Five Tips for Getting Your Pool Ready to Use This Summer

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The weather is warming up, and that means swimming pool season is nearly here! To be ready for the first hot day, plan on prepping your pool early to ensure the water is safe and clean, your pool equipment is working correctly and the area surrounding your pool is safe.

Here are five tips from expert pool contractors in Los Angeles, CA for getting your swimming pool ready to use this summer:

  • Leave the pool cover on: Basic swimming pool maintenance should be done early in the season, but leave the cover on while you’re doing it. This is especially important when trees and hedges nearby or hanging over the pool need trimming—the cover will keep cut plant debris from falling in the water. Also, remember to hose off all debris and pump away any water from the surface of the cover before removing it. Sweep away dry debris and clean the cover before putting it into storage for the summer.
  • Don’t drain the pool: Draining your pool is more likely to cause problems than solve them. The liner in a vinyl-lined pool can dry out and shrink, resulting in the need for a new liner. Fiberglass pools may pop right out of the ground without water to weigh them down, and gunite pools might crack when all the water is drained out.
  • Clear water still needs testing: While your pool water may look clear, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s clean or safe to swim in. Before you dive in for the first time this summer, make sure you test the water to be sure the pool chemicals are in balance—and salt water systems need the salt cell checked for cleanliness. Do it yourself or hire a professional to come check the pool’s pH, mineral content, alkalinity and chlorine level for proper balance. Correct any imbalance as soon as possible.
  • Perform a complete pool water check: It’s easy enough for homeowners to test their own pool water, but you can also hire a swimming pool maintenance professional if you want to. Simply collect a water sample and take it to a local pool store, provided they have a water testing system. This test can tell you exactly how much of what chemicals you need to add to your pool water.
  • Check all pool equipment: Finally, you need to make sure that all your essential pool equipment is working properly. Remove any plugs, and check the pump and filter for damage, like a pump leak. Repair damaged pumps sooner rather than later to keep the problem from spreading and avoid high replacement costs. Other things to check on your pool are the returns, ladders, skimmers, siding and concrete or other surfaces around the pool.

No matter what your pool tests reveal, always shock it at the start of a new season to get rid of algae and bacteria. Call Avanti Pools, Inc. today to speak with one of our professional pool contractors in Los Angeles, CA!