POOL MAINTENANCE
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Introduction
Pool maintenance and water chemistry is seen by many as periodically adding sanitizer(chlorine) to your pool and balancing pH to keep it up and running. In reality, this is far from the truth. With the experienced pool professionals we have at Coast 2 Coast Pools - there is much more to the job. There are three main components to properly take care of your pool; physical, chemical, and biological factors. This will be a short introduction to what it is we as pool professionals really do to make sure your pool is healthy and ready to enjoy.
Physical Factors
This includes filtration and circulation. Having properly maintained and serviced motors, pumps, and filters are the key to this aspect of a pools health. Your pump should run from 6-8 hours a day depending on the size of the pool and the flow rate of the pump. The goal is to have the entire volume of the pool and spa travel through the filter within one cycle of the pumps run time, removing virtually all particulate matter from your water. These particles can fall in from the surrounding area or enter the pool from the bodies of bathers. Whether you have a Cartridge, DE, of Sand Filter, with proper maintenance the water can be filtered down to 5 or even 3 microns.
Chemical Factors
The proper balance of chemistry in pool water is required to prevent algae, scaling, cloudy water, and corrosion of pool surfaces and equipment. The 3 most important factors in order are; pH, sanitizer, and total alkalinity. pH is a term that refers to the acidity of your water. The lower the number the more acidic. Too low of a pH and the water will become corrosive to your pool surfaces and to your equipment. High pH levels can lead to water becoming too basic and cause cloudiness. It can also result in chlorine being ineffective. Alkalinity is the measure of a pools ability to resist pH fluctuation which essentially is a buffer between substances that enter the pool and pH. The total alkalinity will react with the substance to leave pH unchanged. Some areas, especially in Southern California, are also affected by calcium hardness. Calcium hardness is the result of high calcium levels in the water that may create cloudy water and/or scaling. Too low of level can be just as damaging. Low calcium levels can create "soft" water that can absorb the calcium out of the plaster. With excessively high calcium levels, the only solution is to drain, or partially drain and refill your water.
Biological Factors
Sanitization and algae control are the two factors that make up the biological aspects. The sanitizer that is most commonly used is chlorine. Chlorine and other sanitizers prevent the growth of algae and bacteria in your water. The control and use of sanitizers is very important. There are different organic substances in perspiration that can combine with chlorine forming new undesirable chlorine compounds (free chlorine). The most effective way to neutralize these biological factors is with occasional oxidation or super chlorination, which eliminates these wastes. Phosphates, also known to be food for algae, are left behind by organics that have fallen into the pool. As a result algae will grow rapidly when phosphate levels are high, and proper sanitation levels are not maintained.
With our weekly service packages our technicians use all of our education and knowledge to not just to have your pool meet your expectations, but to exceed them. Don’t let another day go by with water quality that is below exceptional. Call or email to schedule a free consultation!
