Owning a pool can give a lot of joy, and really there’s almost no way to explain this joy to those who don’t have pools. Only pool owners will understand. All the pleasures of having a cool swim in the middle of summer, or all the afternoons one can soak up the sun at poolside. How about being able to swim at any time of the day, then the parties which you can have, both day and night parties? It’s so much fun owning a pool, and owning a pool can also make you look cool and just class up your home.
There’s also the hassle associated with owning a pool, and also there’s almost no way to explain this to one who doesn’t have a pool. The major hassle with owning pools is maintenance. Some people have a pool company or pool boy take care of their pool maintenance, while some others do it themselves. Of course, they both have their advantages and disadvantages. However, we’re not going to be talking about the merits and demerits of the pool maintenance style.
Now that we’re done talking about the fun parts, let’s see the boring side of owning a pool. This is probably the part you weren’t thinking about when you first wanted to get a pool. This is about cleaning your pool. Irrespective of the kind of pool you have, you’d have to make sure it’s kept clean. Otherwise, various kinds of dirt, such as leaves, algae, and even mosquitoes will have a field day in it, thus making it unsafe for use. Now, we don’t want this.
Pool Chemistry
It doesn’t have much to do with Bunsen burners and test tube racks, at least for you the pool owner. It, however, does have a lot to do with chemicals.
Some of the most important things in your pool chemistry are pH levels, alkalinity levels, and then sanitation levels. Don’t forget also that you’d need a basic water testing kit. This will help you know what is already in your water and at what level they are.
pH
This basically refers to how acidic or basic your pool water is. On the pH scale from 0-6 is acidic, 7 neutral and from there to 14 is basic. So, you want to get your water ph. level to somewhere between 7.6 – 7.8. Once it gets to 8, it’s no more ideal. Some people might start developing red eyes or other reactions.
Alkalinity levels
This should be somewhere between 100 to 150 ppm (parts per million).
Sanitizers
Now here’s where you need your chlorine, bromine, and those other salts. In ideal circumstances, chlorine is good enough and once in a while a bit of a shock. These are just the basics of pool chemistry if you get the above parts right, then every other thing will just be a little tweaking here and there.
Pay Attention
Take proper note of the things you do, especially with the pool chemistry, write them down if possible. Also pay attention to your pool equipment, your skimmers, pumps, filters vacuums, and the rest. With some attention, you could catch a problem and fix it before it escalates.
This is by no means an exhaustive treatise on pool ownership, but as a pool owner, this will more than give you a good head start to taking care of your pool.
Leaves in your pool
One of the most prevalent forms of dirt we get during the summer months, especially when everything is blooming are leaves. These leaves come both at the bottom of the pool and on top. So you’ll need them cleaned. The easiest way to get this done is to use a pool vacuum for leaves. All pool vacuums are not made equal, so how do you get the best pool vacuum for leaves, what are the things you should look out for before making your choice. These questions and more are what we intend to tackle in today’s article.
Considerations for buying a pool cleaner
Filtration System
There are majorly two types of filtration systems for pool vacuum cleaners. There is one that depends on the pool filtration system and the one that doesn’t. The suction side pool cleaners put pressure on your pool filtration system. This will lead to more maintenance cost on the pool filtration system, however, this kind of vacuum cleaner is cheaper than others.
Ease of Use
Some Pool Cleaners are easy to use, while some others require studying and time investments. Usually, the easiest to use is the robotic pool vacuum cleaners, but they also happen to be the most expensive.
Durability
It’s of no use buying a pool vacuum leaf cleaner if it will break down after 2 months of usage. To know the durability of the product, check the warranty. The longer the warranty, the more durable the cleaner is. Before you buy, you should also check out the reviews of the products. This will give you a good idea of what not to purchase.
Versatility
Of course, you’re concerned with cleaning the leaves from your pool. But then there are also other kinds of pollutants in your pool such as alga, sands, and twigs. This means that you’d want to get a pool vacuum for leaves that will also be capable of cleaning other types of dirt. You should also consider your cleaner’s ability to climb and clean the alga of your walls and steps.
