Swimming Pool Maintenance
Once you’ve invested in a pool, simple maintenance procedures help ensure its care-free operation for years to come. Here’s what you need to know.
OPENING YOUR POOL IN SPRING
With the appropriate approach, your pool can be opened quickly and troublefree. Some concrete in-ground pools, particularly newly-built or newly refinished ones, may call for special start-up treatment. Your recirculation system also requires a specific start-up procedure. In these cases, consult our Service Department at 613-747-0506.
For most pools, the method described below will make opening easy and prevent it from becoming a troublesome or tedious task.
-
Remove pool cover and ice buffers (see storage instructions below).
-
Reconnect all chemical feeding equipment (if any) and piping.
-
Fill pool to normal water level.
-
Backwash and thoroughly clean filter, then put system into operation.
-
After re-circulating water for 24 hours, take water sample to your Pool Professional for thorough analysis.
-
If necessary, adjust pool water pH to below 7.8
-
If necessary, balance pool water by adjusting total alkalinity and calcium hardness.
-
Balance water and perform shock treatment as directed by your Pool Professional.
-
Allow water to recirculate through filter for 24 hours, then test for chlorine residual level. If below 1.0 ppm, shock water until a level of at least 10 ppm is attained. (A level of 30 ppm completely eliminates algae.)
-
Allow water to recirculate continuously for the first week; backwash and clean filter as required.
-
Allow chlorine reading to drop below 3.0 ppm before using pool.
Note: To prevent mildew from forming on winter cover in storage, clean with POOL PROTECT COVER CLEANER and allow to dry thoroughly before storing for the summer.
DAILY MAINTENANCE: Filtration - Circulation - Balance - Sanitation
-
Test pH; if necessary, adjust to 7.2-7.8.
-
Test residual chlorine; if necessary, add sanitizer (or adjust feeder flow rate) tomaintain level at 1.0-3.0 ppm.
-
Remove floating debris with hand skimmer.
-
Check skimmer basket and lint strainer; clean as needed.
-
Brush pool walls, vacuum bottom, and hose down pool deck area.
-
Check filter flow-rate and pressure; they should be sufficient to filter pool water at least three times a day.
-
Ensure that water return inlet is correctly positioned, away from the skimmer basket and as deep as possible.
WEEKLY MAINTENANCE
-
Clean filter, backwash, and clean cartridge(s) as needed with POOL PROTECT FILTER CLEANER
-
Thoroughly clean and brush pool walls, vacuum bottom, then hose down wall, deck and entire pool area.
-
Unpleasant odours, frequently attributed to insufficient chlorine in the water, may actually indicate the need for superchlorination * (i.e. addition of POOL PROTECT SHOCK PLUS) to eliminate these problems. Superchlorination * will also eliminate the cause of most irritation problems.
* Superchlorination plays a vital role in preventive pool care. You should superchlorinate every week when temperatures exceed 25 °C, as well as after heavy pool use and rainstorms. Superchlorinate every second week when temperatures are below 25 °C
-
Allow superchlorinated water to recirculate through the filter for 4-6 hours, then re-test, readjusting pH if necessary.
-
The following morning, make your weekly addition of POOL PROTECT END ALGAE 40 algaecide.
-
Every 3 weeks, bring a sample of your pool water to Mermaid for a thorough analysis of its parameters.
-
Superchlorinate water with POOL PROTECT SHOCK PLUS or ULTRAQUA-12 liquid chlorine following label instructions.
-
To soften pool water and provide comfort to swimmers, sprinkle 1.5 kg of POOL PROTECT ULTIMATE PLUS per 10,000 L of water, once a year, directly in front of the water return inlet, not in the skimmer basket. Add the required amount in two applications, 4 hours apart.
Download complete maintenance manual.
