Owning a pool is all about making memories, relaxing and enjoying the water. These seven quick and easy tips will help you keep your pool sparkling clean and swim-ready all season long.
Tip #1: Test Your Pool Water Regularly
This is the foundation of proper pool maintenance because it keeps you in the know on how your pool water is doing.
If you don’t test your water, you won’t know if anything is wrong. Until it’s really wrong. Keeping water clean and clear is far easier and less costly than fixing problems.
Testing the water allows you to monitor the key factors like Chlorine level, Total Alkalinity, pH and Total Hardness.
Tip #2: Keep Water Balanced
Did you know pools have their own personality? They do, and most importantly, a balanced pool is a happy pool.
Balancing your pool’s water chemistry is the #1 most important factor to maximize the life and appearance of your swimming pool.
Out of balance water chemistry can not only make swimming uncomfortable but it can also damage the pool walls, pool decks and pool equipment as well as other surfaces around your swimming pool.
The most important levels to keep your swimming pool chemistry balanced are:
Total Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm
pH: 7.2 – 7.8
Total Hardness: 200 – 400 ppm
It’s important to test and use adjustment chemicals in this order. Check out our Water Balancing Guide for Pools here for more detailed steps.
Total Alkalinity (TA)
TA represents the number of alkaline substances in the water, and every pool needs a healthy amount of alkaline.
Why? Because alkaline stabilizes pH. When the Total Alkalinity is properly adjusted, the pH fluctuates less.
The Highs and Lows of pH
pH measures the amount of acid or base in pool water, on a scale from 1.0 – 14.0. Water below a pH of 7.2 can cause eyes to sting and damage pool lines and equipment. pH higher than 7.8 reduces chlorine’s effectiveness and can cause cloudy water, scale on pool equipment and even skin rashes.
Expert Advice: Always balance in this order: Total Alkalinity, pH then Total Hardness. Once your pool water is balanced, ensure it stays that way – it puts you on the defense against common pool problems from cloudy water to algae, and extends the life of your pool.
Tip #3: Run Your Pool Pump for 8 Hours Daily
Your pool pump circulates and filters pool water. Running the pump for an adequate amount of time each day (we recommend at least 8 hours) is essential to ensure the water is properly circulated and filtered, preventing algae and bacteria growth.
Pool pumps take pool water in and move it toward and through the filter. And a filter can only function if water travels through it. As water moves through the filter, it works to capture and remove debris and bacteria.
All the water in your pool must run through this filtration process at least once a day to keep your pool clean, clear and ready for action.
Expert Advice: Aim to run your pool’s pump for at least 8-12 hours of circulation per day, adjusting as needed based on the size of your pool and the climate in your area.
Tip #4: Clean Your Filter
Routinely inspect and clean the pool filter. Simply remove, check it out and hose it down with a garden hose. Check manufacturer’s instructions – they may call for using a cleaning product. If a filter is worn out or torn, replace it. And a bonus-bonus tip: Keep a new filter on hand at all times. You’ll never be caught filter-less!
Tip #5: Routinely Brush Your Pool
Regularly brushing pool surfaces goes a long way to prevent algae and clean out other debris. Brush the pool walls, floor and steps if you have them. Always brush the floor from the shallow end toward the drain in the deep end. All debris collected while brushing should be pushed toward the main drain, where it will go to the filter.
Expert Advice: Invest in a high quality pool brush and set aside time each week to thoroughly brush the surfaces of your pool.
Tip #6: Maintain and Monitor Pool Water Levels
If the pool water level drops too low, the pump may run dry, causing damage.
On the other hand, if the pool water level is too high it can hamper the skimmer’s effectiveness.
Keep an eye on your pool water level. Drain water when it’s too high and add water when it’s too low. When draining or adding water, test it and adjust as needed to keep it balanced.
Tip #7: Easier Water Care at Your Fingertips
Experience Fresh Mineral Water®∞ at home. If you’re looking for water that’s gentler on your skin, hair, swimsuits and pool surfaces, it’s time to discover FROG®.
Only FROG combines patented, EPA-registered FROG Sanitizing Minerals® with a low level of chlorine to create water that’s Cleaner, Clearer and Softer® while using up to 50% less chlorine* than traditional chlorine pools. The result is a more refreshing, enjoyable swimming experience — without the harsh over-chlorinated feel or smell.
Better yet, FROG products make achieving that experience easy. Prefilled and designed with precision control, they’re simple to set up and help maintain a consistent, low chlorine level with less guesswork, less mess and less stress.
Spend less time managing your pool—and more time enjoying the comfort of Fresh Mineral Water.
There you have it: 7 Quick and Easy Tips to Achieve a Sparkling Pool. Follow these tips and you will maximize your pool’s lifetime – all while making your life easier!
* Compared to the minimum EPA recommended chlorine level of 1.0 ppm for a stabilized swimming pool
∞ Cleaner, Clearer and Softer water for pools, hot tubs and swim spas
