The swim season may be over for most Arizonans if you don’t have a pool heater, however that doesn’t mean we can walk away from our pools and forget about them until next Spring. On the contrary, it’s important that they receive regular weekly maintenance throughout the winter months to assure proper chemical balance and to keep dirt and debris out. We’ve heard from many customers that they let their weekly service company go over the winter when pools are easier to maintain and take care of it themselves. Taking care of your own pool can be a great money saver over the winter months, as long as you know the proper steps to maintain your pool in the absence of a hired professional.
Let’s go over the steps needed on a weekly basis to assure your pool stays clean and clear.
- Test chlorine and PH chemical balances on a weekly basis and treat accordingly
An important note on PH balance – the water in the Phoenix valley area is very hard water. One of the most important things you can do to keep the calcium and hard water deposits from building up on your pool tiles is to maintain a proper PH balance between 7.2 – 7.6 on a weekly basis. This is the optimal range that we find helps prolong the reappearance of calcium buildup after the tile has been cleaned. - Brush the walls, steps, and benches to dislodge dirt and debris.
- Empty the skimmer, canisters, and pump baskets as needed – when baskets get too full, they can restrict water flow to the pump, causing further issues
- Skim any debris off the surface of the pool or the surface of the water
- Inspect equipment for leaks or anything else that looks out of the ordinary
- Check the filter pressure and backwash the filter if a sand or DE filter as needed. If you have a cartridge filter, keep up with regular 6-month filter cleanings.
- Check the pool water level to ensure that the pool’s auto water leveler (AWL) is functioning properly to maintain the water level. The pool water is higher than normal is an indicator of a failed AWL valve that should be replaced.
- For salt pools, don’t forget to inspect and clean your salt cell regularly to keep the cell clear of built-up calcium and working properly.
Although they don’t need to get checked on a weekly basis, it’s also important to check your alkalinity, cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS) and salt levels (if salt pool) on a regular basis.
The winter time is a great time to think about any extra maintenance items you may have been putting off during the swim season such as tile cleaning, draining the pool to get fresh water or equipment upgrades, etc. If we can be of assistance, please contact us for a free quote.
