3 Common Pool Problems and How to Avoid Them

For a pool owner, there’s nothing worse than getting ready to dive into your pool and realizing there’s something wrong with the water. Instead of spending the day enjoying a refreshing swim, you now have to get to work to clean up your pool. How can you prevent common pool problems from ruining your summer days? Find out the most common pool problems now so you can avoid them later.

 

Here are 3 common pool problems and how to avoid them:

 

1. Green Pool Water

What causes it?

Pool water turns green when there is an outbreak of algae.

How to avoid it?

In order to prevent your pool water from turning green, you need to eliminate the chance of algae growing. The best way to keep algae at bay is to develop a regular cleaning schedule.

Shock your pool once a week. Use algaecide regularly. Carefully brush the walls and tiles of your pool at least biweekly and vacuum up all dust and debris from the pool floor.

Doing pool chores isn’t always fun, but maintaining a small checklist of “to-dos” is definitely better than dealing with the headache of cleaning a green pool.

Don’t forget: when taking care of your pool, be careful with the chemicals. Don’t mix chemicals together before adding them to the pool and always the read directions thoroughly before use. You want your pool to be clear and clean, but don’t skip safety precautions.

 

2. Poor Pool Maintenance

What causes it?

Having a pool promises a lot of fun, but it also requires responsibility. You need to take care of and maintain your pool. While it may not seem like a big deal at first, poor pool maintenance can cause serious problems in the long run.

How to avoid it?

The key to avoiding poor pool maintenance is to create a regular schedule for yourself. (More importantly, a schedule that you will hold yourself accountable for!)

Here’s what to include on your regular pool maintenance checklist:

• Run your pool filter daily.
• Check the water quality daily.
• Skim and vacuum.
• Brush the walls and tile.
• Empty the skimmers and pump basket.
• Check and maintain water level.

 

3. Cloudy Pool Water

What causes it?

Cloudy pool water can occur for several reasons. Most often, it is a result of an issue with the pool filter, with the chemical levels, or because there is too much dirt or debris.

How to avoid it?

First, in order to solve the problem of cloudy pool water, you must identify the source.

Ask yourself: are you running the pool filter for at least eight hours a day? Do you have an excessive amount of chemicals in the pool? (Sometimes, people think that adding more chemicals will get rid of any problem. But, in fact, “over-doing” it with the chemicals is sometimes exactly what makes the water cloudy.)

Knowing the common causes for cloudy pool water can help you avoid the problem all together. But, if you do find yourself with cloudy water in the pool, don’t panic. To get the water clean again, you have two options:

1. Use a pool clarifier. Basically, this helps your pool filter work more effectively to clean out small particles in the water. When using a pool clarifier, let your pool filter system run for 24 hours until the water is clear again.
2. Use a pool flocculant. A pool flocculant forces the particles in the water making your pool cloudy to fall to the bottom of the pool. Then, you must use a manual vacuum to sweep up the dirt.