Common Pool Care Mistakes You May Be Making and How to Fix Them

The last full month of summer is here, and many Spring, Texas, pool owners are trying to squeeze every day they can out of their pool before the new season arrives. However, as you use your pool more often, proper pool maintenance becomes even more essential. At Champions Pool Repair & Service, we understand that mistakes can be easily made when it comes to caring for your pool, so we’ve laid out some common mistakes you may be making and how you can fix them:

Mistake 1: Using a Robotic Pool Cleaner to Take Care of Algae

When algae appear, it can seem that the process to remove it is overwhelming. Many pool owners realize they need to vacuum but may think it’s more convenient to use their robotic cleaner to handle the issue for them. Robotic vacuums often use a mesh bag, which quickly will become clogged with the algae as it moves around the pool. As a result, the clogged algae get re-dispersed from the cleaner to your pool, meaning you’re still dealing with your algae issue.

How to Fix This Mistake: To fix this issue yourself, you’ll need to use a manual vacuum with the filter switched to “waste.” Alternatively, you can seek the help of a Spring, Texas, pool company to save yourself the hassle of a DIY algae-removing project. Champions Pool Repair & Service even offers the Tru-Blu Promise to handle any algae problem that comes your way.

Mistake 2: Backwashing the Filter Too Frequently

Backwashing helps clean the inside of your filter’s media. During this process, pool water flushes out debris and grime from the filter media and exits through the backwash valve drain port. While backwashing is an important factor in keeping your pool clean, doing it too often is a common mistake among pool owners.

How to Fix This Mistake: After backwashing your filter, be sure to check the pressure gauge on your filter tank. The gauge should read between 10 to 15 psi for your filter to preform at it’s best. Check the reading on the gauge periodically. Backwashing isn’t necessary until the pressure gauge reads about 10 psi above the optimal reading of 10-15 psi. Once you notice that the pressure gauge is in the zone of 20-25 psi, it’s time for a backwashing.

Mistake 3: Not Testing Your Pool’s Water Weekly

Weekly water testing is extremely important, as it can alert you to small issues with your pool water before they become large, stressful problems. However, most pool owners skip a weekly water testing simply because their pool “looks okay.”

How to Fix This Mistake: Set aside an amount of time each week to test your water with test strips or a liquid test kit. You can even bring a sample of your water to a pool store to get an in-depth analysis to ensure your water is at the levels it needs to be. During your weekly testing, be sure to focus on the levels that keep your water sanitary, like alkalinity, pH, and free chlorine levels.

Mistake 4: Adding Shock Directly into You Pool’s Water

This is a major mistake for those who own a pool with a vinyl liner. Pool shock is essentially a concentrated form of chlorine, meaning it can bleach out your vinyl liner as the shock sinks to the bottom of your pool. This causes the liner to become brittle and frail, eventually leading to leaks. It’s a problem no pool owner wants to encounter.

How to Fix This Mistake: The best way to fix this mistake is by dissolving your shock in a bucket of water before introducing it to your pool. This enables the shock to disperse more evenly throughout the water, protecting your pool walls, floor, and liner from damage. If you’re using warm water, be sure to wear protective gloves, eyewear, and a mask to protect yourself from chlorine steam, as warm water causes the shock to dissolve more quickly.

Taking proper care of your pool is essential, but it can be easy to make a few mistakes along the way, especially without the help of a professional. These easy tips can help you fix some common mistakes and keep your pool in top shape. For expert maintenance and cleaning services for your backyard paradise, give Champions Pool Repair & Service a call at (281) 355-8504.