Barbeques, birthdays, Fourth of July, hot weather, blue water, and ice-cold drinks… are you daydreaming yet? Nothing is cause for more celebration than summer in Texas! Nothing beats a day at the pool getting sun soaked with the smell chlorine and grilled burgers in the air. Or relaxing pool side on a quiet afternoon. So, let’s get thinking about your Summer pool prep and how to get it ready for a summer of memories and fun. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Owning a pool comes with several responsibilities, I’m sure you know this. We always suggest regular proper maintenance and inspection to ensure your pool is either ready to go or quickly prepped. But most of the time, pools lie dormant through the winter. Growing up, we had a pool that didn’t get touched for months. Come summer, it would get so green and we would take 3-4 days as a family to empty it, clean it, and refill. Fun family memories but definitely more work than needed! Fortunately, this isn’t something you need to worry about. Here are some of the things you can do to get your pool summer ready.
Assuming you haven’t touched your pool or run the pump and filter in a while, do that first. You do not need to empty your pool in preparation for cleaning or anything. That includes when summer ends and the weather become unsuitable for swimming, you do not need to empty it for the season. You know better than me that the shade of green your pool is right now. They tend to do that, but no worries.
Remove the cover, maybe skim any big solid material that falls off the cover into the water, so it doesn’t clog the filtration system, and just let it run for 12-24 hours. This also helps you ensure that your equipment is still functioning properly! (Please always have a cover for your pool. Without one, you may actually need to drain it to clean the amount of matter that CAN accumulate over two seasons)
Clean the pool itself now. You can use vacuums, skimmers, pool brooms, and other equipment as well and don’t forget to clean the filters themselves beforehand. Scrub the water line and the walls, get every surface clean if you want your water to actually look how clean it should be.
Adjust the water and chemical levels if needed. You want to top off the water if its low. It is very common for pools to lose water over the winter and spring. Especially for the filtration system to work properly, you want the water level to be adequate and not too low. The chemicals are a bit trickier. You want to check the PH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and chlorine levels. What those levels need to be can be specific for your situation and adjusting them can give you some trouble. We suggesting having your pool serviced to ensure your chemical levels are the best to keep you and your family healthy and having fun.
With the pool itself prepped for use, don’t forget about the other aspects of your outdoor space! Get the deck and yard furniture cleaned up, make sure the grill is ready, get the landscaping and lighting in order so that your pool is ready to offer the best of memories in the coming days! Pierce Pools is your best resource for ensure your pool is ready for safe use. Give us a calls with any questions you have so that you can get swimming and relaxing!