Spring is right around the corner, at least for us in the west. The main piece of advice I can impart to you is STAY ON TOP OF YOUR POOL MAINTENANCE. Prevention is the name of the game here, and although not all problems are foreseeable, many are preventable.
1) Be sure your pump basket is clear of debris and check your impeller! If it is clogged with leaves your suction will be limited. Where is the impeller, you ask? Take the pump basket out, then put your fingers inside the hole going towards the motor. Hayward and Whisper Flo pumps are designed to easily reach the impeller. Sta-rite and Pac-Fab are a little more difficult and you may need a screw driver (or a sharp stick) to remove debris. Need I say SHUT THE BREAKER OFF before you attempt to do this? Be sure the orifices are clean, and you should be able to turn the impeller by hand. This needs to be done before you tackle the next step.
2) Clean your filter. If you have a D.E. filter, check out my video on “How to Clean a D.E. Filter“. If you have a cartridge filter, now is the time to acid wash the cartridges, which I also have a video titled “How to Acid Wash Cartridges“. Very important: before you open your filter, I recommend that you toss a cup or two of granular chlorine into the skimmer while the pool is running. (Tri-chlor is the best because it does not dissolve instantly…however do not use this method if you have a painted pool or vinyl liner. Use diatomaceous earth) Then go to the pool and watch the outlets. If the specks of chlorine shoot out, (or D.E. comes out) you already know you have a problem inside your filter. Check out my article on “Filters”, it explains some things to look for. DO NOT IGNORE the specks as this is a warning sign that there is a problem internally. If specks of chlorine can pass through, certainly algae will sneak through without effort, and soon you will be dealing with a green pool. (Usually just in time for Memorial Day)
3) Balance your chemicals. The three main players are: chlorine; ph (the balance between acid and alkalinity), and cyanuric acid (aka. conditioner or stabilizer). If you go to the “How to PDF’s” the “Chemical Start-up After an Acid Wash” will explain the purpose and importance of using conditioner. If you’re in a hot climate, it’s imperative you add this to your pool. Many pool supply stores will recommend that the ppm (parts per million) stay around 30-40. In extreme hot temperatures you will blow through chlorine (which they love because they can sell more chlorine). I start mine at 70 ppm; it will continue to rise through the years if you’re using chlorine tablets, or a granular chlorine that has stabilizer added to it. After a few years the only way to get rid of conditioner is to drain the pool. But in hard water areas, you need to empty the pool from the build up of minerals and calcium anyway. (TIP…if after a few years you do not see a rise in conditioner AND you have been using tabs or granular chlorine with stabilizer, then you may have a leak in your pool. Conditioner does not evaporate, the only way to get it out of the water is to drain the pool, or if you have a leak).
The ph needs to be in the 7.2 to 7.4 range in order for the chlorine to be effective. It will also keep your calcium soluble and prevent algae from attaching itself (themselves) to the wall. Remember…if the reading is ABOVE 7.4 (7.6 to 8.0) you need to ADD MURIATIC ACID. If the reading is BELOW 7.0 you need to ADD SODA ASH or an ALKALINE UP product. When adjusting either way, take a few days, don’t try to get it balanced too quickly.
Chlorine use depends on your climate, bather load and water hardness. I began my pool service in the Los Angeles area and at the hottest time of the year the routine was to add one gallon of chlorine on the day of service, three large tablets in a floater (do not throw tabs in the pool to lie on the plaster nor place them in the skimmer. There is acid in the tabs and can do harm to the surface and heater element, respectively. A chlorine float costs less than ten dollars, well worth the price of damage control), acid would be added accordingly, then I would leave a gallon of chlorine for the client to add in the middle of the week.
When I moved to Las Vegas I had to completely change the amount of chemicals I used. I now use ‘tri-chlor’ (abbreviation for Trichloro-s-triazinetrione): this is the chlorine used to make tabs, but it is also used as a black algae treatment when it’s in granular form. It is ninety percent available chlorine. It is also used as a ‘shock treatment’. It’s on the acidic side so is not recommended for vinyl or painted pools (for those surfaces use either di-chlor or liquid chlorine). During the hottest months, June, July and August, I typically add four to five tabs in the floater and one to two cups of Tri-chlor per week. I usually add it in the skimmer while the pool is running. This way it dissolves quicker and allows me to keep an eye on the filter (specks). The ph stays relatively balanced because of the acid in the chlorine, but still needs to be monitored weekly.
(I got ahead of myself but the information is valuable so I’m going to leave it in). Pre-Spring is also the time to add stain and/or mineral treatments. These will help reduce the amount of chlorine you use and, depending on different factors, keep your plaster from forming stains caused by the minerals in hard water areas.
4) After the water is balanced and there is no problem with the filter, it’s time to either vacuum or Leaf Master your pool. If there is a lot of debris, I’d recommend leaf mastering the first day, brush the walls, then let the dirt settle to the bottom to be vacuumed the next day. (If you don’t know what a leaf master is, see my video on “How to Clear Debris From Your Pool”).
Some people want to brush before they vacuum. The problem with this method is that brushing will suspend the dirt. If you want to brush first, I’d suggest to just brush the steps and halfway down the walls, then allow a few hours for the dirt to settle before vacuuming.
5) Be sure the ‘O’ rings in your Jandy or Compool valves are pliable i.e. not allowing air to be sucked in on the suction side or leaking on the return side. Many, many problems are preventable when this important detail is attended to.
That’s it for now. I’ll keep posting new videos throughout the spring and summer. If there are any questions please contact me. I will respond as soon as possible.
