CAN YOU FEEL POOL SEASON IN THE AIR?

Who has spring fever?!?! It seems like we made it over the snow hump and warmer temperatures are on the horizon. With our current health climate, that means pool season is just about upon us. Pool owners are opening their pools earlier than usual since everyone is mostly at home still. This gives pool owners an extended pool season for more fun. But with more fun, also comes more work. And while everyone is still spending most of their time at home, here are some tips to help out your pool.

CHECK. CHECK.1.2.3.

Your pool company visits weekly. There is a lot that can happen in a week between those visits that can really send your pool clarity and water chemistry into a frenzy. Factors including bad weather, landscapers, animals, pollen, pool parties, and more will all affect your water chemistry. If you have multiple factors infiltrating your pool in that one-week span, your pool can quickly go from crystal blue to algae green. So, what is a pool owner to do? If multiple service calls in a week isn’t in your budget, you may want to consider water testing on your own. We aren’t talking about those big water tests kits your technicians use each week, but trying out the dip test strips can help. You simply dip the strip into the pool water and then color compare the strip to the back of the bottle. This will give you a snapshot of how your pool is doing and if any immediate action is needed.

COME CLEAN

At your weekly visit, your technician will give the pool its usual cleaning. This can include vacuuming, brushing, and/or skimming. When they leave the property, the pool is clean. But have you heard of Murphy’s Law? (No, this is not a political rant in regards to our Governor.) Murphy’s Law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong” and that happens pretty much as soon as the technician has pulled away from your property. You know every leaf and branch will fall into your pool, along with airborne debris, and your bathers won’t shower (or use the bathroom) before entering your pool. All of this equals to a dirty pool. This is where an automatic pool vacuum really earns its keep. Also, here’s a suggestion, if you need a task for your older children, skimming is a great chore for any kids that know how to swim.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

With all of these factors trying to attack the cleanliness and clarity of your pool, we need to be consistent with our pool efforts. This includes not skipping weekly visits to save money or stopping service when you go on vacation since “no one is using the pool.” Pools are needy. They need attention and care to operate in a healthy and safe manner. The pool owner and pool professional can act as a tag team in keeping an eye on the pool. So, once the technician leaves the property, you need to by our eyes and ears and let us know of any problems right away. Together, we can ensure your extended pool season is at its best!