What’s Next?

Now that your pool is up and running, follow this brief guideline to assure that your pool water quality becomes its best over the coming days. 

What to expect…

You can expect your pool to be swimmable in as little as just a few days once your water quality becomes balanced and, over the next week, below is what you’ll need to do to make sure that happens.

What do you need to do?

Your pump and filtration system plays a key role in filtering out debris and algae from your pool water.  You’ll want to be sure to:

• Backwash your sand filter at least once per day – Once per day is usually enough however, the dirtier the pool, the more it will need to be backwashed.  This removes debris that gets caught in the sand and assures that water can flow easily through the entire system so it can be filtered.  Keep in mind that backwashing the sand filter will lower the pool water level so keep your hose handy to maintain a proper pool water level.  Always rinse for 20-30 seconds after backwashing.   If you have a cartridge filter, clean the cartridge daily depending on how clean and free of debris the pool is.

• Keep all skimmer and pump baskets as clean as possible – Check these as often as possible during the first week as larger debris will fill both the skimmer baskets and the pump baskets quickly.  Clean baskets make for a much more efficient overall filtration system.

• Vacuum, Brush, and Top Skim daily – Your pool should be brushed on a daily basis throughout the season.  This assures, along with proper chemical balancing, that algae will not grow and that you’re “stirring up” any small debris on the bottom of the pool so that it can enter the water flow column and be filtered out.  Within the first week after opening, vacuuming, brushing, and top skimming manually removes debris and makes for a much faster transition to a clean, swimmable pool.  

Water Testing and Balancing

After we leave, wait 2-4 days and then test your water using a reputable test kit or pool store water quality testing station.  Once you’ve been able to test the water, add the necessary chemicals required to get your pool into a perfect balance.

Basic Ideal Water Parameters – Readings may vary depending on brand/type of testing

• pH – 7.2-7.6 – most important balance point for effective chemical sanitization.  Achieving a proper pH will assure quick effectiveness of all other pool chemicals.

• Total Alkalinity – 80-120ppm – Protects against rapid pH swings

• Free Chlorine – 1.0-3.0ppm – Keeps your pool water clean and safe for use

• Stabilizer – 80-100ppm – Prevents chlorine loss due to sunlight

• Chemicals every pool owner should have on hand

  • Liquid Chlorine, Chlorine Tablets, Shock, or Non-Chlorine Shock

  • pH Up(+) and Down (-)

  • Alkalinity Up(+)

  • Algaecide

  • Clarifier

  • Stabilizer

After following this basic guideline, your pool should be up and running with excellent water quality and a shimmer that says “it’s time to relax with the warm days of summer” in just a few days.  Please feel free to contact us any time with any questions you may have.  We are always happy to help you enjoy the best pool season you’ve ever had!!

Touched By The Sun Pools – Open and enjoy your summer with us!