Pool Service: Skim or Whole Nine Yards?

Nothing compliments a hot day the same way as a pool. Whether for fitness or pleasure, it's hard for even a swing set to compete with a backyard swimming pool. As with many things, increased enjoyment comes with increased responsibility; proper pool service is a must for anyone who wants to keep their fair weather hot spot as clear as a summer sky.

A Difference You Can See
Using a dip net and removing what you can see is the easiest and most obvious form of swimming pool service. It should be done often not just to keep up the surface appearance but also to help keep large debris from breaking down into smaller particles. Small particles are more difficult to clean up and can lead to filter clogs. The floor and walls of a pool need to be scrubbed on a somewhat less regular basis. While this is not a difficult concept to grasp, if the pool is deeper than your arm is long, it can be hard to put into practice. Unless you have a pool brush with a long enough handle (or some scuba gear in the garage), this type of pool service is a whale of a hassle.

Chemical Content
While it might seem daunting to some, keeping your chemicals balanced is a type of pool service that many owners take on themselves. Changing pH levels requires either the addition of an acid (to lower) or a base (to raise). In addition to balancing pH, chlorine must also be added to control the growth of bacteria and algae.

Sunny Day, Cloudy Water
Even with the best of home pool service, water cloudiness could warrant a professional's expertise. While chlorine can keep your water free of live bacteria, a build up of bacteria skeletons (ewww!) can cause the water to appear murky. There are also tiny particles called colloids that are so small that they pass through the pool filter and are put right back into the water. A professional pool service uses a few processes to rid water of these little guys. Though the science behind each is different, they all work by chemically binding these tiny particles together to form larger pieces that can not only be seen by the naked eye, but can also be filtered and/or wiped out. This process should leave your water crystal clear.

Swimming Pool Service Tips
+ For faster skimming, mix a small amount of dishwashing liquid into a squirt bottle full of water, then spray it in a line down the middle of the pool. The surface debris will part along the line you made and move to the edges of the pool.

+ If you suspect a leak, mark the water level with a piece of duct tape and wait 24 hours. Water in a pool can evaporate up to 1/4 inch a day. Measure the distance between the tape and the water again. If it's less than a 1/4 inch, you're in the clear!