Everybody enjoys a relaxing weekend by a sparkling swimming pool. No one enjoys spending all weekend getting the pool clean and ready for the summer. Hopefully you've had a cover over your pool during the off season. This should have helped keep the leaves and trash out. But it can still be quite a job getting the chemicals back to proper levels and getting the pH balanced after the pool has been sitting for several months unused.
Most of us with a pool has encountered the green slime pit after the pool has been shut down all winter. This can be a nightmare to get straightened out. The best advice I have to offer here is to super chlorinate the pool and let the filter run continuously for several days. You may have to backwash the filter several times before you see any major improvements. Be sure to clean the skimmer baskets out regularly. If the pool wasn't covered and is full of trash and leaves, they need to be removed before running the filter. The best way to do this is with a dip net and pole. After seeing some improvement in water quality brush the sides of the pool to loosen dirt and algae. Super chlorinating or shocking the water should be enough to get the water cleared up but you still have to get the pH back to proper level before using the pool. It's important to keep the pH level correct as this helps the chlorine stabilize meaning you won't have to add chlorine as often. It also keeps scale from forming on the pool walls which can deteriorate the the pool surface. Some prefer to take a water sample from their pool to a pool company to have it analyzed. They can tell you which chemicals you need to add and how much to add to get the water balanced. There are test kits available to check the water yourself. Simple kits just for checking chlorine level are pretty simple and straight forward. Some of the more advanced kits will give you a lot more insight to exactly what you need to add to the water for ph and softness. They can be petty involved and if you don't want to get into the chemistry of it , you may just want to just carry a sample to the nearest pool company. However you decide to go remember that proper water chemistry is necessary to keep the pool clean and safe for swimmers.
Most of us with a pool has encountered the green slime pit after the pool has been shut down all winter. This can be a nightmare to get straightened out. The best advice I have to offer here is to super chlorinate the pool and let the filter run continuously for several days. You may have to backwash the filter several times before you see any major improvements. Be sure to clean the skimmer baskets out regularly. If the pool wasn't covered and is full of trash and leaves, they need to be removed before running the filter. The best way to do this is with a dip net and pole. After seeing some improvement in water quality brush the sides of the pool to loosen dirt and algae. Super chlorinating or shocking the water should be enough to get the water cleared up but you still have to get the pH back to proper level before using the pool. It's important to keep the pH level correct as this helps the chlorine stabilize meaning you won't have to add chlorine as often. It also keeps scale from forming on the pool walls which can deteriorate the the pool surface. Some prefer to take a water sample from their pool to a pool company to have it analyzed. They can tell you which chemicals you need to add and how much to add to get the water balanced. There are test kits available to check the water yourself. Simple kits just for checking chlorine level are pretty simple and straight forward. Some of the more advanced kits will give you a lot more insight to exactly what you need to add to the water for ph and softness. They can be petty involved and if you don't want to get into the chemistry of it , you may just want to just carry a sample to the nearest pool company. However you decide to go remember that proper water chemistry is necessary to keep the pool clean and safe for swimmers.
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