Pool Maintenance: The Basics

Now is a good time to check the chemical and mechanical items of your swimming pool. Avoiding pool problems is cheaper and less stressful than solving them. First check the water chemistry. Measure the cyanuric acid level. It should be between 30 to 80 ppm. If it is over 100, drain about half the water from the pool and immediatly refill it. Make sure the pump can't come on and run dry during the draining process. Another way to lower the cyanuric (stabilizer) level is to use "cyanuric acid reducer", an expensive new product from Doheny's (phone: 800 323-5930).

Next check the total alkalinity. Having the right TA prevents the pH from bouncing and causing erosion and/or scale. The type of pool surface and the kind of sanitizer you use will determine the best TA level.

After checking and adjusting the Cyn, TA, and pH, add borax (sodium tetraborate pentahydrate). The ideal dose for borax is 20 pounds per 10,000 gallons. This will help prevent the dreaded mustard algae, soften the water, and act as a second pH buffer. A source for borax is "The Chemistry Store" (phone: 800 224-1430). They have it for less than $2.00 per pound.

Now check the circulation system using your senses of sound, sight, smell, and touch (don't taste). Does the pump sound OK? "RRRR" or "SCREEEE" means the motor bearings are going or gone and your neighbors will be calling you about the noise. "HNNNNNK" means the motor is seized by rust or the start capacitor is dead. "WHAAA" means water is not getting to the pump in sufficient quanity. Check the baskets, valves, and pipes. If the pump sounds normal, but the flow is weak, there is probably something caught in the impeller. You should not see or smell smoke. The motor may be very warm to the touch, but should not spit-sizzle like a frying pan.

Look for water leaks on a dry sunny day. Look under the pump for drips. The pump has two main parts - wet end and motor. The wet end has two sides - suction (upstream from impeller) and pressure (behind the impeller). If you are getting bubbles in the pool, the problem is an air leak in the suction line from the skimmer/drain to the front of the impeller. Look at the pump lid O-ring, freeze plug, and pipe threads. Turn off the pump while looking at it. If water spits out from somewhere the instant you hit the off switch, that is your air leak. Air also may enter through valve stems, unions, and a stuck skimmer weir, or an overstuffed skimmer basket.

Your filter is what separates the junk from the water. Sand filters need new sand every 5 to 10 years. If you have an old sand filter, you can improve it with zeolite (www.zeotechcorp.com). Be sure to use coarse silica sand at the bottom aound the laterals. Cartridges in filters last 2 to 3 years or less if you have a very powerful pump and are into suntan oil. DE filters usually last 3 to 5 years before the grids collapse or the fabric tears. If you cleaned the DE grids yourself and are now getting DE in the pool, you probably either forgot to replace the pipe O-ring (into the manifold) or broke the mushroom screen.

I recommend "Everything you always wanted to know about POOL CARE" by Charlie Taylor (949 366-9981). It is a booklet that covers what every pool owner should know. If you really want a more comprehensive look at pool maintenance, get "The Professional Pool Maintenance Manual" by Terry Tamminen (McGraw Hill, ISBN 007 136 2398; phone 800 262-4729).

		Contributor: Norman Witzler, Tropical Pools
	           	     tropical4pools@webtv.net
	           		 658-7928 (for emergencies)