Does regular pool maintenance leave you feeling like a mad scientist? Pool maintenance is necessary to keep your pool clean and safe to use. However, testing, adjusting, and perfecting your pool chemicals can be a headache for both new and experienced pool owners. With swim season in full swing, you may like to know, “How long do I wait between adding pool chemicals anyway?” During the midst of swim season, Energy Center-Manhattan Pool recommends you test your pool water and add chemicals at least once a week.
What Does Weekly Pool Maintenance Look Like?
On a weekly basis, pool maintenance includes skimming debris off the surface, cleaning out skimmer baskets, cleaning or vacuuming the pool walls, and checking the pool filtration system. In addition, one of the most important weekly pool care tasks is testing the pool chemicals in the water. This can be done with an at-home test strip. Or for a more accurate and detailed analysis of your pool chemicals, bring in a water sample to our store in Manhattan. We can run a computerized test and identify your specific needs for pool chemicals free of charge.
What Factors Affect Pool Chemical Needs?
Certain environmental or personal factors can affect how often you need to add pool chemicals to the water. Here are a few of the most common:
The Sun
On days when UV rays are especially intense, your pool chemicals can break down and need to be adjusted. In fact, the sun can reduce your pool’s chlorine levels by up to 90% in just a couple of hours.
User Load
More people in the pool means more dirt, sweat, and other bacteria in the pool as well. This means your pool chemicals are working extra hard to keep the water clean and clear.
Frequency of Use
The more you use your pool, the faster pool chemicals are used up. If you’re using your pool every day, it might be prudent to test your pool chemicals more than once a week.
Pets in the Pool
Many pet owners enjoy letting their dogs take a splash in the pool to cool off. Pet fur and skin have more oils, dirt, and bacteria than people and may require additional pool chemicals to keep the water balanced.
Rainfall
After a large summer rainstorm, the rainwater can change and dilute the pool chemicals.
How Often Should I Shock My Pool?
In addition to weekly pool maintenance, shocking your pool is a necessary, though less frequent, part of pool maintenance. To shock your pool means to add a higher concentration of pool chemicals to clean the water and kill any bacteria growth quickly. You can shock your pool as much as once a week but especially after a large pool party, on extremely hot and sunny days, if a child had an accident in the water, or if your pool water looks cloudy. It is best to shock your pool at night when the sun is not an issue and there are no swimmers in the pool.
Let Energy Center-Manhattan Pool Help With All Your Pool Chemical Needs
At Energy Center-Manhattan Pool, we can help with all your pool water and chemical needs. In addition to free water testing, our pool experts are happy to talk with you to make recommendations and answer any questions you may have. Or, if you’d like to spend more time in the pool water than worrying about it, sign up for weekly pool service with Energy Center-Manhattan Pool. We take care of all your pool chemicals so you can sit back and relax by the pool. To sign up for pool service or learn more about pool chemicals, contact us or stop by our store in Manhattan.
