Pool Cleaning & Maintnenace

What options do we offer?

What our services include

The main porpoise of our maintenance program is to keep your pool clean all year round, the Weekly Maintenance option is the most effective option in most cases since we can create more stable water conditions by coming once a week and for outlying areas the best option would be Twice Monthly-Maintenance where we come every second week. The cost might vary depending on your location and the size of your pool.

What’s included in Weekly Maintenance?

• Cleaning the Weir Basket weekly and pump basket when necessary
• Doing a quick backwash and rinse. We make sure not to waste unnecessary water
• Testing water PH, Alkalinity and Chlorine levels and adjusting with our own chemicals
• Brushing steps and pool walls where necessary
• Check for any leaks, noises, or damaged equipment, and let you know if something is damaged
• We will send you a weekly water quality report at request

We try to work as quickly as possible and visits last 15 to 20 minutes on average

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Below is a guide on how to maintain a swimming pool in more detail

Circulation

• Circulation: Run pool pump 8-12 hours per day
• If the pressure is greater than 15psi, wash or clean the filter
• Clean the skimmer and pump basket Keep the planes in a circular and downward orientation

Cleaning

• Brush walls, steps, ladders, low circulation spots daily
• Skim the surface daily
• Use the automatic cleaner or vacuum every week

Chemistry

• Test water 1 to 2 times a week
• Balance pH and alkalinity
• Maintain sanitizer levels
• Shock bi-weekly

Good Circulation

Pool maintenance is started by circulating water, because if you don’t move the pool water, your pump doesn’t work, or your filter doesn’t clean it out, you will have a difficult time keeping swimming pools clean. In fact, stagnant water is a breeding ground for algae growth.

The circulation system in your pool is composed of several parts. Skimmers, pumps, filters, and jets. Your water quality will be adversely affected if one of these elements is substantially impeded. Here is a description of how it works

1. Pump sucks water from pool through skimmer (usually a rectangular door)
2. The water flows out of the pump to the filter.
3. Filter removes the particles that are causing water to be dirty.
4. Through waterjets, water is returned to the pool.

The pump extracts water from a filtration system, which is free of soil, rubble, and all sorts of impurities. There’s clean water going back to the pool from there.

Run the Pump (At least 8 hours per day)

In other words, the more you run your filtration system, the cleaner your water will be – and the less time you’ll have to spend scrubbing algae or balancing your water. If running your filter 24/7 isn’t realistic, aim to run your pool filter 10 to 12 hours per day. You should run the pump a little longer each day if you’re in warm weather. Therefore, we’d recommend investing in variable speed pool pumps because they can operate at a slower rate during the day, which results in savings on energy use and reduced noise.

Backwash when necessary

It may be time to backwash your filter if your pump gauge is more than 10 pounds or more than the normal reading, usually 15 to 25 psi for a clean filter. You will need to clean up your filter cartridge if you are using an air filter.

Clean the Weir Basket (1-2 times a week)

It’s important to keep your swimming pool in good condition with regular cleaning of the weir-box basket and pump baskets. Clogged baskets make your pump work harder to try to cycle the water. This may cause the seals on your pump to wear out and shorten life. In addition, it is also possible that some types of creatures such as frogs might get stuck in your weir and need to be removed within a timely manner. Depending on the number of times you are using it, we suggest washing your weir regularly or twice a week.

To clean the weir basket, simply turn off your pool pump and empty the removable basket under the skimmer lid, then replace. You’re also supposed to remove the pump basket from your pool pump every now and then. As most of the debris is collected by a weir basket, you don’t have to do it so often.

Angle the Jets

The second easy adjustment is to ensure the pool jets are pointing away from the skimmer, so that your water cycles in a circle. It’s supposed to help rotate the water in the pool and make cleaning up debris easier for your skimmer. In addition, it is helpful to angle the jets downward so that circulation also occurs at the bottom of the pool. If you’ve got a section of your pool where water is hard to come by, most often the steps, stairs, crawl spaces or corners of these pools, you can angle to these areas too.

Cleaning

Brush

Scrubbing the walls with a pool brush pool prevents algae, staining, and scaling, especially around “dead areas” such as steps, ladders, crevices, and below the skimmer.

Skim

Skimming the surface of the water with a net or leaf rake removes large debris. This debris is unattractive to swimmers and can fall to the bottom of your pool where it can leave stains.

Vacuum

Vacuuming your pool is another essential part of removing debris that can reduce circulation and damage your pool. You can use a vacuum head, hose, and pole attached to your skimmer through a vacuum plate. 

Chemistry

Test your water & Balance chemicals

For best results, test your water weekly. To keep things easy, opt for a test kit that will tell you if you need to add pool chemicals to maintain your water balance. Most pool supply stores and big-box retailers sell easy-to-use test kits or test strips that allow you to test your swimming pool water for the key chemicals. Here are the essential ranges to keep in mind:

• pH: Ideally, you want your pool water to have a pH of around 7.5. This is important because pH levels that are too high or too low can lead to a variety of pool maintenance issues, from equipment corrosion to increased green algae growth. See our pH guide
• Calcium hardness: Again, it’s all about balance here: Shoot for 200 – 400 ppm in a pool. When calcium hardness levels are too low, you risk damage to your pool’s plaster finish or vinyl liner. But if your pool’s calcium hardness is too high, you’ll be scraping away tough-to-remove calcium deposits. See our calcium hardness guide
• Alkalinity: You want to aim for a total alkalinity of around 120 to 150 ppm. If it’s below this range, your pool’s pH can be affected, and your pool’s surfaces are more prone to stains. If it’s on the higher side, your water can become cloudy. See our alkalinity guide
• Chlorine: Available in sticks, granules, and tablets, chlorine breaks down harmful bacteria and sanitizes your pool water. You’ll want to keep the chlorine levels stable to ensure that your pool stays clean. See our chlorine guide
• Phosphates: If your pool water is green and cloudy, it is possible that the phosphate levels in your pool are too high. Having too many phosphates in your pool can make algae growth more likely and makes it more difficult to maintain proper pool chemistry. See our phosphates guide.

Shocking the Pool

In addition to keeping your pool chemistry balanced, it’s also a good idea to shock your pool once every week or two. “Shocking” means you overload your water with sanitizer to kill off any bacteria, contaminants, and organic matter. For more information, learn how to shock your pool in 6 easy steps.

In general, the more you use your pool, the more often you should shock. You may also want to shock your pool after periods of heavy use or weathering in these cases:

• After an intense storm
• After a spill or unexpected contamination
• After an algae breakout

Conclusion

If you follow these basic steps, you will be on your way to maintaining a crystal-clear pool and avoiding problematic algae growth. The key is establishing a routine and taking early action if you notice discoloration, cloudy water, scaling, or other signs of trouble. And if you ever find the responsibilities overwhelming, Pool Gecko can take care of your pool for you. For a reasonable price, they’ll visit your house every one or two weeks and take care of all the of this stuff for you!

We hope this guide has made your life just a little easier, see our related maintenance articles or use our search if you have more questions!