What better way to spend summer than soaking in the sunshine, playing in the water with your loved ones, and splashing around like kids? Without a doubt, a backyard pool enhances the value of your life, but at the same time increases the responsibility on your shoulders. Owning a pool is all fun and games until it is time for routine maintenance, which is a big hassle. There are countless things that you need to consider making the water clean and safe for occasional baths. Here we have constructed a guide for pool owners to keep their Orange County pools up to the mark.
Owning A Pool | What to Remember?
1. Necessary Tools
A swimming pool isn’t just a backyard oasis, but rather a complex system, which includes a number of tools and machinery. What are they? What functions do they provide? And why are they essential? Let’s find out.
Filters
Undoubtedly, filters are one of the most critical components of swimming pools. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them the lungs of the pool as they are responsible for cleaning the water. The system includes a pump that pushes the water consistently onto the mesh screens, thereby eliminating dirt, debris, and organic contaminants. One thing that you need to remember is that they need to be cleaned, depending on the usage. On average, clean the mesh screens once every seven days.
Skimmer
Large debris land in the pool after every short while, if your Orange County pools lay uncovered in nature.. Leaving them unattended will make your pool crowded with leaves, branches, and dead insects. So, you would need something to skim off the surface, for which you require a quality skimmer. It is a simple tool, having a net on one side attached with a long pole. Make sure you buy a dumping basket alongside the skimmer to remove the debris.
Vacuum
To remove dirt, algae, and grime from the walls and surface of your Orange County pools, you need a vacuum. It works on the same principle as your indoor rugs — the machine sucks in the water, pushes it through the filters, and remove the dirt. All you have to do is move the device inside the water and let it eliminate pollutants. However, it is a costly investment, but one thing is for sure; it is worth all the money.
2. Pool Protection
Installing a pool is a huge investment that you surely don’t want to mess up. To ensure the longevity of your Orange County pools, make sure you have the following essentials:
Leaf Netting
Tired of skimming the surface endlessly? In that case, you need to have a leaf netting in your arsenal. As the name implies, it stops the leaves and other organic debris from entering the pool. It means your working will cut in half if you put up a leaf netting over your orange county pools when not in use. Plus, if you have a tree nearby, it becomes impractical to clean the water just by using a skimmer. Here, a net can save your life.
Pool Shelter
Sunrays contain high-intensity wavelengths such as blue and UV light. When it comes in contact with the pool surface, it wreaks havoc. If exposed for a long time, the rays can chip off the plaster. Or, in the case of tiles, it can crack the surface.
In addition to that, the strong electromagnetic radiation can also trigger depigmentation of the surface of Orange County pools, dissipating the color of the tiles. That is why your beautiful pool surface turns dull over time. To stop this from happening, put up a shelter over the pool when there is no water inside.
Pool Cover
When the warm season is almost over, and the chills are in the air, it is time to close your Orange County pools until next summer. But you can’t just leave the pool unprotected against the harsh winter. Without a pool cover, it will turn into a mess, which will take a good amount of money to repair. Therefore, cover up the surface with a thick protective fabric, so that the harsh weather does not destroy the surface.
3. Clean the Pool Regularly
Just skimming won’t help keep the water 100% safe. You need a professional water testing kit to ensure the water has the right pH and chemical balance. Otherwise, bacteria and algae will conquer your Orange County pools in a matter of a short time. If you can afford it, you can hire professionals to do the testing. Here are a few things that you need to remember for ultimate cleanliness:
Water pH level
It is the measure of how acidic or basic a liquid is. The safe range for pool water is around 7.2 to 7.6. Any value lower than that will result in acidic water, which can cause irritation on your skin and eyes. The same can be said for basic water having a pH higher than the neutral range.
For lower values, you can use baking soda to enhance the alkalinity. Whereas for higher values you can use mild acids like sodium bisulfate. If it doesn’t work, you may want to consult the nearest pool cleaning service in your locality.
Sanitizer Level
Certain chemicals like chlorine and bromine have a natural ability to disinfect bacteria, viruses, and organic contaminants. They will help remove the germs that your filtration system couldn’t get.
Chlorine reacts with water and turns into an acidic form — hypochlorous acid, which is harmless to humans but effective against killing germs. Also, it is used for the water shock treatment — adding chlorine in bulk to get rid of green water.
The Annual Expenditure of A Swimming Pool
Contrary to what most might think, swimming pools are not a one-time investment. They need regular maintenance, which costs a fortune. So, before dreaming of having a pool, make sure you are ready for the expenditure. On average, for maintenance only, you would need $1,200 to $1,800 per year to make it work. Additionally, for utilities and big repair projects, you may need an extra $3,000 to $5,000 annually.
