If you’ve recently installed a new pool, considering getting one, or even if you’re renting a home with a pool in the backyard, the thought of maintaining a pool for the first time can seem daunting. Not to worry, Swimart offers an owner instruction service to teach you all about your pool and its equipment – from emptying baskets and water balancing, to backwashing filters.

As your local pool care expert, Swimart can help you understand how a pool works and what you need to do to keep it clean, healthy and, most importantly, safe to swim in. Let’s get you pool-ready with these helpful tips.

Sanitation - Correctly balanced water, also known as pool chemistry, is essential when considering the long-term effect on pool finishes, exposed metal, and pool and spa equipment. If water is out of balance it will either be corrosive or scale forming. Either way, it can be detrimental to the management of the pool.

Also, untreated water is a breeding ground for potentially dangerous bacteria, which can trigger infections like ‘swimmers ear’ and lead to serious conditions including poliomyelitis and meningitis.

There are three main factors that contribute to sanitised pool water:

  • pH
  • Total Alkalinity
  • Calcium Hardness

Now, before you go adding chemicals, you need to test your water first. If you don’t have the right equipment, then simply take a water sample from elbow deep to  your local Swimart store  where a professional will analyse the water and explain how and when to do it at home.

Filtration - Your swimming pool needs an efficient filtration system to remove dirt, debris and other contaminants, and prevent the growth of harmful, waterborne bacteria. This is achieved with a pump and a filter, which work together to create crystal clear, inviting pool water.

Without adequate filtration, suspended (undissolved) solids in the water create an unsightly and unhealthy cloudiness. These can include dust, pollen, mineral salts such as calcium and magnesium, algae (dead and alive), and other organic material such as sweat from swimmers.

The  pump  is considered the heart of the filtration system, while the  filter  – be it sand, cartridge, diatomaceous earth (DE), glass pearls or zeoplus – completes the process.

Cleaning - Emptying the skimmer basket, scooping leaves from the water,  scrubbing  algae off the sides and  vacuuming  dirt and debris from the pool – together these help keep your pool clean, and your pricey pool equipment functioning properly.

The key to pool cleaning is regular, routine care. Even if you decided to outsource maintenance to a professional pool care company like Swimart, you will still need to do a couple of things each week to ensure your pool stays in good condition for years.

Now that you have a basic understanding of your new pool, we suggest that you visit  your local Swimart store  to find out if you need to top-up any pool chemicals, or organise a site visit so we can have a look at your pool equipment to see it’s all in working order.

Bring your pool water in for a  FREE  test and we can also provide you with a Pool Maintenance Booklet to make your ongoing maintenance program as easy and stress-free as possible.