is and the chlorinator producing settings. There is a great possibility that your salt levels have dropped over these cold winter months and you may have noticed that your ‘low salt’ light is on. Now, salt testers are stupidly expensive so your best bet is to come and get your salt levels measured in store by bringing in a water sample. If your salt light is on, and you just can’t get down to get it measured, you can add 1 bag of salt per day until your ‘low salt’ light turns off.

Stabiliser:

Pool Stabiliser/Cyanuric acid; also known as ‘UV Blockout’, is used to protect your chlorine from the sun. It really is a big ol’ waste of money during the winter months, so we don’t recommend adding it back into your pool until the weather starts to warm up. During Summer your pool should have a minimum level of 40ppm of cyanuric acid. In easier terms, it is basically just a sunscreen for your chlorine but it does REALLY help keep that chlorine in the water over those scorching hot days.

Now that you’ve put in all this effort to get your pool up and running, it will be super easy to maintain over summer if you follow these easy steps. Once a week, just remove all the debris from the pool and the skimmers, vac the pool and clean your filter if it needs cleaning. It is recommended to get your water tested every 1-2 weeks during summer, just to make sure that everything is running smoothly. Because it is a whole lot easy to fix a problem when you just start to notice it than it is to try and fix a week or two after the initial problem. The best way to dramatically decrease your workload with your pool is to invest in an automatic pool cleaner that will scrub all the surfaces for you! Check out our range of Pool Cleaners HERE.

Guess what?! Finally, no more reading, it’s time to jump in! Let that cold water wash over you and relieve all that stress and enjoy your pool!

If you have any further questions, or just need a little help, please don’t hesitate to call us on 3284 1180 or email us at admin@crownpoolsuperstore.com and our friendly staff will do the best they can to give you all the answers required.