DIY Tips
Seasonal Tips – Wild Weather
10 December 2010
The recent wild weather across Australia, and in particular in South East Queensland and Southern and South West NSW, has been causing havoc for swimming pool owners. And Swimart has been busy offering expert advice.
Wild Weather = Green Pools.
How to keep your pool in tip top condition with all the wet weather.
“The main complaints have been green pools, dirt, leaves and garden beds washed into pools,” says Chris Fitzmaurice, National Manager, Swimart. “Heavy rain dilutes pool chemicals, especially salt and chlorine, which causes the pool to turn green. This means the water is not sanitised or healthy and it’s vital to address this.
“The water needs to be re-balanced and this is best achieved by bringing in a water sample into one of our stores so we can advise the appropriate solution. We recommend the sample is taken from elbow depth as this is more circulated water.”
Chris recommends that pool owners drop the water level to below the top of the weir door so the weir door and skimmer basket can skim surface debris. For debris that has dropped to the bottom of the pool, scoop out as much as possible, then use either of two chemicals - Supa-Floc, which is designed for dirty but not filthy pools, or Drop Out, for heavy duty cleaning.The chemicals in these two products cause the dirt to bind to them and drop to the bottom of the pool so they can be easily vacuumed away.
Other top tips
» Attend to your pool immediately (never leave a dirty pool)
» If the pool is particularly dirty, increase the hours of filter operation until the pool is clear. The time is dependent on the size of the pool
» Clean and vacuum your pool as soon as possible
» In times of heavy rainfall, there is more demand for algaecides which kill algae, as these can be diluted by the extra fresh rainwater
» With about 80 per cent of pools now being salt water, there is more demand for salt as this makes the pool saline and creates a natural chlorination. Chlorine is only added when the water gets really dirty
» In times of high rainfall, it is a good opportunity to backwash your pool. “Today people are very water conscious so they don’t backwash as often as they should, so present high water levels provide a guilt-free chance to backwash,” adds Chris.
» Check and empty the skimmer basket and the hair and lint filter located in front of the pump to ensure they are clear of debris, as they can tear when they get too full