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Letter to the editor

10 tips

By Laura T. Coffey, Times Correspondent
Published June 10, 2007

Having a pool in Florida is loads of fun, especially in the sweltering summer months - but keeping a pool cleaned and maintained may not sound like very much fun. You can save some cash and protect your investment by following a regular maintenance schedule:

1 Check pH and alkalinity levels. Keeping the pool water properly balanced will make it possible for the chlorine or bromine to sanitize the water as effectively as possible. Don't let pH rise above 8.0, and keep alkalinity between 80 and 140 parts per million.

2 Stay on top of things. Check your pool's chemistry at least twice a week in the summer and once a week in the winter. Also check calcium hardness each month and total dissolved solids TDS every six months.

3 Make a decision about a sanitizer. It's important to keep your pool water disinfected for health reasons. Chemicals such as chlorine or bromine kill bacteria, algae and other living organisms in the water. Bromine is a popular sanitizer choice for people who have sensitive skin or hate the smell of chlorine, but it costs more than chlorine.

4 Add weekly doses of algaecide, Metal-Out and clarifier. The algaecide will help keep algae at bay, the Metal-Out will remove tiny suspended metal particles, and the clarifier will prevent your water from becoming cloudy.

5 Apply chemicals at the right time. Whenever possible, add chemicals - particularly liquid chlorine - to your pool after the sun has set rather than during the daytime. According to Kevin Woodhurst, of Precision Pools & Spas in Chandler, Ariz., you will get more out of the chemicals that way.

6 Keep your skimmer basket clean. Check the skimmer basket and/or the hair and lint pot in the pool pump often. By staying on top of this, your pool water will be able to circulate effectively and stay fresh.

7 Circulate, circulate, circulate. Effective circulation is vital if you want to have a low-maintenance pool. Experts recommend circulating the pool water continuously for a minimum of eight to 12 hours each day.

8 Remember to brush down the pool walls and tile. This little bit of regular maintenance will help prevent algae problems and potentially save you a bundle over time. You don't want the tile to become calcified; if that happens, you'll likely need to hire a professional to remove the plaque-like material.

9 Eyeball the pool and take prompt action. If you spot leaves and other debris floating around in the pool or see dirt collecting on the pool floor, skim or vacuum the pool ASAP. You'll cut down on contamination and algae growth.

10 Save time by shopping online for supplies. One way to make pool maintenance a little bit more convenient is to order the supplies you need over the Internet. The Web sites of Water Warehouse (www.waterwarehouse.com), Everything4pools.com, Save On Pool Supplies (www.saveonpoolsupplies.com) and others make shopping a breeze.

Laura T. Coffey (laura@tentips.org)

Sources: About.com (swimming.about.com/cs/poolmaintenance/); DoItYourself.com.

[Last modified June 8, 2007, 19:27:09]