Guide to maintaining a pool with water in perfect condition

En Ok Pool Renovationa we want to introduce you to Guide to maintaining pool water

Ok Pool Reform: Experts in pool maintenance

Experience in the maintenance of all types of swimming pools: private, public, community, sports, spas, etc.

Why count on us to maintain your pool water?

COUNT ON US FOR THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR POOL,

• In this way, you will ensure what is important about your pool, that is, that it is professionally maintained and cleaned throughout its useful life and with all the benefits and the best tips to keep your pool always “ready to swim.”

Tranquility and pleasure

Having A swimming pool should be a pleasure and not a big headache doomed with maintenance time and frustration due to lack of knowledge.

An improperly maintained pool can become damaged quite quickly, so it is best left to us.

Services included in pool maintenance

  1st job of what the pool maintenance service consists of

Starting and closing the pool

Advice on the best date to open and close the pool

Open the pool after winter

Tasks we carry out to start up the pool

1. Remove the cover from the Swimmingpool. ...
2. Filled with Swimmingpool and overhaul of the pump. ...
3. Prime the pump. ...
4. Checking for leaks. ...
5. Cleaning the bottom of the Swimmingpool. ...
6. Check the water in the Swimmingpool. ...
7. Final configuration of the purifier.

Pool closure for the winter season

• preparation for closure facing the storm
• winter porade
• Balance pool water
• Perform shock treatment
• Remove and clean pool equipment and accessories
• Lower the water level
• Drain pool pump, filters, heaters and chlorination equipment
• Empty your feeder of chemicals
• Installation of winter blanket (if available)

  2nd job of what the pool maintenance service consists of

Recurring maintenance for cleaning traditional or saltwater pools

Maintain pool cleanliness

• Brush the walls and floor of the pool and vacuum the bottom of the pool, either with:
• Remove leaves and debris
• Cleaning the pump prefilters
• Checking filter pressure and backwashing only if necessary
• Cleaning the skimmer baskets.
• Waterline waterline cleaning of water.
• Filter wash and rinse.
• Emptying the skimmer and pump basket 
• Checking the operation of the underwater lighting.
  
  

  3st job of what the pool maintenance service consists of

Pool water treatment

Tasks we carry out for the treatment of pool water

1. Complete analysis of the chemistry of your pool water with control and adjustment of the chemical parameters (chlorine, Ph of the water, etc.).
2. Experts in alternative water treatments (for example: salt water)
3. Alkalinity test and adjustment
4. Testing and adjusting oxidant and stabilizer levels
5. Add a preventative dose of algaecide as needed
6. Testing and adjusting calcium hardness
7. Total Dissolved Solids Test and Adjustment
8. Metal testing and adjustment
9. Test for cyanuric acid levels.
10. Test the water temperature.

  4th type of pool maintenance service

Generic inspection of the entire pool

Importance of the pump, filter and filtration equipment.

Your pool pump and filter are the heart of your pool and need regular checking and adjustment.

It is recommended that it be checked regularly by professionals, as equipment replacement costs are high and can cause irreparable damage to your pool.

Detection and repair of water leaks in the pool glass.

Trust us with the maintenance of your pool

Pool maintenance price in Barcelona

Pool maintenance in Barcelona price

You will count on our extensive experience to keep the pool in optimal conditions and detect any possible problem immediately.

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What does pool maintenance entail?

• Swimming pool maintenance regulations
• Use the right water
•  Ensures proper pool water temperature
•  Avoid contact with materials harmful to the pool4th procedure to maintain pool
•  Evaluate pool water parametersEvaluate the PH of the pool water
• Pool water disinfectionEvaluate and maintain disinfection levels
• Maintain a pool cleaning routine
• Pool filtration system
• Pool Liner Maintenance

Swimming pool maintenance regulations

According to Royal Decree 742/2013, a series of obligations and criteria have been implemented technical-sanitary quality of air and water.

For this reason, depending on each type of pool itself, it is essential to follow a self-control protocol.

Protocol for the control of water in public or shared-use swimming pools

• The regulations for the control of water in public or shared-use swimming pools establish that it must be carried out monthly by an external laboratory.
• Furthermore, users have the right to request such a report.

Essential parameters to analyze

• Water transparency.
• Water and ambient temperature.
• PH level.
• Free chlorine.
• CO2 Environment.
• Relative humidity value.
• Water turbidity.

Ideal way to avoid maintenance time and excess chemical product in the water: Have a cover for the pool.

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Be properly equipped to perform pool maintenance

Pool safety

1. Use old clothes when cleaning since it is very likely that you will stain the clothes with the chemicals.
2. Be careful with the use of chemicals since they can cause serious health problems, such as: throat or skin, eye and lung irritation.
3. Routinely takes pool water samples and have them analyzed in a professional store to really control all the values.
4. Use the leaf collector often so that he can deposit the dirt on us.
5. Maintain pH and chlorine levels daily, if possible. are within their corresponding values,
6. Evaluate very well when to add chemicals to your pool since these can be contradictory and even cause water saturation.
7. Under no circumstances should liquids be mixed.
8. Products should always be brought to the pool through the skimmer basket.

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 How do I keep the pool water in good condition?

How to maintain a swimming pool

Basic concepts on how to maintain a pool

In pool maintenance there is different key concepts and different, the pool needs to be treated individually:

1. Water disinfection
2. water filtration
3. Pool cleaning
4. Pool liner maintenance

Procedures on how to maintain a swimming pool

1th procedure to maintain pool

Use the right water

• At first Drinking water is suitable for the pool, except for areas with high concentrations of lime.
• In cases of drinking water with high concentrations of lime, you can add a product that neutralizes this excess or choose to hire water tanks.
• On the other hand, If you want to fill the pool with water from a well: You must make sure that it does not contain heavy metals, which are harmful to the health of the pool water and not very good for the pool users themselves.

Entry related to pool lime: How to avoid lime in the pool, pool water hardness.

2nd procedure to clean pool

Ensures proper pool water temperature

Consequences if the water temperature is too high:

• The temperature of the water or heat buildup in the air and in the water, it is a key aspect for the maintenance of the pool coating.
• In the case of a closed pool, the air can reach more than 60˚C and the water more than 40˚C, the consequence of which will be irreparable damage.
• The water temperature should not exceed 32ºC, and less in the case of having an armed liner!! Otherwise, wrinkles or discoloration may appear on the coating.

• The effectiveness of the disinfectant (chlorine or other) decreases considerably.
• A higher concentration of chlorine is needed, which increases the risk of discoloration of the reinforced pool liner.
• There is a risk of wrinkles and blisters appearing on the surface of the reinforced pool sheet.

3nd procedure to clean pool

Avoid contact with materials harmful to the pool

• There are certain materials which are especially harmful to the pool liner.
• Especially for reinforced PVC sheets, such as: polystyrene, bitumen, tar, industrial oils and greases, paints or rubber.

4th procedure to maintain pool

Evaluate pool water parameters

Evaluate the PH of the pool water

• First of all, it is necessary to carry out a thorough evaluation of the pH of the water.
• Although, the appropriate levels would be between 7.0 and 7.6. The ideal pH of pool water is: 7,2.
• In conclusion, this point is one of the most important in pool maintenance, since if the appropriate pH values ​​are not maintained in the pool water, the disinfectant will not have any effect and the pool coatings will not be effective. They can be affected with apparent wear.

We recommend that you consult our blogs about how to increase pool pH y how to lower the pH of pool water.

Consequences when the pool's pH is low (less than 7.0):

• Simply put, metals in contact with water oxidize, which causes stains on the pool liner.
• Thus, the coating ages more quickly.
• And therefore, some wrinkles may appear on the surface of the assembled sheet.
• In short, if you are interested, consult the page pool liner maintenance ycHow to increase pool pH.

In contrast, consequences with the high pH of the pool (higher than 7.6):      

• On the other hand, with high pH chlorine decomposes much faster.
• Meanwhile the effectiveness of the disinfectant decreases considerably.
• Then, we will observe the appearance of lime deposits on the surface of the reinforced pool liner: if you want, you can consult the page on how to deal with pool lime: softener swimming pool.

Adequate level of cyanuric acid (chloramines)

• Check the cyanuric acid level approximately once every two weeks.
• acid level cyanuric (chloramines) nor should exceed the parameter: 30 – 50 ppm.
• Below 30 ppm, the chlorine will be consumed quickly and will not perform its disinfectant function.
• In the case of high cyanuric acid levels, when they exceed 100 – 150ppm.They increase the toxicity of the water, and block the disinfection capacity of chlorine and can also be harmful to health: itchy skin and eyes and a strong smell of chlorine.

Related entry: What is cyanuric acid in swimming pools?

Proper level of alkalinity in the pool

What is alkalinity in the pool?

• Check the alkalinity level of the pool approximately once every two weeks.
• The alkalinity of the pool water acts as regulatory effect of pH changes, so if you do not have the appropriate values ​​you will not be able to have well-disinfected and transparent water.
• alkalinity recommended is between 80-120 ppm.

Related entry: how to measure pool alkalinity

Avoid saturating the pool with cyanuric acid

• In view of the usual regulations of many swimming pools, which require bathers to shower before bathing, this is a key aspect for maintenance.
• That is, another way to protect water contamination is to clean the waterline of the pool and the edges of the pool.
• NOTE: Sun creams, oils and cosmetics may contain substances that combine with metal ions present in the water (e.g. iron and copper) and are intensified by the action of the sun, staining the pool coating and stressing the pool liner. PVC, at the height of the waterline.
• To finish, we leave you a page where we cover this topic very deeply. consequences saturated water: cyanuric acid in swimming pools.

5th procedure to maintain pool

Pool water disinfection

Evaluate and maintain disinfection levels

We know with Chemical treatment in pool cleaning to the water treatment process, with specialized products, making it healthier for the user.

Why disinfect the pool

• Maintain water at its optimal quality with its physical and chemical properties.
• Have water free of pathogens and microorganisms.
• Water contains rthese organic (sweat, mucous membranes...) and remains inorganic (air pollution, sunscreens, creams...)
• Avoid health problems.

When to disinfect the pool

• Disinfect after the first filling of the pool.
• NOTE: The network water has already been treated.
• In high season (heat) check every day.
• In the winter season, check every week to see if the pool is winterized.
• Correct value for pool water disinfection: Maintain level of free chlorine residual disinfectant between 1,0 - 1,5 ppm (parts per million).

Tips for disinfecting the pool

• Another important point in cleaning swimming pools is Maintain the correct level of disinfection in the pool.
• Likewise, you should know that depending on coating you have in the pool, there are disinfection products that may not be compatible.
• In the case of liner pools, you should avoid systems based on copper or silver ionization. And, if these metals are present, you must use a sequestrant to remove them without damaging the PVC sheet: find out more on the Pool liner maintenance.
• Likewise, at the Reminder level: When we deposit a chemical product in the water, we must filter it during the appropriate hours according to the m3 of existing water.
• Likewise, it is also HIGHLY Recommended for disinfecting the pool: It is highly recommended to apply algaecide once a week.
• Finally, it is also very useful to add a clarifying tablet to the pool water every two weeks.

Entry related to pool water disinfection levels: pool water treatment y Pool treatment with saline chlorinator.

TTable of ideal values ​​for disinfecting pool water

Parameters with the ideal indices for disinfecting pool water

PARAMETER	IDEAL VALUE pool water
pH	pH level: 7,2-7,4. (related posts: how to increase pool pH y how to lower pH pool).
Residual free chlorine	Total chlorine value: 1,5ppm. Free chlorine value: 1,0-2,0ppm Residual or combined chlorine: 0-0,2ppm
total bromine	Total bromine: ≤4 ppm (swimming pools) ≤6 ppm (spas) Combined bromine: ≤0,2 ppm
isocyanuric acid	Cyanuric acid: 0-75ppm
calcium hardness	Pool water hardness: 150-250ppm
Alkalinity	Alkalinity of pool water 125-150ppm
REDOX Potential	Ideal pool ORP value (pool redox): 650mv -750mv.
Turbidity	Pool turbidity (-1.0),
Transparency	Let the drain be distinguished
Temperature	Ideal temperature: Between 24 – 30 ºC
Phosphates	Pool phosphates (-100 ppb)
Sal Island	Between 3000 and 6000 mg/l
RH	≤65 %
Carbon dioxide	≤500 mg/m3
Pool saturation level	An LSI value between -0,3 and 0,3 is considered to be in an acceptable range. The ideal value, however, is between 0,20 and 0,30.

Automate the pool

Indeed, the priority, as you already know, is pool water.

For this reason, it is clear that the best suggestion to breathe calmly is to invest in automating the pool In addition, in the long run it will not only give us peace of mind but the investment itself will be reimbursed in the form of savings in chemical products, savings in swimming pool water...

Therefore, transfer the responsibility of the pool to the devices, forget about disinfecting pools and take advantage of the bathing time that is already short enough... And in reality, it is the reason why you have a pool.

Chlorine disinfection levels

What to do if you use a chlorine disinfection system

• On the other hand, if you use a disinfection system with chlorine, you should know that if the chlorine values ​​are not correct, they can also cause aging of the pool or neutralize the effect of disinfection products, among others.
• Use special non-abrasive chemical products for swimming pools, avoiding industrial or domestic ones.
• It is essential to have Chlorine levels between 1 and 3 ppm (mg/l) in the case of stabilized chlorine.
• In the case of liquid chlorine or produced by saline electrolysis, the values ​​should range between 0.3 and 1.5 ppm.

If the free chlorine concentration is too low:

• First, mention that if the disinfection is not done correctly.
• Water quality deteriorates.
• It promotes the formation of biofilm on the reinforced sheet, which can cause stains on your pool liner.

If the free chlorine concentration is too high:

• Due to the high free chlorine concentration, wrinkles form on the surface of the reinforced sheet.
• The pool liner suffers a loss of color.
• In the same way, pool liner ages much faster.

What to do according to the pool water disinfection treatment

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6th concept How to maintain a pool

Useful guide to know how to clean a pool

In order to follow the steps of cleaning for private pool which we indicate below, It is essential that at least in the pool you can see the bottom, since it is maintenance cleaning.

If you cannot see the bottom of the pool, another type of more aggressive cleaning should be done.

Get to know our page: Useful guide to know how to clean a pool

Cleaning products suitable for our pool

What cleaning products to use in the pool

• Use nonabrasive cleaning products designed especially for swimming pools.
• Do not use industrial or domestic cleaning products (e.g. washing powder or degreaser) as they are not approved for pool cleaning and can damage our pool liner.
• Previously, make sure you have the pool cleaning utensils in good condition, for example, that the brush is free of dust).
• In the case of cleaning the pool liner It should be carried out only with soft sponges, soft cloths and soft brushes. Never use elements that can damage the surface of the reinforced sheet, such as metal brushes or pressure water cleaning machinery.

Important: Maintain a pool cleaning routine

How to clean pool bottom manually

Next, we leave you the link so you can find out more on our specific page Clean pool bottom manually

Mainly, in the aforementioned link you will be able to learn how to clean and maintain the bottom of your pool manually.

Automatic pool cleaning

On the other hand, here we tell you the essentials of cleaning the pool manually, but you can also advise you on automatic pool cleaning (basically it is a robot),

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9th Concept How to maintain a pool

Pool Filtration

Pool filtration is the procedure for disinfecting pool water., that is, the cleaning of particles that may exist on the surface and in suspension.

After disinfecting the pool

After disinfecting the pool, we will leave the pool filtration on for at least one entire cycle (preferably for 2 cycles in a row).

When pool filtration is necessary

Pool filtration is always necessary to a greater or lesser extent (depending on water temperature).

Why is it necessary to filter pool water?

• First of all, it is vital that the pool water does not stagnate, and therefore is continually renewed.
• Get crystal clear water.
• Avoid algae, impurities, pollution and bacteria
• Type of pools that must be filtered: All.

Ensure water recirculation

• It is important to ensure water circulation, since without water movement, stagnation occurs.
• Therefore, the concentration of the chemicals present skyrockets and can reach very high concentration levels.
• Or also a significant increase in heat in some area and cause irreversible degradation in the water or in the conditions of the pool lining.

Calculation of pool filtration hours

Very generic formula to determine the filtering time (filtering cycle): 

Water temperature / 2 = pool filtering hours

Pool filtration system

The filtration system that is made up of the appropriate pool filtration equipment: pump, filter, selector valve, pressure gauge, etc. It will retain the dirt that accumulates inside the pool glass and therefore keep the water crystal clear and clean.

Pool filtration system elements

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10 Concept How to maintain a pool

Pool Liner Maintenance

Finally, it will also be very important to maintain a thorough cleaning routine (among others) depending on the type of pool coating we have.

If you are not sure what type of pool liner you have, you can check the information on our pages. different possibilities in waterproofing pool.

Check our specific page with Tips to prolong the life of your pool liner.

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How to keep the removable pool disinfected

Keeping the removable pool water disinfected

But in addition to controlling the pH, we must also make sure that the pool is disinfected.

To do this, we are going to use chlorine, a product that must be added daily and with which we will prevent the formation of algae and the accumulation of bacteria that frequently occur in some pools.

As a general rule, chlorine, as long as we add it in proportion to the liters of water in our pool, will ensure that everything stays clean and without risks to the health and condition of the water; But there are times when rain or carelessness can encourage the appearance of algae, in which case we will use algaecides to counteract them.

In short, all the points that we have just mentioned above are equally valid, that is, they are the guide for the maintenance of the pool water, which is why they are valid for a built-in or removable pool or made of any material.

The removable pool purifier will help you carry out maintenance

When we buy the removable pool we also have the possibility of adding a purifier, which is essential if we want to guarantee maximum cleanliness and safety, as well as save water.

There are different models, which are indicated for different volumes of water.

Likewise, a good purifier will allow us to move the water daily so that the chlorine tablets dissolve, which facilitates the disinfection process without having to add it manually.

The treatment plant process allows the water to be filtered with sand and passed through filters to avoid larger debris, achieving complete cleaning and optimal treatment.

Clean the removable pool with a pool filter and pump combination

• Your pool filter pump plays a very important role in cleaning your pool.
• You should definitely use it to your advantage and make sure you get the most out of it.
• You should keep it running for at least eight hours a day.
• Please note that the pump, depending on the manufacturer, will have different options.
• These options allow you to control what your pump should filter for.
• If you're looking to get rid of fine dust particles on your pool floor, familiarize yourself with the settings.
• There are filter settings that allow you to let your pump focus on large debris.
• Different settings will mean the pump will target smaller, finer debris.
• You may want to run these different options separately several times to get the most out of them.
• The instructions are very simple.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions to set up the pump for the first time.
• To operate it, you will need to turn it on.
• Before doing so, make sure the pressure levels are optimal.
• Also make sure the filter is clean and there is no debris in the filter basket either.
• If you have specific filter settings, allowing you to choose what type of debris you want the pump to work on, set it before turning it on.
• Turn on the pump and let it run for eight hours. Monitor to see if the pump is picking up dirt.