A swimming pool is a fun and enjoyable feature to have in your house. It not only provides aesthetics to your home; the swimming pool also encourages family time. However, for it to continually maintain its beauty, it would require constant servicing, pool treatment, sieving out leaves or other materials, and filter maintenance.
Cleaning your pool, if you know how to do it, can be a strenuous and time-consuming task for several people. One would think it just involves adding a few chemicals to it and you’re good to go. But it’s more than that and it’s easy to get fagged out before you even start out.
So, what makes the owner realize the pool requires proper maintenance? What signs do you see that clearly show that something is wrong?
Even if a professional comes to handle it, there must surely be certain signs you’d see. Here are some of them.
1. Strong Chlorine Smell
The chemical is a purifier but that your swimming pool smells of chlorine doesn’t translate to it being safe. It is only an odorless pool that is deemed healthy and safe. It would smell that way when your pool is out of balance.
When chlorine is combating various organic materials in the water such as sweat, bacterias, and urine, the smell of chlorine becomes more intense. As the chemical makes an effort to deal with the materials that are not being filtered properly it produces chloramine which is the cause of that smell. The fact is, that your pool has a strong smell doesn’t automatically mean there is excess chlorine in the pool. In reality, it means the chlorine is not sufficient enough to handle the contaminants.
2. Dirty and Discolored Water
Dirty pool water is one of the most obvious signs that you need to clean your pool. Once you realize that the water’s color has remained the same even after much cleaning on your own, you just might need a professional to come around.
Also, another clear indicator that your swimming pool needs deep cleaning is when it has a green color. The green is usually a result of algae living in your pool. The organisms can further change the color to brown-yellow which is an indicator that the pool is not safe for swimming. When it comes to the safety of your pool, you don’t have to wait for it to turn green or mud-brown water, clean it up at even the slightest of discoloration as the contamination can cause damage to your pool’s equipment.
If the pool is looking cloudy, it may be as a result of the absence of sunlight, chemical imbalance, heavy rain, or a faulty pool filter. Reach out to a professional technician to determine the actual reason for discoloration and so the problem can be prevented from happening in the future.
3. Bubbles or Foam
The presence of several bubbles or a layer of pool foam is a clear indicator that your water has too many contaminants that it is able to keep bubbles over a long time because it is having strong surface tension.
This is most likely to be as a result of substances in the water such as sunblock, lotions, soaps, and the likes in the pool. It can also be caused by a high concentration of bacteria in the water, chemical imbalance, old or clogged filters, and excess chemicals.
4. When You Are Hearing Strange Noises
You don’t have a fish pond but a swimming pool; the moment you start hearing strange noises in your pool, get a cleaner on the phone quickly. You might start hearing some buzzing sounds from the pool. While it might not be a serious issue, there’s no harm in being certain that everything is fine. Strange noises might be a pointer to a much bigger issue like faulty devices, weak structures, or wall cracks. If you don’t act quickly, it might result in a much bigger problem.
5. Faulty Devices
Sometimes, the most obvious issues like the strange noises or dirty water might mean that there is a serious issue somewhere. It could be that your filter is clogged and as such, the quality of the water going out and coming on is polluted.
The pool would become dirty quickly when dirt doesn’t get filtered out on time. The dirt goes to settle as sediment at the bottom of the pool. You should also take a look at your pump; a faulty one poses a threat to the safety of the pool and prevents the free circulation of water. When the pool is smelly and dirty, get a technician to come to clean the filter and check out the pump.
6. Dirty Walls
Dirty pool walls are breeding grounds for bacterias and algae. The moment you realize the walls of your pool are dirty, get a pool cleaner to come to clean it up. The deposits of calcium that rest on the wall are an eyesore. This is not something you can do on your own unless you’re a professional cleaner. Cleaning is a stressful process and you might not end up with the kind of results you want which is why you need an expert to help you clean the walls with the right devices.
7. Living Organisms
This is another obvious sign that shows your pool needs cleaning. When your pool is not well cared for, it becomes a breeding ground for bacterias and pests like mosquitoes or beetles alike. When you notice small organisms having their field day in your pool, ensure you don’t swim in it.
They mostly thrive when the water is well cleaned, balanced and there’s a cumulation of residue like algae. It becomes easy for unwanted living organisms to take over. It is in those times, you should know that your pool requires professional cleaning.
Your swimming pool was built for fun, you should endeavor to keep it that way. Don’t claim you know it all because you’re good with tools. Even if you’re good with maintenance, you would still need the services of a cleaner for the deep cleaning of your pool. Watch out for the signs listed above and get proactive so you can relax and enjoy yourself at home.
Photo by Arturo Rivera on Unsplash
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