When it comes to caring for your above ground pool, there are many similarities to maintaining an inground pool with a few key differences such as:
The size of the pool
Equipment capacity
Type of liner
Since an above-ground pool has a vinyl liner, you will need to take special care of the liner to preserve its integrity. To keep your above ground pool summer-ready, we recommend you do the following:
Shock the Pool Weekly
Shocking the pool once a week keeps the water sanitary. Shocking or super-chlorinating or oxidizing is the process where you add a large amount of liquid chlorine, non-chlorine shock, or granular chlorine to the pool. Shocking the pool removes visible and non-visible contaminants like algae, combined chlorine, and germs.
Run the Pump and Filter Every Day
To ensure you are circulating the water and the sanitizer and also to ensure you are pushing the water through the filter to remove particles, debris, and contaminants, you need to run the filter and pump for the right amount of time each day.
Typically, an above-ground pool will have a pump and a filter that will need to run 24 hours a day each day to circulate and filter the pool water. If you have a larger, more efficient pump and filter system, it can run 12 to 16 hours a day during high use and 8 to 12 hours during lower use periods.
To figure out how long the pool filter must run, you want to make sure that all the water in the pool is circulated through the filter once a day at a minimum. The water will need to cycle through the filter more than once on hotter days.
Clean up the Pool Weekly
By cleaning the pool weekly, you can avoid stains on the pool liner and reduce debris that can negatively affect the sanitizer levels and pool water chemistry. To ensure a deep clean, utilize your pool cleaning tools!
Use your leaf net to remove any floating debris, and then vacuum the floor of the pool to remove any sunken debris and dirt. You should then brush down all the pool surfaces to remove any dirt or algae. Next, be sure to clean ut the pool filter and empty the pump basket and skimmer basket.
Test and Balance Your Pool Multiple Time Per Week
You can use test strips or a test kit to test your water at least two or three times a week. Use water balancing chemicals to make any necessary adjustments. Most often, you need to test for your pH and the Free Available Chlorine as they will fluctuate more often than other pool chemicals:
You will need to add pH Increaser or pH Decreaser to keep pH levels 7.4 – 7.6.
Free Available Chlorine levels need to stay between 2.0-4.0. Shock the pool if you need to increase the levels.
Keep your Total Alkalinity between 80 and 120 ppm, which will buffer pH levels.
Add-In Clarifier and Algaecide
Algaecide works with chlorine to prevent and eliminate algae. This chemical works to destroy the protective outer layers of the algae cell. This allows the chlorine to penetrate the nucleus of the cell and destroy it. A clarifier works as a coagulant that works to attract tiny particles and cause them to clump up, so they are easily filtered out of the pool water.
Clarifier works to help the filter work more efficiently, keep the water clear, and reduce the workload of the sanitizer.
Avoid Using Non-Pool Toys
To prevent stains and tears, you want to only use pool toys in your pool. Avoid toys like nerf guns, dolls, and Hot Wheels cars that can tear your liner and cause damage to your pool.
Pool Maintenance Chemicals and Accessories
Maintaining your above ground pool can seem like a lot of work, but it can be easy with Swimming Pool Discounters! We have a large selection of pool chemicals and accessories to help you become a pro at pool care! Contact us today to learn more!
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