Your Top Pool Maintenance Questions Answered
Dive into Crystal Clear Waters: Your Top Pool Maintenance Questions Answered!
Keeping your Brisbane pool sparkling and inviting shouldn't feel like a chore. At Pool Geeks Brisbane, we know you'd rather be enjoying a refreshing dip than scratching your head over water chemistry or equipment. That's why we've compiled answers to some of the most common pool maintenance questions we hear from our local pool owners. Let's dive in!
1. How often should I be cleaning my pool?
Regular cleaning is key to preventing algae growth and keeping your water healthy. In Brisbane's climate, with its lovely but sometimes debris-dropping trees and occasional dust storms, a good rule of thumb is to:
- Skim the surface daily: Remove leaves, insects, and other floating debris.
- Brush the walls and floor at least once a week: This helps prevent algae and buildup.
- Vacuum the pool weekly: To remove settled debris.
Of course, after heavy rain or strong winds, you might need to clean more frequently.
You can also automate these tasks with Robotic or Automatic Pool Cleaners saving you cleaning time and giving you more swim time!
2. What are the essential chemicals I need for my pool?
Maintaining the right chemical balance is crucial for water clarity, swimmer comfort, and protecting your pool equipment. The essentials include:
- Chlorine or Bromine: These are your primary sanitizers, killing bacteria and algae.
- pH Adjusters (Soda Ash and Hydrochloric Acid): Maintaining the correct pH level (ideally between 7.2 and 7.6) is vital for sanitiser effectiveness and preventing corrosion or scaling.
- Alkalinity Increaser: Total alkalinity helps stabilize pH levels.
- Cyanuric Acid: Protects the chlorine from UV, which breaks down chlroie in a matter of hours and reduces the amount of chlorine you need to add to your pool
- Salt or Minerals: Although not every pool needs salt or minerals, the vast majority of pools in Brisbane use salt or minerals to produce chlorine. If salt levels are too low or too high your chlorinator will not be able to produce the necessary chlorine to sanitise your pool, leading to algae and bacteria growth. To know how much Salt or Minerals your pool needs check your chlorinator instructions, as the requirements differ between machines.
- Calcium Hardness Increaser: Prevents corrosion of plaster and equipment.
Testing your water regularly (at least once a week for chlorine and pH, or more after heavy use or rain) is essential to ensure these chemicals are balanced.
3. How often should I test my pool water?
As mentioned above, weekly testing of chlorine and pH is the minimum. If you've had a lot of swimmers, a heavy downpour, or you've added chemicals, it's a good idea to test again. You can use liquid (titration) test kits or test strips, take a water sample to your local pool shop, or get a Pool Geek out to test your pool for a professional analysis.
At Pool Geeks Brisbane we use photometric tests to ensure the accuracy of test results. If you use strips or titration tests it is important that you get a comprehensive photometric test at least once every 3 months, preferably once a month.
4. Why is my pool water cloudy?
Cloudy pool water is a common issue with several potential causes:
- Poor filtration: Your filter might need cleaning or backwashing, or it might not be running for long enough.
- Imbalanced chemicals: Especially low sanitiser levels or high pH can allow algae and bacteria to grow.
- Fine particles: Dust, pollen, or dead algae can make the water hazy. A clarifier or flocculant can help these particles clump together for easier filtration, though clarifiers should be used sparingly as they can shorten the lifespan of your filter media or cartridge.
5. How long should I run my pool pump and filter?
In Brisbane's warmer climate, it's generally recommended to run your pool pump and filter for at least 6-8 hours per day in Summer, especially during the swimming season. You can usually cut this by half in the cooler months.
Running your pump circulates the water, allowing the filter to remove fine particles and debris and ensuring chemicals are evenly distributed. The pump should be able to turn over the volume of your pool once per day.
If you have a chemical dosing system, such as a salt or mineral water chlorinator, it is important that the pump runs long enough that the dosing system can dose the required amount. Indoor, or stabilised (cyanuric acid levels of 30-60ppm) pools require about 3-3.5ppm of Free Chlorine per day (eg. 150-175g for a 50,000L pool) or more for heavy use.
We also recommend splitting the run time into two cycles. With a dosing system, splitting the cycles up spreads the dosage out over a longer period reducing the chemical peak and ensuring a more moderate chlorine level over a longer period. It also gives the pump a chance to cool down reducing the risk of overheating if something goes wrong.
6. How do I prevent algae growth?
Prevention is always better than cure! To keep pesky algae at bay:
- Maintain proper sanitizer levels.
- Ensure good water circulation by running your pump adequately.
- Brush your pool regularly.
- Use an algaecide as a preventative measure, especially during warmer months.
- Shock your pool periodically.
7. When do I need to backwash my pool filter?
Backwashing removes accumulated debris from your filter. For sand and DE (diatomaceous earth) filters, you should backwash when the pressure gauge is 20-40 kPa higher than the clean operating pressure. Cartridge filters don't get backwashed; instead, the cartridge needs to be removed and cleaned with a hose.
8. How often should I drain and refill my pool water?
Generally, you won't need to completely drain and refill your pool unless an issue arises. It might be necessary if you have consistently high TDS or cyanuric acid levels or other persistent water chemistry issues. Partial draining is also an option in theses situations to reduce chemical levels. You may also need to drain the pool to treat issues with the pool surface such as calcium deposits or metal staining.
In rare circumstances you may also find it more economical to drain your pool rather than treating muddy, swampy pool water.
Draining of a pool should only be carried out after consultation with a professional, as some pools are designed to always have water in them and may be damaged by draining.
Still have questions about your Brisbane pool?
Don't let pool maintenance overwhelm you! The Pool Geeks Brisbane team is here to help. Whether you need regular pool servicing, equipment repairs, or just some friendly advice, we're passionate about keeping your pool in top shape so you can spend more time enjoying it.
