There are three components that are essential to any swimming pool: water, a pump and a filter. Later on we’ll discuss the added features, but for now let’s start with the fundamentals.
Think of a swimming pool system as you would a human body. The PUMP is the heart, the FILTER is the liver, and the WATER is blood. If you have a strong heart, a healthy liver and your blood is toxic free, you feel great! If your pool has a strong pump, clean filter, and fresh water, your pool looks sparkling!
Going back to the body, if your heart is not pumping adequately, circulation is affected which may result in clogged arteries, dense sticky blood, etc. If your liver isn’t functioning properly, again your entire system is affected which will change how your heart pumps, thus affecting the condition of your blood. The health of your heart, liver and blood are interdependent. Similarly the health and appearance of your pool water is a result of the strength of the pump, the size and cleanliness of the filter and the quality and age of the water.
When people recognize a problem it is usually when their pool has algae or the water is cloudy. There are a variety of potential causes, some of which are a result of either a pump not functioning, a dirty filter (or other problem within the filter), water being so old that chemicals will not work anymore, sudden increase in bather load, or not enough circulation. First let me breakdown the individual components. I plan on giving a brief description of the function and relevance of the part, however the bulk of information will be contained in the video demonstrations.
To get started, here are some of the things that you will need:
* Nylon brush
* Extendable pole (I prefer the outer lock)
* Deep leaf rake net (basically, not the flat ones)
* Water test kit (see water chemistry for details)
* Vacuum hose (get the professional kind, worth the extra dollars)
* Vacuum head (again, get a good, weighted professional head)
* Leaf Master (see Leaf Master to determine if this equipment applies in your situation.)
* Good, sturdy, no-kink garden hose
* Power nozzle to clean cartridges and grids
