Your Top Pool Care Questions Answered

While pool ownership brings many fun moments with family and friends, not to mention complementing the overall aesthetic of your home, it does come with expected regular responsibilities. There are many aspects to pool care, from routine maintenance and service to equipment repair and beyond, that require your attention. 

Read on to get your top pool care questions answered for a stress-free pool ownership experience. 

How Often Should I Run My Pool Pump?

This is dependent on the time of year and the conditions surrounding your pool. Your pool should filter through its entire volume of water twice a day. With that said, your filter system should run about 8 hours per day to properly circulate and clean your water. Please keep in mind that during the warmer months of the year when pool usage is at an all-time high, the demand for chemicals and filtration increases. Respectively, the demand for chemicals and filtration will decrease during your off-season.

How Often Should I Test My Pool Water?

Testing and balancing your pool water is imperative to a healthy pool, and it’s one of the most important aspects of pool maintenance. Water testing frequency is dependent upon a number of factors, including pool size, how often the pool is being used and the outside temperature. That being said, during peak usage, your sanitizer levels and pH balance should be tested at least 2 to 3 times per week, total alkalinity (TA) at least once per week, and water chemistry, including calcium hardness (CH), cyanuric acid (CYA), total dissolved solids (TDS), and the presence of metals and phosphates at least once per month. 

Keep in mind having an increased bather load, like after a pool party or weekend of visitors, may cause you to test your water more frequently. 

Do I Need to Brush My Pool Walls?

Without a doubt, yes! Not only does brushing your pool walls agitate the water, but it also prevents algae spores from adhering to the pool surface as well as helps prevent stains and water scale. You should brush your pool walls at least once or twice a week, keeping in mind that while pool vacuums (automatic pool cleaners specifically) do reduce the time needed to manually clean the walls, they can’t always get in those hard-to-reach areas that harbor algae spores. 

What is the Importance of Shocking the Pool?

Shocking your pool is designed to break apart chloramines, raise your chlorine level and kill algae, bacteria and other harmful pathogens. You should typically shock your pool once a week once swimming season begins, and then again after heavy rains, when temperatures are extremely hot, and when the pool has been used a lot. To determine if you need to shock your pool, check your Free Available Chlorine and Total Available Chlorine levels. They should be identical or within 0.2 ppm of each other. The wider the gap, the more quickly you need to shock the pool. 

How Often Should I Clean My Filter, Skimmer & Pump Baskets?

Dirty or clogged filters, skimmers, and pump baskets will restrict your water flow, causing your pool pump to work overtime, which can lead to significant issues down the road. While there’s no set schedule for filter, skimmer, and pump basket maintenance, it’s important to pay attention to how often you’re using the pool and if there is any debris circulating around. Be sure to check your skimmer and pump baskets daily. And clean your filter when the pressure gauge reads 8 to 10 PSI higher than when it’s clean. 

Your McAllen Pool Care Experts

Knowing the basics of how to care for your pool is a part of your pool ownership experience. The pool care experts at Hamlin Pools are committed to giving you everything you need to know to ensure a healthy pool year-round. Stop by our pool supply store in Pharr to speak with one of our pool service professionals or pick up any of your pool care supplies. 

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Since 1952, Hamlin Pools has been a family-owned and operated pool company serving the Rio Grande Valley, including McAllen, Mission, Brownsville, Harlingen, South Padre Island, and Corpus Christi. Hamlin Pools is the largest pool builder south of San Antonio and is proud to have built nearly 4,000 swimming pools for its customers. 

Hamlin Pools is an industry leader in combining innovative designs with construction know-how. Through an extensive network built over the past 5 decades of building swimming pools in the Rio Grande Valley, Hamlin Pools has the ability to deliver a better pool at a better price. Hamlin Pools also does pool renovations, pool remodels, outdoor living, custom outdoor kitchens, weekly pool maintenance, pool equipment repair, pool chemical retail sales, and commercial pool construction. 

Hamlin Pools, with its main office Pharr, has received numerous awards for pool design and construction and are members of every major industry group dedicated to upholding high pool construction and service standards. Contact them today about building the backyard of your dreams.