Self Help

A clean pool is free of the obvious dirt and debris, but chemical purity plays an important role in its pristine condition. The pool water should contain just enough chlorine disinfectant to kill bacteria and destroy the microscopic organisms that algae feed on. In addition, its pH level - a measure of acidity and alkalinity - should ensure that pool walls and hardware will not corrode or scale and that minerals will not precipitate out, causing the water to turn cloudy.

Chlorine is the chemical most commonly added to pool water, but it is often used in conjunction with either muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate to lower the water’s pH. Sodium carbonate, also called soda ash, is added to raise the water’s pH level. The amounts needed for each percentage of pH change will be listed on the container label.

Sodium bisulfate and sodium carbonate are powders and can simply be sprinkled over the deep end of the pool. Muriatic acid, a liquid, must be carefully diluted; add one part acid to three parts of water, always pouring the acid into the water and not the reverse. Then pour the mixture into the pool. Retest the pH after 6 hours and correct any imbalance. But in adding chemicals, be conservative - it is a lot easier to add more than to correct an overdose.

Chloramines produce the distinctive chlorine odor of pools and the stinging, reddened eyes that go with it. To rid the pool of chloramines, dose it every two weeks with 1 pound of calcium hypochlorite per 10,000 gallons of pool water. This treatment should be done when the pool will not be used for at least 6 hours until the chlorine level drops below 3.0 parts per million.

Other routine cleaning chores involve ridding the pool of foreign matter, from leaves to dust, and scrubbing down the walls and floor of the pool itself. Much of this cleaning is done automatically by the pool’s filter system, but the strainers and filtering devices must themselves be cleaned about once a week, depending on pool use. Filters are cleaned either by backwashing them or hosing them down.

Even with efficient filters, some dirt will inevitably settle on the sides and bottom of the pool. For a quick cleaning, sweep the dirt toward the main drain with a long-handled pool brush. For a thorough cleaning, a more effective tool is the pool vacuum which should be used about once a week.

Debris too large to pass through the drain into the filter system can be scooped out with a long-handled net called a leaf rake or collected with a curious object called a jet vacuum, or leaf gobbler. Attached to a garden hose, the jet vacuum uses water pressure to force debris into a net bag that floats above it.

Occasionally, you have to sponge off the grime along the water line with a nonabrasive tile or vinyl cleaner designed especially for pools and available from pool-supply dealers. When you ready the pool for seasonal use, you will have to scrub, vacuum and run the filter system continuously for up to five days, to put the water and the pool back in usable condition.