You’ve finally done it. You decided to install a beautiful swimming pool right in your own backyard that you can use any time you like. You have all your gear, the pool is set up and it’ll last for years, right? Well, it should, but the answer depends entirely on your pool maintenance schedule. If you don’t know how to maintain a pool, your pool’s lifespan will shorten, drastically!

Any swimming pool requires routine maintenance to keep all of the parts in good working order and the water clean and clear. Our swimming pool maintenance guide will give you a strong understanding of everything pool maintenance entails. This includes knowing how your pool works, tips on how to care for it, and much more. We’ll help you keep your pool clean and looking beautiful all season long.

Basic Parts of Your Pool and Pool Maintenance

Before we get into the more complex topics of pool maintenance, we want to make sure you have a good understanding of your pool’s basic parts. Each part does something slightly different, and knowing how to maintain a pool requires a working knowledge of the four main components.

Component One – The Filter System

Your filter system is the workhorse of your entire pool setup. This is the component that is responsible for keeping your pool’s water circulating and clean. The pool pump is the part that will force the water to circulate to the pool filter. The filter will catch any debris, dirt and contaminants that could impact your water’s cleanliness level.

The filter protects your pool and anyone that swims in it from harm. It stops bacteria and algae from building up, and this makes the water safe. If your filter system were to fail, your pool water would turn cloudy and polluted. Salt water chlorinators, sand filters, cartridge filters, and diatomaceous earth (DE) filters are all popular.

Component Two – The Returns and Skimmers

The second biggest component of your pool are the returns and skimmers. The skimmers are the holes in the side of the pool that are responsible for pulling your pool’s water into the filter, and for pushing the water through the filter as it is cleaned. The returns are the components that return the clean water back to the pool.

These two parts work best when you routinely clean them. If there is a lot of debris or obstruction, the water won’t flow correctly. As a result, you’ll end up with dirty water. This is why you have to routinely backwash these systems and clean them out at least once a week. The cleaner each part is, the better it will function.

Component Three – The Pool Walls

No matter whether you have a fibreglass, concrete, rubber, plastic or vinyl pool, it will have walls that come into constant contact with the pool water. If your water doesn’t have the correct chemical balance, it becomes much easier for bacteria and algae to start growing and thriving. These pollutants can make your water unhealthy, and they can cause problems for your pool walls.

Every other week, you should make a point to scrub the pool’s interior walls to get rid of any bacteria or algae growth, and to remove any debris in the water. If you don’t have time to do it by hand, you can invest in a robotic cleaner that will run automatically. Another option is to get a self-cleaning pool system.

Component Four – The Water

For a beginner, finding the correct chemical balance for the water, and maintaining this, can seem like a daunting challenge. However, there are complete kits that can help to keep your water crystal-clear and safe to swim in. To keep your water clean and safe, you should focus on the following measurements (the values below are recommended for Compass Pools owners; if you have a fibreglass pool from another manufacturer or a completely different pool, refer to your pool builder or local pool shop to avoid potential damage to your pool):

• pH level – pH levels show how acidic or alkaline the water is. A neutral pH protects your pool equipment from corrosion while also stopping skin and eye irritation. We recommend keeping the pH range between 7.2 to 7.6 ppm.
• Total Alkalinity – This keeps your pH level in the pool balanced, and it should stay between 100ppm to 150ppm (parts per million).
• Chlorine – Chlorine acts like a sanitiser that rids the pool’s water of bacteria and algae. Keep chlorine levels between 1.0ppm and 2.0ppm but up to 3.0ppm is acceptable.
• Stabiliser (Cyanuric Acid) – If you have chlorine in your pool, this will shield it from sunlight. The ideal value is 50pppm, and cyanuric acid determines how much free chlorine you need in your water.
• Salt (for salt chlorinated pools) – Ideal level is between 3000 and 4000 ppm; lower salt levels may be required by some types of chlorinators.
• Calcium Hardness – You want to prevent damage to your pool’s walls, and keeping your calcium hardness between 175ppm and 225ppm will help.
• T.D.S. (Total Dissolved Solids) – Ideal level = less than 1500 ppm.
• Phosphates – Ideal level = zero but less than 0.2 ppm.
  Water Balance – Zero, or slightly negative on the Langlier Saturation Index (-0.2).

Note: For more advice on maintaining a clean and healthy pool and maintaining correct water chemistry, consult your local pool shop.

If you’re having issues keeping your water clear, buy a water testing kit. This kit comes with individual containers to carry out each test. Fill the containers with pool water and see what shade the water turns. Compare this colour to the colour on the chart included in the kid. It’ll tell you exactly where your levels are, and you’ll know if you need to adjust something or not.

Test your water at least once a week in the swimming season or monthly outside it. If you have a lot of rain or you find yourself refilling the pool because your water levels dropped too low, test it. These things can throw your water chemistry off, and it can result in cloudy water.

Checking Your Pool’s Circulation

Pool Circulation and Pool Maintenance

Your pool’s water should circulate on a constant basis to keep it clean and clear. If you have stagnant water, this is the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria. A high-quality, well-maintained circulation system will effectively combat pool algae or cloudy water. Your pump and filter system should run daily.

Ideally, your pump and filters should run around the clock. If this isn’t feasible for your budget, plan to run the system for at least 10 to 12 hours at the minimum, every day. This is ample time for your system to circulate all of your pool’s water at least once or twice.

Cleaning Your Pool’s Filter System

Your pool won’t be able to circulate water at full capacity if you have a dirty system. This is why it’s so important to clean out the filters and skimmer basket at least once a week. To clean these components, switch your filter off and remove the filter cap. Lift out the basket and remove any debris. Once you finish, put it back together and turn it back on.

Plan to backwash your filter system every month. Backwashing will help clean out the pipes on your filter system and get rid of any debris or stagnant water. To do this, remove the basket and switch your filter to the “backwash” setting.

What this does is has the water flow in the opposite direction as it normally does. Any debris will go into your pool’s waste port. Let the system run until the water becomes clear. Switch the filter back off, switch it back to its normal setting, and return the basket to the filter.

Cleaning Your Pool

A big part of pool maintenance is cleaning your pool regularly. It’s so easy to skip a day here or a week there, but this can significantly impact how long your pool components last. There are several ways you can clean your pool, and it all depends on your budget. At the very least, you’ll need a net skimmer to get rid of surface debris, and a pool brush to clean the sides and bottom of the pool. If you have money set aside, a robotic pool cleaner can help automate much of this task.

Brushing, skimming and vacuuming your pool at least once a week can help control the bacteria, algae and remove any debris. If you have a tough algae spot that you can’t remove, make a thick paste of baking soda and water. Apply this paste to the area and scrub. This won’t damage your tile or vinyl.

If you’re worried about the oils from skin or hair products forming a sheen on your water surface, tossing a few tennis balls into the pool or skimmer basket can help. The surface of a tennis ball will absorb the oils and remove them from your water. Wrapping a pair of fine denier tights around your skimmer basket helps catch very small particles.

Another thing you can invest in is an automatic pool cleaner. While this won’t totally replace the need for you to scrub the sides of your pool or skim it, it will mean you spend less time on the task. You need to ensure your automatic pool cleaner reaches every area of your pool, and this includes the walls.

Pool Maintenance Supplies

Depending on the pool type, there are a few supplies you can use to help with your pool maintenance routine. They’ll help you control the bacteria and algae while keeping your water clear. These supplies include:

• Shock – Pool shock is a chemical that oxidises organic water contaminants like algae and bacteria, destroying them. These are powerful sanitisers that you want to use either after heavy pool usage or in the beginning of the season. Most pool shock requires you to stay out of the water for 12 to 24 hours after use.
• Sanitisers – Chlorine is a popular pool sanitiser, but it has a strong smell that many people find unappealing. Bromine is another sanitising chemical that helps clear out any bacteria and keep your water clear between uses. There are also natural or enzyme-based sanitisers available, and some people like to use salt pools for this reason.
• Balancing Chemicals and Stabilisers – Adding and monitoring water balancing chemicals are essential parts of pool maintenance. Evaporation, sunlight, rain and the presence of oils can all throw off your pool’s chemical levels. You’ll need a test kit to monitor them, and you should test your levels at least once a week. A water conditioner (stabiliser) can protect and extend the life of your water chemicals to save you money.
• Algaecides – Algaecides destroy any algae in your pool and prevent build-up on your pool walls. Algae can clog your filter system and cause your water to look cloudy if you don’t keep up with it, and it thrives in warm water. You can find affordable algaecides that are safe to add to your pool, and they not only eliminate algae, but they prevent it from coming back for good.
• Stain Prevention and Removal – Water lines and stains can discolour the sides of your pool and be difficult to remove. Stain prevention and pool stain removal chemicals can get rid of these unsightly stains. These stains come from metals like silver, iron, copper, lead, cobalt, and manganese in the water, minerals that can cause scaling on your pool walls. However, applying stain remover will strip them away, and stain prevention chemicals will stop them from coming back.
• Chemical Kit – You have to keep track of an alter a range of chemicals in your pool water to keep your pool looking its best. The easiest way to do this is to buy a pool chemical test kit. This kit will come with several vials and test strips. You fill the vials with pool water and compare the colors to the chart. This will tell you whether or not you have to adjust your chemicals.

Compass Pools Can Help You Design and Install Your Dream Pool

Are you ready to add your dream pool to your yard? Perhaps you have questions about the installation process or maintenance? Either way, we want to help. Find our nearest dealership and drop by to talk to one of their professional staff today!

Many people dream of having a pool, but pool cleaning can be a hassle. Keeping a clean pool through the heat of the Australian summer months can be challenging, especially if this is your first year of pool ownership. However, we have several tips to help you keep your pool sparkling clean and ready to use whenever you like. It doesn’t matter what size your pool is, you have options, and we’ll outline them for you below.

Tips for a Clean Swimming Pool

1. Understand and Monitor Your Pool’s Chemical Levels

Understanding and testing your pool’s chemical levels are two of the biggest keys to maintaining a clean pool. Water that has a chemical imbalance can look murky, can open the door for bacteria to breed and can irritate your skin and eyes, negatively impacting your eye health. Ideally, you want to get into the habit of testing your pool water at least once every week in the swimming season or monthly outside it. There are many different things you want to test for and manage, the main five indicators are:

• Acidity or Alkalinity – The pH of your pool tells you how acidic or alkaline your pool water is. Your pool water should be basically neutral, but very slightly alkaline to keep you safe and to activate the chlorine. You should keep the pH of the pool water between 7.2 and 7.6 ppm (parts per million). This range will prevent skin or eye irritation and save your pool equipment from corrosion. Don’t exceed this level, as a higher pH will reduce your chlorine’s activity level.
• Calcium Hardness – Keep your pool’s calcium levels between 175 ppm and 225 ppm.
• Cyanuric Acid – This acid protects the chlorine in your pool from sunlight, and determines the required free chlorine level in the water. For outdoor pools, an ideal value is 50ppm. This is sometimes referred to as the ‘sunscreen’ that helps protect the chlorine.
• Chlorine – Chlorine is a sanitiser that keeps your pool water free of germs and safe from bacteria growth. The levels should range between 1 ppm and 3 ppm; ideally stay in the range between 1 ppm and 2 ppm.
• Total Alkalinity – The total alkalinity keeps your pool’s pH level balanced. Your levels should fall between 100 ppm and 150 ppm.

For more water chemistry indicators please refer to our guide to swimming pool maintenance for beginners.

Disclaimer: The values shown above are recommended for Compass Pools owners; if you have a fibreglass pool from another manufacturer or a completely different pool, refer to your pool builder or local pool shop to avoid potential damage to your pool):

Testing your pool water once a week is easy. When your pool is handed over you will be given test strips and a 4 in 1 test kit. Some customers like the simple strips. You can buy kits from any pool shop and they also provide a free sample jar with your pool’s water that you can take water there to have it tested.  A 4 in 1 test kit is where you add the solution from the kit and close the vials.

The vials will change colour after a few seconds. Look at these vials and compare them to your testing kit chart. This will tell you your pool’s current chemical levels. If some are off, you can adjust them to get an optimal balance. A pool with good chemical levels will have no scent, look clear, and leave little to no residue.

2. Monitor the Water Levels

The physical water level is very important to your pool water chemistry. Water evaporates from wind and sun, the kids splash it out when they play, or a heavy rainfall can cause the levels to swell. The goal is to keep your water level halfway up your skimmer’s opening. If the water drops too low, you can add water via a hose.

If the water level rises too high the most practical way is to make the most of the water and give your filter (assuming you have a sand filter) a good back wash. (see point 6). If you have a cartridge filter you will have a 3 way valve that will most likely be connected to your sewer point and you can drop the water level down using this method. Heavy rains or lots of topping up due to splash out can affect the pool chemistry level.  The balanced chemicals get diluted so you will notice this when you check the balance. Fluctuations in the water levels can throw them off balance.

3. Choose a Self-Cleaning Pool System

Did you know you can buy pools that have self-cleaning options available? These are perfect for those busy pool owners who don’t have the time to dedicate to maintaining a perfectly clear pool. For example, the Vantage Pool Cleaning System will circulate the water from the bottom to the top of the pool to help remove any debris or dirty water.

So why do customers with self-cleaning pools still claim they have to do very little when they still have to have the same chemical balance as any other pool?  The biggest benefit of this system is that the water is turned over through the filtration system and salt chlorinator (or another sanitising unit) so much quicker than a traditional eyeball suction pool.  The water is cleaner and thus, the balanced chemicals do not need to work as hard (hence then be replaced).  The clean water (just from the filter) and correct chlorine level is returned through the heads in the radius of the pool and circulated from the floor upwards.

You still need to check and balance your water, but you will need to adjust it a lot less.  Also, there will be no organic build up (i.e. leaves) so the water balance is not working as hard.

Fibreglass pools and vinyl-liner pools also use less chemicals as the walls are smooth.

The Vantage Pool Cleaning System, own to Compass Pools, doesn’t leave any hidden areas where algae or bacteria can take hold and grow. You are only balancing the water for the pool water only (not trying to manage the water so it can protect the vessel that it is being held within).

4. Schedule a Service Appointment Once a Year

Sometimes, it pays to trust an expert. When it comes to your pool’s mechanical equipment, this is especially true. Think of your heating systems, pumps, and filters. If you don’t know how to care for them year-round, it pays to have a professional come out once a year to ensure they’re in excellent working order, and fit to keep your pool clean. Just like a car, all equipment, valves, orings need to be lubricated, cleaned and checked.  All pumps have Orings that need lubricating.

Before this expert shows up, give your pool a once-over. Have the filters been keeping up with the demands of keeping the pool clean? Maybe you noticed an odd sound or something isn’t working correctly? Mention this to the technician so they’ll have an idea where to start or take a photo of any error message or video anything that has happened. You can use this opportunity to have them go over the equipment with you as a refresher.

5. Clean Your Pool’s Cartridge Filters & Routinely Backwash Your Sand Filter System

Your pool’s filter system is a key component to keeping your pool clean as it removes microscopic debris and dirt. Backwashing the filter is one way to ensure that every aspect of it is clean and working at peak levels to keep your water clear.

Every pool will have a filter system, and it helps to think of these filters as your pool’s kidneys. They function to remove impurities from the water like leaves, dirt, algae, and bacteria just like your kidneys remove impurities from your body. To keep them in top shape, you have to routinely clean them or flush them out. If you imagine your house vacuum cleaner – when it gets full it does not suck as well.  This is the same with your filter.  When it is full (from all the small impurities from the water) then water can not pass through the filter hence it does not suck as well.

There are 2 main types:  Sand and cartridge.

Sand:  You will need to a regular backwash. As a minimum once a month but depending on the wind load and pool use sometimes you need to fortnightly.   The sand filter is so easy to clean as you just need to turn some valves to clean it and it usually only takes around 5 minutes.  You must follow the ‘backwash’ procedure and remember do not turn the Multi Port Valve on top of your filter whist the pump is on.

Backwashing is when the water flows through your filter system in the opposite direction to that which it normally does. If your pool water looks cloudy, it’s time to backwash the system. You can avoid the pool water turning cloudy by making a mental note of your pool’s normal pressure gauge reading. Once it reaches five to seven pounds per square inch (PPI) above the normal level, backwash it. You should keep the water running until it starts to run clear. When it does, you can set your filter system to run the normal way.

Cartridge:  Depending on the size cartridge will depend on how often these need to be cleaned.  The actual cartridge(s) will need to be physically removed and pressure cleaned.

6. Clean the Lint Pot

Every few weeks, take a few minutes and clean out the lint pot. You’ll find this pot installed just on the inside of your swimming pool pump’s clear glass screen. Turn off the pool pump and release the system pressure before opening the pump. Ideally, you want to clean this area out every few weeks, or as needed. If your pool area is prone to accumulating debris, you’ll need to clean the pump out more often.

Baskets: Your pool will have baskets that will need to be emptied. Skimmer box basket (this is poolside and will collect all the leaves that get skimmed from the top of the pool water). You need to check these regularly as if these are full once again your filter will be working harder trying to suck the water.

Infloor: Infloor cleaning systems also have a separate basket that needs to emptied.

Mechanical cleaners (many of these have inline canisters that also need to be emptied and cleaned).

Pumps: All pumps come with a ‘hair and lint’ pot and these can collect leaves & debris that gets past the other baskets.  They come with a clear lid so you can keep an eye on these and empty them if you see leaves in them.

To begin with, you might do this weekly. however. once you have owned your pool for a while. you will get to know what the loading is like on the pool.  i.e. high winds, the autumn time you will know when you have to check it more regularly than not.

Most Pools Are Salt Pools

If you have a saltwater pool you will find this the easiest way to manage the chlorine demand of a swimming pool.  This can be magnesium salt or sodium salt but all salt pools are chlorine.  The salt gets charged into chlorine.  The reason they are much easier is that the machine produces the right level of chlorine and you do not have the highs and lows that you experience with public pools. It also means you don’t need to buy, handle or store the chlorine. Do not add too much salt because your salt systems can push the pH levels up artificially, which will mean you’ll need more acid.

What Happens to Your Pool in Winter

Most pools require less maintenance during winter than summer as the sun doesn’t use up the chlorine in the winter months.  So many customers find that they continue running their pool all year round,

If your pool stays outdoors all year round, winterising it correctly is crucial. No one wants to pull the cover back on their pool in the spring to find out that the water contains dangerous bacteria or nasty algae slime, or that the pool itself has a leak. Taking steps to learn how to winterise your pool properly can save you thousands of dollars and hours of time next season.

To start, buy a water testing kit before you close the pool down for the season. Use the kit to check that all of your pool chemicals are within the right ranges. Blow out any water left in your pool’s plumbing lines next. This will prevent damage to the lines. Finally, invest in a cover to keep any debris out of the pool.

How to Tell if You’re Successful in Keeping Your Pool Clean

When you monitor your pool, how do you know if it’s clean or not? What areas or pool systems do you have to keep an eye on? Again, this may be common sense to some people but it can be overwhelming to new pool owners. Our short checklist will help keep you on track.

• Do you smell any abnormal odours when you go around your pool? A heavy smell of chemicals or chlorine tells you that you should test your water. If the water has a nasty smell, this could be due to bacterial or algae growth starting to take hold.
• Is the drain clear? If your pool’s drainage system isn’t clear and free of debris, it won’t be able to cycle water through it. Double-check that there’s nothing blocking it.
• How is your water clarity? The water should be crystal clear, and you should be able to see the bottom of your pool without a problem.
• If you have an in-floor cleaning system, is it working like it should? You shouldn’t see any dirt or debris. If you do, your system may have clogs or have a problem that prevents it from working.
• How strong are the returns on your sidewall? You should be able to feel them. If they’re too weak, you need to clean your filter system.

Get a Pool that Cleans Itself from Compass Pools

If you’re in the market for a new pool, Compass Pools is here to help. Opt-in for our self-cleaning pool, save time and money on pool maintenance and most importantly, enjoy your sparkling clean new swimming pool every day! Our professionals will guide you through the process of selecting the best filtration and cleaning system for your new pool. Locate a dealership and drop by or contact your selected authorised Compass pool dealer online today!

Self-Cleaning Pool Customer Testimonials

Thanks to thousands of self-cleaning pool installations, we can provide an unlimited number of self-cleaning pool references to any prospective pool owner. If considering a pool, think of having an intelligent pool installed. To get in touch with happy Compass Pool owners, locate your closest Compass Pools dealer to arrange a free onsite consultation. Or learn more about pool cleaning and making smart pool decisions in our printed pool magazine that you can request for free.

Video transcription: We get a great number of people who come to us and talk to us about putting in their first or their second pool who are really well researched. The more research somebody does in the swimming pool market, the more likely they are to become a Compass customer.

We also get a really high percentage of people who are getting their second pool. They may not have got a pool from Compass where they were living originally. But if they’ve moved or they’ve built a new home and they decide that living with a pool is something that they don’t want to miss out on, it’s amazing how many of those people, for their second pool, come to Compass.

The reason is they’ve owned another product. They’ve owned a swimming pool that has no doubt taken them a fair bit of time and energy and investment to keep that pool looking and operating the way they want it to. They’ve had that experience and now they’re coming to Compass because they just don’t want to have that responsibility anymore. They’re generally looking for Compass’ exclusive Vantage in-floor cleaning and circulation system.

If you’re busy and you really want to own a pool but you’re concerned or put off by all the work friends and other people have told you is associated with a swimming pool, come and talk to us. We’ll show you how we can make that work disappear. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.

Looking for a self cleaning pool: discover the in-floor cleaning and circulation system

Video transcription: One of the exciting things about working here is I can’t tell you the number of times that somebody has walked in the door or I’ve turned up at somebody’s house and I’ve said, how did you hear about Compass Pools? They’ve said, Joe down the road, has one of your pools, he’s had it for eight years and he’s never cleaned it. We hear that a lot. The reason for that is that Compass Pools was the first company in the world to create the world’s first in floor cleaning and circulation system for fibreglass pools.

That’s not something you have to have but it is pretty hard for us to install a pool today without somebody giving it really serious consideration or adding it to their swimming pool.

When we talk about in-floor cleaning and circulation it’s really important not just to think about the system as a cleaning system. It’s so much more. In fact the first systems were designed to circulate water. That is the real challenge swimming pools have.

The exclusive Paramount Vantage in-floor cleaning and circulation system and exclusive to Compass is more than just a cleaning system. It’s a system that is designed to circulate water effectively. This means the distribution of chemicals right throughout the pool, proper circulation that reduces the pool’s consumption of pool chemicals. It gives us the ability to properly connect other features such as energy efficient pumps with the pool. It ensures that we run them in such an effective way that we’re really reducing the overall cost associated with owning a swimming pool. This is all with the benefit of not having to put any effort into cleaning. Give one of the team a call today on 1300 667 445.