Keeping Up With Your Pool Part One

Maintaining a pool can be hard work. If you only have a childrens wading pool, the instructions will be simply to fill with water from a hose and enjoy. However, with larger pools, especially built in pools, there is always a concern about PH, types of filters, algae color and extermination, chlorine levels, water hardness, and more. Obviously, it's a good idea to know what you're doing if you own a pool.

It is essential that proper PH is maintained in the pool. Comparable to a human body that must have the correct PH levels, a pool also requires a standard PH level, which ensures a safe environment for those using it. The acidic level of the pool is measured using the PH scale. Too much acid will make the pool toxic. Too little acid will also make a pool toxic.

You will need to maintain the proper PH levels at all times to ensure a safe swimming environment for your loved ones. PH should be checked every two weeks in the summer, and it should be checked once a month in the cooler months. Don't forget to monitor your pool during the winter and spring because rain increases the level of acidity in the water.

Purchase a small kit at the store to test your pool's PH level. A small bottle of reagent and a container shaped like a tube are normally included in the test kit. Using the tube, simply scoop out some water from the pool, add a few drops from the reagent bottle, and shake well. The water's color will change to anything from orange to violet due to the addition of the reagent. There will be a color chart on the side of the box that will list the correct PH level as falling between 7.4 and 7.6. Using this, you can check and compare the color of your pool water with the color on the box to make sure that you have the right PH. If the water color indicates you are above the proper PH level or below it, you will need to go to the store to purchase increaser or decreaser, depending on what the test indicated.

PH is highly important, but so is the chlorine level. Has a pool ever turned green before your eyes? This can happen because there isn't enough chlorine in the water. This problem can usually be remedied by placing chlorine tablets in a filter device that floats in the pool, slowly dissolving them. Luckily, it is simple to keep up this device. All you need to do is to add some new tablets every week or so. Likewise, has the chlorine smell ever been overpowering in your pool area? Too much chlorine will cause a distinct odor; it can also burn your skin! When the levels are this high, you should not be in the water.

Fortunately, the chlorine will not last too long during warmer months, so you will be able to go swimming shortly. If you keep chlorine tablets in the pool, it will help keep the chlorine levels at their peak during the hot summer months. Anything dropped into the pool, such as sun lotions or body oils, will decrease the chlorine level. And it is inevitable, especially if you have children, for things to fall in! However, it is fairly easy to check the chlorine levels. You can purchase a testing kit, as with the PH level. The process is easy: merely fill the vial, add some reagent and, after shaking, compare the color to the scale on the box. Chlorine levels need to be checked every few days during the summer and, depending on use, once every two weeks during the winter.

Chlorine and PH need to be checked, yet the steps involved are simple. However, remembering the steps, testing the water, watching the chlorine and PH levels, and purchasing the tablets, chemicals, and kits can be costly and time consuming. Using a pool service to take care of your pool is a good investment. In most cases the monthly cost of hiring a pool service will be roughly the same as if you bought the necessary pool maintenance supplies yourself. The pool service company will help maintain your pool without you having to take time out of your schedule to do so. In the end, all you have to do is uncover the pool and swim.