Winter Pool Care
Australia's winter season brings a lot of rain, wind and cold weather. Pools do get a hammering during the winter season and still, do require basic attention. Obviously, the rain will dilute sanitation in the pool, so pools may need extra sanitation to combat the dilution from the rain.
Also, rain tends to be low in the Total Alkalinity, so it is very important to check Alkalinity and raise by adding a buffer or Alkaline increaser according to directions. Total Alkalinity should be anywhere between 80 to 120ppm. Ph should be between 7.2 -7.6. Call the SwimFresh team for any advice on pool balancing and chemistry.
What is also very common is leaves building up in the skimmer box.
The Wind can carry leaves from a far and eventually fill up the skimmer box to the point where it will restrict the flow and circulation to the pool. When this happens the pools sanitation will also be reduced. So it is important to remove the leaves from the skimmer box regularly. The same also applies to the pump basket.
Adjustments for sanitation on the SwimFresh system is very simple. Conduct a test and increase the Cellerator by hour increments if needed. Most pools run approx 2 or 4 hours a day in winter and possibly 6 hours for very large pools.
Rain also brings in phosphates which are food for algae, these can only be removed by using a phosphate remover. A pool containing any reasonable level of phosphates can easily turn into a green swamp, even in correctly balanced heavily chlorinated pools.
What are Phosphates:
Phosphates are chemical compounds that contain phosphorus.
If they stay in pool water for too long, these compounds will break down into what is known as ‘orthophosphates’, which are a common food source for aquatic plants and algae.
Put simply phosphates are an element of fertiliser, e.g. Superphosphate which is commonly used in lawn and garden fertilisers.
Sources of phosphates:
Phosphates can end up in your pool from a variety of sources; these include airborne dust, garden matter, leaves, soil, mulch or even from garden fertilisers that contain Superphosphate, Ducks can also be a problem when inhabiting your pool with their phosphate rich faeces getting into the water.
How to reduce phosphate build up in your pool:
We would recommend keeping your pool as clean as possible and remove excessive organic matter, leaves, soil, branches etc.
Vacuum your pool on a regular basis and be sure to remove all debris from skimmer & pump baskets & backwash and rinse filter regularly.
While it is virtually impossible to remove all phosphates from the pool water, all experts agree that pool owners should strive to have phosphate levels as close to zero as possible.
How to remove existing phosphates from pool water:
There are many products on the market from liquid phosphate removers (Lanthanum Chloride) which are added directly to the skimmer box while the pump is running which coats the filter and traps the phosphates in the filter media, this is then disposed of when the filter is cleaned or backwashed.
The new type of phosphate remover comes in a 3 in 1 product that utilises enzymes to not only remove phosphates but to also clarify water and reduce scum lines in the pool, these are more effective than the liquid phosphate removers and provide a better overall result.
By following a few simple procedures as outlined above, it is very easy to maintain a swimming pool by implementing phosphate reduction procedures and by maintaining correct water pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium and of course sanitiser levels to ensure you have a hassle free low maintenance pool for the future.
SwimFresh Natural pool is Ph neutral so does not cause any major fluctuations in pool balancing. As mentioned the weather elements can cause change and just attending to a few basic pool care procedures will keep the pool sparkling and crystal all year round.