Maintenance Made Easy For Your Splasher Pool

Above ground pools are an excellent first step in pool ownership as they are easy to install, and relatively inexpensive to run. To ensure that you and your family have many hours of fun in the water just follow our simple guidelines. It is necessary to learn just a little of the background to water treatment in order to maintain clean and healthy water.

There are two main areas of importance: The circulation and filtration of the water. The chemical treatment of the water. The circulation and filtration system consists of a pump to move the water around the system, and a filter to remove the small suspended particles, which would otherwise cause the pool to become cloudy. The pump needs to be run for at least eight hours every day, whilst the filter needs to be cleaned once a week.

The chemical treatment is required, as water which is left to stand becomes a breeding ground for numerous bugs and bacteria.The water needs to be treated with chlorine to kill off these unwanted bugs and prevent them from multiplying. The addition of chlorine granules to the water will produce free chlorine, which is the agent that will kill bacteria, algae and any other pollutant that has been introduced to the water. The normal levels for chlorine are 1.5 - 3ppm. Dose the pool regularly with chlorine, using 10 gm per 1,000 gallons of water, provided this is within the normal chlorine range stated above. Make sure that you always read and understand all the Health and Safety information provided by the manufacturer on the chemical packaging.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU MIX pH- WITH CHLORINE. DOING SO WILL LIBERATE HIGHLY TOXIC CHLORINE GAS.

The pH of the water must also be monitored. The pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is. The higher the pH the more alkaline the water is, whilst the lower the Ph, the more acidic it is. The correct level for pH is between 7.2 - 7.6. Too high a pH will affect the chlorine efficiency, make the water cloudy and can cause bather discomfort. If the pH is too low it can be uncomfortable for swimmers, causing irritation and soreness. If you need to reduce the pH use dry acid, also known as pH-. For every 0.1 reduction required, use 50 gms per 1000 gallons of water. Low pH is increased using the pH+ (dry alkali). Use 25gms per 1,000 gallons for every 0.1 increase required. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU MIX pH- WITH CHLORINE. DOING SO WILL LIBERATE HIGHLY TOXIC CHLORINE GAS.

If the level of chlorine in the water drops, then it is possible that algae may start to form. The regular addition of an algaecide will help to prevent this. Should your pool become green with algae, it will be necessary to shock treat the pool before adding more algaecide. To shock dose the pool, add chlorine granules to raise the level up to 6ppm. Allow the chlorine level to fall back to the recommended levels before allowing further swimming.

As a final step it is important that the water is kept free from debris such as dirt and leaves. Establish a regular cleaning routine using special pool brushes and nets to make sure all foreign matter is removed.


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Francis Lowe is a leading expert in swimming pool maintenance with a huge wealth of experience developed from 40 years in the industry.
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