Above-ground pools are a type of swimming pool which comes in many varieties from the Jacuzzi-type pool made from bricks, fiberglass, or stone – to the do-it-yourself pool made from steel and tarpaulin sheets. Whatever your above-ground pool is made out of, it requires different degrees of maintenance. For newbies, this article will provide you with a brief introduction to the basics of above-ground pool maintenance.
For starters, if your above-ground pool is constructed out of solid materials, especially if the whole is made from quarried rock (which is the most popular kind of design today), then you’ll have to take extra care of it. Above-ground pool maintenance tips for these types of pools involve practically the same strategies used to clean below-ground pools. Algae, scaling, and dirt are things you absolutely wouldn’t want in an above-ground pool, especially if it’s made out of quarried rocks, as removal of the dirt will be difficult. This can be accomplished through the use of automated cleaners which work alongside filters to clean your pool on a programmed basis.
The second variant of above-ground pools which are usually inflatable, but most times consists of a metal frame and tarps for the body are even easier to maintain, as a weekly draining and thorough brushing are quite enough to keep it good as new. To remove and avoid possible build-up, brushing the tarpaulin and drying it prior to storage should be observed. Since pools made from quarried rocks require more upkeep than the inflatable or assembled types, above-ground pool maintenance tips focus on the care and upkeep of the former types in more detail.
For solid above-ground pools, there are three maintenance tips which should always be observed to ensure that your pool is as clean as can be:
Step One – Balance it out.
Pool water is a complicated thing, which is why the first thing you should accomplish of the three above-ground pool maintenance steps is to create the proper chemical balance in your pool water. There is a necessary chemical balance which should be met with regards to the pool water as too much chlorine and other chemical additives make for an irritating and sometimes even toxic pool, while too little fails to live up to the necessary sanitation requirements. Water testers are tools which are indispensable when measure pool water levels; since they are easy to obtain and affordable, it is best to always have them in handy.
Step Two – Sanitary Measures
Sanitizing your pool is the second stage of the above-ground pool maintenance tips guide. Sanitizing may be achieved by any means but usually with only one medium – chlorine. Since chlorine is a sanitary medium, people may think that there more there is in a pool the better; they are sadly mistaken in this regard as too much chlorine can cause severe allergic reactions while too little fails to perfectly sanitize the pool thus – balance is key. Removing this will be dealt with in the third step.
Step Three – Shocking Your Pool.
The last and most important though rarely conducted above-ground pool maintenance tip is shocking the pool water. Though it may sound like something to do with electricity, shocking a pool actually involves nothing more than adding large amounts of chlorine to the pool water to remove build-up, kill microbes, and stabilize chloramines. Chloramines are chlorine residues mixed with grime, dirt, oil, sweat, and other particles which turn the water bad. With the addition of a large amount of chlorine to the pool water in order to effectively break down any particulate matter, the weird chlorine smell problem is solved!
With just three easy steps, a great and rewarding time with above-ground pools is just an arm’s length away.
