Pool Maintenance Tips - 4 Basic Elements of Pool Care

There are five basic elements of pool care and you need to consider all of them if you own a commercial or a family pool. 

Eastlake Pool Service, a Chula Vista pool service, asserts that proper care and pool maintenance should be one of the most important things that you need to consider to keep your pool safe, clean and enjoyable.  But before you begin to apply these simple pool care tips, it is imperative that you should first try to understand how your pool operates.

Here are the components that you need to check regularly to ensure that your pool is working properly: 

1. The Circulation System

The circulation system plays a major role in cleaning, sanitizing, and heating the water in the pool.  It is composed of a pump, filter, main drain, and returns.  These components work together to make the pool function normally and free from debris, algae and perhaps bacteria.  When your pool is in constant use, you should run its circulation system for not less than six hours per day or several times a day for shorter periods.

2. The Filter

The filter is one of the most important pieces of equipment that help to maintain the cleanliness of your pool.  It primarily works to ensure that it sifts the water it receives from the pump.  This is to ensure that the water is free from debris and particles before the pump releases it to the pool.

Keep the filter work efficiently by backwashing it or having its trapped materials removed every time the water pressure in the filter exceeds by eight psi above its manufacturer's standard.  You also need to clean your filter with chemical cleaners if you notice oils and hard-to-remove debris in it.  And to make sure that your filter is thoroughly cleaned and in top shape, you should tap a reliable pool filter services company for help.

3. Regular Manual Cleaning

Even though circulation systems are required of swimming pools, there are certain pools where circulation is low or not existing at all.  A pool or any part of it that doesn't have sufficient circulation is conducive to the growth of algae or bacteria.  You should prevent this by brushing and manually cleaning the floor and walls of your pool on a weekly basis. 

4. Water Balance and Chemistry

It is imperative that a working pool should be checked or tested on a regular basis.  It is the best way to ensure that your pool's pH and active sanitizer levels are healthy.  Regular tests will also help to let you know and monitor how your water is affected by the weather, chemicals, and bather load.  Test your pool's water balance with the use of:

Test Strips or litmus paper - This is the simplest and quickest way of knowing your pool water in terms of pH and chlorine levels.

Liquid Reagent – It is the process of using a substance that produces chemical reaction, allowing researchers to detect, measure, or change the levels of the substances present in the water.

Test Tablet – This is the best and most accurate way of testing the water balance of your pool.  Many pool owners use this test because of its simplicity, accuracy and cost effectiveness.

These are the four basic elements of pool care and maintenance.  Eastlake Pool Service, a Chula Vista pool service, can offer these services for your convenience and satisfaction.  And they can do more should you need to enhance or repair your pool system.  For more information, visit http://www.eastlakepools.com.     

Effectively Protect Your Pool From Storm Season

Searching for Chula Vista Pool Service after a stormy weather is not uncommon, especially when San Diego is hit by a terrible storm.  There are so many things to deal with regarding your swimming pool or koi pond aside from the floating debris.  You need to think about the drainage and filters.  You need to think about the bacteria and germ build-up because of the storm.  You need to think about how you can make your pool or pond water sparkling clean again.  Here are a few tips to follow for whenever a storm hits your area in order to help you prepare to keep your things secure, including your pool.

Use a pool cover.

Pool covers come in several different forms.  If your pool cover needs to be held on by weights or water tubes, it may end up proving useless since strong winds may easily blow it away.  You want to use a pool cover that is connected to the anchors around the pool.  In order to prevent the pool’s edge and the cover from being rubbed, you may want to put some padding between it.  Towels or water tubes will be great. 

Do not drain your pool.

A lot of pool owners believe that draining their pool in preparation for a storm is a great tip Chula Vista pool cleaners would advise.  But this is actually not recommended.  Without the added pressure of your pools water, the pool shell can actually pop out off the ground.  If possible, go ahead and add on a little more water than normal to make sure it stays held down.

Turn off any of the power supplies for your pool.

From the pump motor, electric heaters and light transformers, be sure to turn them all off.  Along with shutting them down, be sure you remove them and place them in waterproof plastic so that sand or driving water will not penetrate in.

Do not store any of your pool furniture in your pool.

It is advised to remove and store all of your pool furniture indoors, but never in your pool.  If you stock your pool equipment in your pool, chances are you are damaging your pool itself.  Keep in mind that the water also has chemicals that can damage your furniture in return. 

Over-chlorinate the water.

Keeping your water clean and bacteria free can be done by shocking your pool with chlorine.  Since a storm can carry around a lot of germs and ill-causing bacteria, chlorine is a crucial ingredient to use.  Go ahead and add more of the regular dose to slow down or prevent bacteria from growing.

Cleaning your pool after a storm can be hard, which is why you should look for an expert to do the work.  If you are in need of a Chula Vista Pool Maintenance team, you can rely on Eastlake Pool Service.  We know pools, and we know how to keep your swimming pool safe and healthy.

The Importance of Regular Pool Services

Owning a pool is just like owning a car.  It is a luxury to have, and it requires needed maintenance in order to function correctly and enjoy the way it is supposed to be.  While you may think that getting a pool built is quiet expensive, maintaining it is another thing.

Pool maintenance is not just about keeping your pool looking crystal clear.  It’s not about scooping out the dead leaves and other debris that fall into your pool.  You have to constantly keep an eye on your water level and the chlorine treatment.  You also need to clear out the filters.  Neglecting your pool can lead to a buildup of bacteria and germs that could be dangerous to your health.

The Hazards

Most pools are strategically placed outdoors.  Because of this, it is exposed to several different aspects that are able to harm swimmers.  The blowing wind can cause dirt and debris to land in the water.  Animals may decide to bathe in it or birds flying could possibly relieve themselves in it.  Bacteria or algae might start to accumulate, and this can cause rashes or irritation on your skin.

Hygiene is also another issue you need to think about, especially if other people are using the pool.  Someone might have an infection or open wound, and this can affect the health of others.  As disgusting as it is, children or other users might spit or urinate in the pool, and this will cause serious health problems to others. 

So why get regular pool maintenance?

Obviously, if you or your loved ones want to continue using the pool, getting a regular maintenance is very important to keep it clean.  After all, safety should always come first.  You want to make sure there is enough chlorine, but not too much, in order to kill any bacteria or germs that may be building up. 

To be safe, you also want to keep an eye on the interior and exterior of your pool.  Loose tiles and cracked walls need to be maintained in order to avoid any injuries or further work on the pool.  In the San Diego area, the most trusted pool service company is Eastlake Pool Service.  Not only are they able to help maintain your pool, pond or spa, but they can make repairs when needed. 

Visit http://www.eastlakepools.com for more information.

Things You Should Consider to Make Your Pool Safe

Owning a pool is not as easy as it looks.  There are a lot of things you need to think about from the repair and maintenance to the parts and chemicals you need to keep it free from harmful bacteria.  You need to understand how the pool system works.  However, between spending quality time with your family and facing the obstacles in your job, you don’t have a lot of time to deal with the minor, but important aspects of being a homeowner such as keeping your pool clean.

But what makes owning a pool such a difficult task?

Obviously, your pool will serve as an attraction in your home.  If you have a lot of leaves or garbage floating in your pool, no one will want to take a dive.  Murky or cloudy pool water will also be a turn off to anyone interested in taking a dip.  With outdoor pools so exposed to the natural environment, you need to have your pool cleaned every week or so – not just with the skimming the leaves on top, but also vacuuming the dirt at the bottom.   

Filters are also an important part to consider when you own your own pool.  Reality wise, you should be checking and cleaning your filters on a daily basis.  Having a clogged filter can be dangerous because pressure can increase.  To avoid this, always empty out your filter basket to keep your pump and filter running properly.

While chlorine is a necessity to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, too much chlorine is not healthy as well.  You should maintain a proper pH balance and chlorine to ensure that you and your family are safe from sickness when using your pool.  Just by using special paper strips, you can check to make sure that your pool is in the right pH and chlorine balance. 

But do not waste your time and energy by doing this on your own.  While you can clean your own pool yourself, it’s much better to have an expert team make sure that things are done right and efficiently.  Eastlake Pool Service, located in Chula Vista, is one of the few pool service companies offering a variety of pool and spa services for a reasonable price and superb service.  They service a large region of the San Diego area.  If you are looking for a great pool service at a fraction of the cost, call Eastlake Pool Service today at 619=241-1437 now.  You may also visit our website at www.eastlakepools.com to get a better idea about all the services we offer and what exactly we can do for you.