Cool refreshment. Exercise. And loads of fun besides. Your pool isn’t stingy with the love it gives you. So, you should return the favour. Take care of it as well as it takes care of you.

First though, you need to get to know your pool. Consider this an introduction. You, meet pool. Pool, meet you.

Keeping your swimming pool at the top of its game, and optimising its ability to please you, takes regular upkeep. So, you should have, at least, a basic understanding of how your pool works and the best way to take care of it. When you know this, you’ll be able to solve just about any problem your pool throws at you.

Let’s first look at what makes up your pool.

This may be your first pool. It may be an upgrade. Why, it may even be the pool of your dreams, with underwater music speakers, a lighting system that’s the envy of rock concerts, and heating that would keep an Eskimo warm. But whichever one you have, they all share three basic components.

These include water, an interior shell, and a filter system. The water does as water does. The interior shell stops the water from flowing into the ground (and gives you something to stand on). And the filter system strains the water to keep it clean.

Now, to keep all those components working optimally, you need to understand the three C’s of pool maintenance.

1. Circulation

Think of it as a gushing river in the Alps. Circulating water is cleaner, clearer, safer, and never stagnant. It’s the same with your swimming pool. Good circulation means your pool will rarely have to face issues like cloudiness or algae infestation.

So, keep your pump and filter system running daily. We recommend running your filter at least 12 hours daily. This way the water will move through the filtration system several times and your pool water will be kept safe and clean.

You also need to bear in mind that backwashing your filter frequently ensures good pool circulation. Backwashing is reversing the flow of water through your filter, and moving dirty water and contaminants to the waste port.

2. Cleaning

The basic tools you’ll need are a net skimmer, a pool brush, and an automatic pool cleaner. You should skim the water and brush the walls at least weekly, if not more. This will keep debris out of your pool, and the walls and floor nice and clean.

You’ll also need to invest in a quality automatic pool cleaner. Aside from its high performance and durability, it cuts down the time you need to spend cleaning. And that’s never a bad thing!

3. Chemistry

Keeping the water in chemical balance is essential to its clarity and safety, as well as dealing with algae build-up on the walls and floor. Don’t worry though. You don’t need a PhD to understand it. It’s straightforward.

It all starts with your water testing kit. You need to understand what’s in your water before you can chemically balance it. Buy one at your local pool store, and it’ll include instructions on its use.

Your testing kit will help you measure three things: pH levels, alkalinity, and sanitiser levels. pH levels measure how acidic or basic your pool’s water is. Your ideal range you’re looking for is 7.4 to 7.6. Alkalinity helps your water avoid spikes in basicity or acidity. Its ideal range is 100 to 150 parts per million. Finally, your sanitiser levels measure the amount of chlorine, bromine, and other chemicals are in your pool’s water. These levels vary and depend on which sanitiser you use.

Once you have your measurements, you can start to add chemicals to optimise your water and keep it sparkling. Make sure you understand what each chemical does, follow the product’s instructions, and, voila, it’s time for a swim!

You will also, from time to time, need to shock your pool. Think of it as helping your regular sanitiser when it needs some extra oomph, like after a storm, or if many people have been using the pool. You should shock your pool at night to avoid the sun’s ultraviolet rays gobbling up the chlorine before it works. After you’ve added the shock, run the pump for at least eight hours to circulate it.

And that’s it. Those are the basics, and all you need to know to keep your pool water clear and sparkling. Enjoy your swim!