Most Frequently Asked Pool Questions

Question 1: How often should I test the pool water?

This is a very common question because it's important to know if your pool water is healthy. How often you check your pool water depends on how hot the weather is, how big your pool is, how many friends swim, and how often they swim. When it's super hot and lots of people swim, you need to check more often.

In the peak of the summer when it's the hottest, you should check the water about two or three times each week. You want to make sure there's enough sanitizer and the right pH balance. Also, test for total alkalinity once a week. Other things like calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, and metals don't need to be checked as often, maybe once a month. If you have a saltwater pool, you don't need to check the salt levels as often because they don't change quickly. If you have a pool party with lots of friends, you might need to check before and after.

Question 2: How do I balance my pool water?

Balancing pool water is like making a delicious recipe. You need the right ingredients. First, you test your pool water using special tools like test strips or kits. You can even take a sample to a pool store. You want to make sure the water has the right stuff in it.

Here's the basics of what you're looking for:

- Free Available Chlorine should be between 1-4 parts per million (PPM).

- Total Available Chlorine should be between 1-4 PPM.

- pH should be between 7.4-7.6.

- Total Alkalinity should be between 80-120 PPM.

- Calcium Hardness should be between 200-400 PPM.

- Cyanuric Acid should be between 30-100 PPM (80-100 PPM for saltwater pools).

- Salt levels should be between 2700-3400 PPM.

If any of these numbers are not right, you use special chemicals to fix them. Some things like metals and phosphates have specialty products to remove them. If things like calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, and salt get too high, you might need to take some water out of the pool and add fresh water.

Question 3: How often should I shock the pool?

Shocking the pool means giving it a big clean-up. How often you do it depends on the weather and how much you use the pool. Most people shock the pool once a week when swimming season starts. You should also do it after heavy rains, hot weather, or lots of swimming. These things use up the chlorine in your pool.

You can tell if your pool needs shocking by doing a water test. Look at the Free Available Chlorine and Total Available Chlorine levels. They should be almost the same, within 0.2 PPM of each other. If they're different by a lot, it's time to shock the pool. You can check the water balance recommendations we talked about earlier during the test.

Question 4: Do I really need to brush my pool?

Yes, you definitely should! Brushing the pool is like giving it a good scrub. It's a part of keeping your pool clean. When you brush, it stirs up the water and stops tiny plant spores (called algae) from sticking to the pool walls. It also prevents ugly marks and scale from forming. You should brush your pool once or twice every week. If you have a special pool cleaner, it can help too, but don't forget to brush the corners and other spots that don't get much water movement.

Question 5: How often should I clean the pool filter?

Cleaning the filter is like giving your pool a superhero helper. You don't need to clean it on a set schedule because it depends on how much you use the pool and what kind of filter you have. There's a pressure gauge on your filter, and when it's 10 PSI higher than when it's clean, it's time to clean it. No matter what kind of filter you have—sand, cartridge, or diatomaceous earth—that's the general rule.

Question 6: How long should I run the pool pump?

Running the pump is like stirring your pool to make sure everything is mixed up. During swimming season, you should run the pump for at least 8- 10 hours each day. If you have a variable speed pump, it might need more time, like 12 hours or more. This helps keep the pool chemicals spread out and stops algae from growing. You can figure out how long to run it by dividing your pool's size by the pump's speed. For example, if you have a 20,000-gallon pool and your pump moves 2,500 gallons per hour, run it for at least 8 hours. If it gets super hot or you're dealing with algae or bad weather, run it more.

Question 7: What’s causing my pool water to be cloudy?

Cloudy pool water usually happens when the water isn't balanced right. It's like when your favorite smoothie doesn't taste good because you mixed the ingredients wrong. Bad circulation can also make your pool water cloudy. To fix it, you need to test and balance the water, shock the pool if needed, clean the filter, and make sure the pump and skimmer baskets are clean. Sometimes, using a special product called a clarifier can help make your cloudy pool water clear again.

Question 8: How do I get rid of algae?

Algae is like an unwelcome guest at your pool party. The best way to deal with it is to prevent it from coming in the first place. You can do this by keeping your pool water balanced, brushing the pool, and making sure the water moves well. But if you see algae, don't worry! We have ways to get rid of it. First, you need to know which type of algae it is. Green and yellow algae are easier to remove. Black algae is tougher. We have a blog post with more tips and a detailed guide on how to get rid of algae.