Keeping the Pool Clear and Clean for Summer

With the warmer weather trying to prevail over the fluctuating temperatures this spring, it’s important to stay on top of the pool chemistry to prevent algae and bacteria growth or just an all round nasty looking and unbalanced pool.

Maintaining Sanitizer Levels

Whether you’re using chlorine, salt or any other sanitizer, it’s vital to keep a healthy level to ensure the water stays clear and safe for swimmers. Shocking regularly – every seven to ten days – will raise the free chlorine to kill algae, bacteria and chloramines (also known as combined chlorine).  It’s recommended to shock the pool later in the day so the sun has less time to burn it out. Too high of a sanitizer level can also be harmful to swimmers, so a proper balance is required. A professional water test is recommended every two to three weeks to ensure a proper level of sanitizer is in the pool. We at Hydra Hot Tubs & Pools conduct water tests at both our Fort Mill and Rock Hill locations.

PH and Alkalinity

The PH level of water is important because too low of a level results in acidic water. A low PH can cause corrosion to your pool equipment, cause etching on surface materials and can irritate the skin, eyes and nose of swimmers. A high PH can lead to algae, skin rashes and cloudy water. A PH imbalance can also lead to the sanitizer to not work to its full potential. Alkalinity, or the buffer for PH, needs to be balanced as well. A low alkalinity level can lead to the PH constantly jumping in levels. A high alkalinity can lead to cloudy water and skin rashes. Both PH and alkalinity can also be tested at both of our locations.

Keeping the Pump Running

Keeping the water circulated by allowing the pump to run either the majority of the day or for 24 hours prevents the water from being stagnant. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for bacteria. With the pump running and the water circulating, the water has the ability to be filtered to assist in keeping the water clear.

Algaecide and Clarifier

Algaecide works to kill and prevent algae. Simply backwash, vacuum, brush and add the algaecide. Vacuum again 24 hours. It’s important to have the sanitizer, PH and alkalinity balanced before adding the algaecide. Space out the addition of sanitizer to the water and the addition of algaecide by at least 24 hours because chlorine and algaecide will cancel each other out, rendering them useless. Clarifier is binds together smaller particles into larger ones and helps remove these clumps through the pool filter.

Invest In a Reliable Vacuum

Vacuuming the pool will help the fight against algae, will allow the stabilizer to work more efficiently as less debris will be in the water and will help the pool be better balanced all together. We sell Volt Vacuums which are reliable manual vacuums at an affordable price.