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Instead of waiting for something to go wrong with your pool’s cleaning system, you can practice what’s referred to as preventative maintenance, or maintenance that is proactively performed on an asset with the goal of lessening the likelihood of failure, reducing unexpected downtime, and prolonging its useful life. Basically, everyone wants to get the most out of their investment, that’s why practicing these tips can help you avoid unexpected costs incurred from the life-cycle costs associated with your backyard pool. 

Here are helpful tips to keep your swimming pool water clear and clean. 

Check Pool Chemistry

Your backyard pool can bring you hours of relaxation and enjoyment, but the proper water chemistry is paramount to keeping your pool water clear and clean. The proper balance of your pools water’s pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness and the three main factors when it comes to properly balance your pool’s chemistry. You should check your pool’s chemistry 2-3 times per week and add chemicals to properly adjust levels as needed. You should add one chemical at a time or if adding multiple at once, add them to different areas of the pool. Afterward, you should run your pump to help disperse the chemicals. Always test and adjust pool chemicals starting with alkalinity, then pH, and finally calcium.  

Maintain Optimal pH Levels

pH measures the acidity or basicity of the pool water. The scale ranges from 0-14 with 7 being neutral. Under 7 the water is classified as acidic, over 7 the water is classified as basic. 

Your pool’s pH should be in the range of 7.4 pH to 7.6 pH.

A body of water that is high in pH, or basic, will leave deposits of scum on the liner that coats the pool walls. 

 A pH of 7.4 will stop scum lines from forming, as well as wiping down the waterline of your pool where scum lines are most prone to forming.

Calcium Hardness

Calcium hardness refers to how soft or hard your pool water is. 

The harder your pool water, the higher the concentration of the calcium or magnesium that is present. 

The optimal range of calcium hardness to keep your pool at is between 180ppm – 200ppm

The pH of the water directly affects your pool water’s calcium hardness, so you must properly set the pool’s pH before balancing its calcium hardness.

Empty the Skimmer Basket

Keeping your skimmer basket free of debris at all times keeps it working at its best. The purpose of the skimmer basket is to skim the surface of the pool water for debris before they become saturated and sink to the bottom of the pool. You can empty the skimmer basket by opening up the skimmer panel, remove the skimmer basket, and dump out the collected debris. 

Clean the Hair and Lint Pot

Depending on how often and how many people use your pool, you will need to clean the hair and lint pot located inside of your pool pump. The hair and lint pot captures what the skimmer basket failed to collect. 

Check Your Water Levels

The best way to check if your pool’s water level is too high or low is by checking its level in relation to your pool skimmer or tile. Your pool’s water level needs to be right at the center level of your pool skimmer or tile. The reason your pool’s water level is so important is that if the water’s too high the skimmer door will not work properly and will leave debris in the pool, in contrast, if your pool’s water is too low, it can cause your pump to run dry, causing it to burn up. 

We all know daily life has its endless stream of challenges and difficulties. Owning your own backyard pool can be a relaxing getaway from the day-to-day hurdy-gurdy, fast pace that life demands. A quiet serene dip to get your day started, at sunset with a glass of wine, or spontaneous moonlight skinny-dipping with your partner; a backyard swimming pool is a convenient and fun way to improve your mental and physical health. 

Swimming pools are an area for bonding with friends and family. It’s almost cliche at this point, but outdoor pools bring people together. Living in a day and age where connections are more important than ever, backyard swimming pools are always a great way to get friends and family together for a socially-distanced cook-out. For the parents out there, we all know when it comes to our kid’s birthday parties, they want the best, and a pool party is the best party a kid could ask for. 

Having a backyard swimming pool to cool off within summer is a great reason to go outside, breathe some fresh air, get some sun, and then cool off in the pool. The right balance of daily sunlight has numerous mood-lifting benefits. Here are a few: 

• Exposure to sunlight increases your brain’s release of the hormone serotonin by cueing special receptors in your retina, helping you stay calm and focused. Without enough sun exposure, your melatonin levels will decline. 
• The sun naturally causes your body to produce melatonin, which has a calming effect on your nervous system.
• Getting up to 15 minutes of sunlight daily boosts the levels of vitamin-D in your body, which contributes to strong bones. 
• Moderate amounts of sunlight can help prevent colon cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer. 
• Remember: Always wear sunscreen! 

Swimming and other water-related activities are excellent ways to exercise because they’re low-impact so they preserve the joints of your body and can be performed by anyone regardless of age or physical condition. Water-based exercises keep you limber, tones your muscle mass, and improves your cardiovascular endurance, effectively building your coordination, balance, flexibility, lung capacity, and circulation. Water-based exercises can also help people with arthritis by improving the use of affected joints without worsening symptoms. It’s recommended by the CDC to perform water-based exercises for at least two and a half hours per week. 

Due to the low-impact nature of water exercises you can perform in your pool, if you’re ever injured and are undergoing physical therapy, you can perform your therapy in the convenience of your own backyard! Having the ability to do this is a major convenience since person-to-person contact is currently limited due to the corona-virus. That means having your own pool helps you avoid crowded gyms or public pools, lowering your risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus, being conscientious of your safety and the safety of others while still getting the exercise and therapy you need. 

Humans are naturally captivated by clean bodies of water, it’s hard not to be aware of how important water is in our lives. The human body is 65% water, and about 71% of the earth’s surface is covered in water. Having a swimming pool in your backyard turns your house into a resort-like home experience. With the addition of a pool, your house will become to go-to “chill spot” for your friends, neighbors, and family. If you really want to create an exclusive “chill spot” and max out the full potential of your pool party fun, you can add a diving board, slide, or water walking ball to get all the fun features of a waterpark in your own backyard. Not only that, but when the party’s over, and it’s back to house chores, there’s less grass to cut, giving you more time to throw a pool party or get together with your Bro’s in your backyard chill spot! Finally when all is said and done, and you and your family move out, after all the countless pool parties and Bro hang-outs, your pool can increase the resale value of your property by nearly 8% according to houselogic.com 

If you’re found our blog you’ve likely been doing some research into custom swimming pool design. First, we’d like to point out that now is the perfect time to get started with a custom pool project.

Yes, it may still be a bit on the cold side, but if you start now, you’ll beat the spring-rush. (Most swimming pool companies get flooded with calls as soon as the weather starts to warm. Clients that start the design and planning process in the earliest months of the year will be at the top of the construction list.)

Starting from the top

The most important thing you can do during the planning phase is to make sure you’re hiring the best company for the job.  You’ll want to make sure the contractors you speak with are licensed, insured and reputable. Be sure to check their online presence. A company that has social media pages, a website, and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau is typically a safe bet. If the company is ranked favorably on Yelp, HomeAdvisor or Angie’s List, this is also a good sign.

If the company you’re talking to is a virtual ghost on the Internet, you’ll want to steer clear. It doesn’t matter how many excuses they have for not having an online footprint. In today’s digital age, even the smallest, mom-and-pop shops have some sort of online presence. A company that can’t be found on the internet is likely uninsured, unlicensed, and/or they may simply be trying to scam you. 

Do your due diligence. Be sure you’re hiring a reputable swimming pool design company.

Ask what tools they’ll be using

Building a custom pool takes a lot more than a shovel and a wheelbarrow. Ask them about the types of tools an equipment they’ll be using, if they’ll be able to pull the necessary permits (and how long this will take) and whether they’re up-to-date in terms of the latest swimming pool design technologies. Ask them about the types of materials they’ll be using during construction, and which of the materials you’ll receive a warranty on. While we’re on the topic of warranties, be sure to ask if they offer a workmanship warranty, as well. A reputable company will always stand by the work they do.

Lastly, ask about the worst-case scenarios. For example, find out if they’ve had problems pulling permits in the past and if yes, how long it’s taken to get that issue resolved. Ask about the types of delays you may encounter if the area is hit by several big rain storms. The more information you have about possible hiccups, the better.

Custom pool experts

If you have questions about how the custom swimming pool design and installation process works, call Wetworks Pool and Spa today to learn more. Our company is licensed and insured and we’re more than happy to provide you with several local references upon request. Call today to learn why we’re the #1 ranked swimming pool design company in Northern Colorado.

Spring may not be here yet, but the cold weather will be gone before you know it. As such, now is the perfect time to start planning your custom swimming pool.

Although some people prefer to put this off until the weather gets warmer, this is something we’d advise against. The reason for this is simple—that’s when everyone else will start planning their pools, too. Ultimately, this means the construction will take a lot longer, and there’s a decent chance your pool might not be ready before the season is over.

If you start planning now, you’ll likely be at the top of the construction list, so your pool will be finished sooner than later.

Swimming pool design

When you work with Wetworks Pool and Spa you’ll be working with a team of licensed professionals that will be with you from start to finish. During our first meeting, a designer will take a look at the construction space and they’ll also ask you a lot of questions. They’ll also what to know what you plan to use your pool for, since this will play a role in the design process. For example, if you want to swim laps, a kidney-shaped pool won’t be your best bet.

Once the size and shape of the pool have been decided upon, they’ll ask you if you’re interested in adding any special features (slide, waterfall, etc.) and if you have any landscaping that you’d like to incorporate.

After the first meeting, you’ll receive some design mock-ups, along with anticipated costs for construction, in a few short days.

Permits and the such

Once the design has been approved our team will start pulling permits.  From there, we’ll plan a day to start construction. Construction is a multi-phase project, so we’ll be sure to help you understand what will happen in each phase in addition to how long each phase will take. During this time, we’ll excavate and start to form the pool structure. We’ll reinforce it with steel, as needed ad we’ll plan for where we’ll install the drains and skimmers.

The pool flooring will be added and at this point, you’ll be able to customize certain features like what type of tiles you’d like to have installed toward the top edge of the swimming pool wall. Once the cast is set, and the plumbing and electrical features are added (ie: the pumps, filter and heating mechanisms, should you want a heated pool), we’ll be just about done.

Experts you can trust

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of adding a custom swimming pool to your home, we can help. Wetworks Pool and Spa has years of experience in helping local homeowners with all of their swimming pool design, construction and maintenance needs for years.

For more information on our company, the types of services we offer or to schedule a time to speak with a designer, call our office today to speak with a customer care representative.