Do the hard work now to clean up your backyard swimming pool in time for summer

SWIMMING pools need some TLC to make them swim ready and safe for the warmer months of spring and summer.

ONE of the biggest joys of summer time is swimming in your backyard pool on a warm and glorious day.

Seeing algae on the sides and floor of the pool doesn’t cut it.

Yet, that’s the prospect facing countless backyard enthusiasts who have let their pool hygiene slide in the cooler months.

In the mad rush to be pool ready in coming weeks, pool experts urge owners to start scrubbing, chlorinating and balancing your pool as the longer you ignore cleaning duties, the tougher the journey to summer bliss will be.

Pool Doctor CEO Nigel Tang says homeowners typically turn a blind eye to their swimming pool in autumn/winter.

“We often find that people are rushing to rectify the damage done to their pool when spring comes around,” he says.

“It’s usually green at that stage and I should point out that preventive maintenance throughout the year would have been cheaper.

“It’s always better to do a little bit at a time in winter than one big hit; it might set you back $500 to rectify a green pool.”

Not to mention that a clean swimming pool year round is visually appealing and a great mood relaxer.

“I don’t know why people just let it go, it’s not going to look after itself.”

Keep your children safe by cleaning out backyard swimming pools.

WHILE heavy rain in winter dilutes the chemicals in your pool, autumn does the most damage by adding phosphate to the water.

“Phosphate is great for plants and it’s great for algae to grow. In winter they lie dormant and by spring with all the sunlight the algae blooms,” says Nigel.

He suggests homeowners remove the debris by brushing down the pool and removing the algae on the walls, steps and floor.

Secondly, you will need to chemically balance the water, starting with a phosphate cleaner to remove the build-up from autumn leaves, followed by chlorine.

Nigel has seen his fair share of pool disasters, but some stand out.

“I’m working on a pool that has been neglected for many years. We drained it and there’s a big sludge at the bottom and a whole new eco system developed down there.

“It’s quite challenging draining putrid muck, and just recently a couple of us were on a job when the hose came off and showered us in green spray. It was not pleasant.”

WHILE we all know the importance of using sunscreen on our bodies, did you know that your pool also needs UV protection?

“We apply sunscreen to our skin because
we want to minimise UV damage from the
sun. Similarly, pool sunscreen helps to reduce the impact the sun has on your pool water,” says Swimart’s Australasian manager,
Chris Fitzmaurice.

In summer, the sun’s UV rays ‘eat’ away at the chlorine in your pool, destroying up to 30 per cent of the chemical every hour. This means you have to top up the chlorine more regularly than usual. The drop in chlorine levels can encourage the growth of harmful bacteria and algae in your pool and this is where a sunscreen product comes in to prevent the damage to the chlorine levels.

“Checking the sunscreen levels in the pool every month can save you heaps of money on extra chlorine,” he says. “Some stabilised chlorine products already contain sunscreens, but this does not mean that the levels are consistently high enough to protect your pool. I would still advise checking the levels monthly, even if your chlorine product contains sunscreen.”

Pools need to be cleaned ahead of the warmer months so families can enjoy the weather.

Pool and spa specialist Swimart has some tips to ensure your swimming pool is clean, clear and sparkling in time for the first dip of the season

* Check your chlorine levels. Ensure the filters are running and don’t use the pool until the chlorine level falls below 3ppm

* Lower the pH levels by adding acid. Heavy rain, lots of swimmers and animals, such as dogs, can increase pH levels

* Bump up the pool filter running hours from four to eight hours a day

* Use a quality algaecide to kill algae

* Brush pool walls to remove algae, then vacuum the loosened algae from the pool floor the next day

* Check the pH every two days and check the Total Alkalinity (TA) weekly

* Check and clean the skimmer basket and hair and lint pot basket weekly

* Check the pump is working properly and organise a full pool equipment service by a licensed pool and spa technician

* Check or replace fittings and check for leaks

OLYMPIC champion and Swimart ambassador Susie O’Neill says staying one step ahead of pool maintenance in the cooler months makes all the difference in summer.

Swimming champ Susie O'Neill.

Do you use your pool year round?

Yes we do, except for in July and August when it gets a bit too cold.

Have you any pool cleaning disaster stories to share?

As the pool is above ground and quite small it can turn green very easily. In the peak of summer it can reach temperatures of 35 degrees and turn green over night.

What is your happiest memory of being in the family pool?

I remember growing up swimming with my siblings and playing together in the family pool. We loved when it rained and would use umbrellas and make caves and little houses in the corners of the pool and pretend to live underwater.