Pool Cleaning, Maintenance, & Repair Keep Your Pool Healthy & Clean Year Round!

If you have a residential pool or spa it should be serviced on a regular weekly basis. This consists of checking and balancing pool chemicals, pool cleaning, empty baskets, monitoring water level, and maintaining equipment.

An ideal pool chemical analysis should consist of a healthy ppm level in the water. Chlorine 3 ppm. Bromine 1-2 pp.  pH 7.6 ppm. Alkalinity 100-140 ppm. Cyanuric Acid 30-50 ppm. Salt level 3000-3500 ppm. Phosphates under 250 ppm. Calcium hardness 200-400 ppm.

Are you familiar with and confident in your ability to weekly maintain and monitor all aspects of your pool? Do you have the time? Do you carry all the necessary tools, chemicals, and supplies to maintain your pool? Do you have the proper education to take care of your pool? If not, you should hire a pool company! Emerald pool service is much more than a company that shows up every week to clean your pool. We are highly educated pool professionals that care about your backyard oasis. We understand every aspect of the pool chemistry to the regular repairs that need to be incorporated in order for your pool to look and run amazing. Never worry about picking up a chemical, adjusting your pool automation, or cleaning your filters.

There are a few types of filters. 1.) Sand filter, make sure you backwash every week if not every two weeks to clean. After roughly 10 years the sand and pea gravel needs to be replaced.  2.) This is your standard cartridge filter, these need to be cleaned every 6 months and replaced after every 2-3 filters clean with brand new filters. 3.) D.E filter, This is a grid filter with slats inside. Ensure you are backwashing once a month and any D.E product into the pool after the backwash. These filter grids need to also be cleaned every 6 months.

This is a common question and there are really two answers. 1.) Your pool will have evaporation water loss mainly in the warmer seasons, you may see up to a .5” of water loss a day and up to 3” a week. This is why it is crucial to have a working autofill or hose nearby to ensure the water level does not drop below the pool skimmer. 2.) Your pool has a leak! If your pool is losing more than 1” of water a day and you are refilling it, then you may need to look into a leak detection service.

When a pool owner neglects service of the pool via cleaning, chemicals, water, and equipment maintenance then you will most likely end up with a green pool. This happens because the pool is not sanitizing or circulating efficiently and it will grow bacteria to feed algae. The pump equipment may become damaged and the pool may also become stained. Always hire a company like Emerald Pool Service if you do not have the time, knowledge, or chemicals to service your pool.

More often than not your pool may turn green because of a lack of service. Usually, your pool turns green when it has used up all of the chlorine and thereby has no way to sanitize or kill off bacteria in the pool. Algae can also grow because of high phosphate levels. Make sure to treat your pool with shock and algaecide then ensure filters are clean and equipment is working properly for your pool to circulate. If your pool is green and has a high Cyanuric Acid level, ensure to drain the pool and get fresh water in before treating the pool.

1.) Determine the type of algae you have (Green, yellow, black) if not one of these it could be a stain in the pool plaster.  2.) Ensure your filter is cleaned or back washed. 3.) Check the pump to make sure it is fully primed and circulating the water efficiently and there is nothing blocking water circulation. 4.) Check phosphate levels in the pool, if over 500 ppm you may need a phosphate remover. 5.) Add algaecide treatment dosage for proper pool size. 6.) Perform a shock treatment on the pool to kill off the algae. 7.) Let the pool circulate for 24 hours and brush off dead algae. 8.) Repeat the process if necessary.

Most likely your pool is not circulating because of your filters. First check your filters, if you have a sand filter make sure it is back washed and rinsed. If you have a cartridge filter, make sure they are clean and under 25 psi. Next, empty your pump basket and skimmer baskets. Make sure nothing is stuck in your pool pump impeller. Make sure nothing is blocking your vacuum or circulation. Then inspect pool intake valves and unions for any air leaks. You should then be able to prime your pool pump and set the correct valve positions for optimum circulations.

The time a pool pump should run is based on your pool setup and size. An average 20,000-gallon pool should be running between 12-14 hours a day in the summer months and 8-12 hours a day in the colder months. Any pool under 15,000 gallons should be run at least 10-12 hours a day in the summer months and 6-10 hours in the colder months. If you have a pool of 30,000 gallons or more I suggest running your pump a minimum of 14-18 hours a day in the summer and 10-14 hours in the cooler months. If you have a separate floor cleaner pump or basin pump, ensure that it is running in sync with the main filter pump schedule.

There are a few essential chemicals you need for a chlorine pool and a salt pool. 1.) Chlorine tabs. 2.) Dichlor/ shock. 3.) Muriatic acid. 4.) Alkalinity upper/ sodium bicarbonate. 5.) Soda ash. 6.) Liquid chlorine 7.) Algaecide 8.) Phosphate remover. 9.) Salt. 10.) Clarity treatment. 11.) Stain remover 12.) Pool stabilizer.