Spring is here, and the summer months are ahead of us. It’s certainly time to start getting your pool ready as you’re going to have lots of great times in it soon. A few lengths in the morning to start your day in style, long weekends relaxing and having fun with the family, perhaps a few pool parties with a barbecue. You love your pool, so give it the care and attention it needs and deserves. Here are some expert tips to ensure your pool is clean, safe and beautiful…

Clean the surrounding area thoroughly

You’re excited to be opening up your pool ready for use, but if you neglect to clean the areas around the pool, you’ll end up with dirt and leaves in your pool and it will soon look dirty and uninviting. So give your pool area a really good clean and check for trees and bushes that may have grown and are now overhanging the pool. A good prune now will save you time clearing your pool later.

Look after your pool cover

Pool covers can last a long time if you look after them. Clean the cover before you remove it, and you’ll ensure that any debris on the cover won’t end up in your pool when you take it off. Use a proper cover cleaner, check your manufacturers recommendations if you’re unsure what to use.

Identify any leaks

Now is the time to look for leaks. If water gathers under your pump, this can cause the motor to break so it’s really important to make sure everything is working properly. So when you turn your pump on to fill the pool, keep a good close eye on it. It’s much better to get any leaks fixed now than to suffer problems in the height of summer when you really want to be in the pool.

Check expiry dates on your chemicals

Pool chemicals do have expiry dates, and they can be unsafe if they are out of date so do check and replace any that are not in date any more.

Remember to follow the instructions

Don’t be hasty when adding your chemicals. It’s been a while since you last used them, so don’t guess, re-read the instructions.

Add chemicals gradually

By adding your chemicals to the pool in small doses with the filter turned on, they will spread evenly throughout the water and your measurements will be more accurate.

Check your levels

The optimum levels to aim for in your pool are:

Chlorine: 1.0 to 3.0 ppm | pH: 7.2 to 7.8 | Alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm | Calcium hardness: 200-400 ppm

Check your pH levels before adding algaecide

If your algaecide is copper based, it can stain your pool liner if not used properly. It’s important to ensure that your pH levels are well balanced before adding this type of algaecide.

Find out more

If you’d like to learn more about owning and looking after your own pool, download our free ebook – The Ultimate Pool Guide.