Tips To Reduce Your Pool Maintenance
Most of us love the idea of having a swimming pool out the backyard, the cleaning component, not so much. Worry not, there are many ways you can drastically reduce the amount of time you have to spend cleaning your pool. Here are our top tips for keeping your pool crystal clear with minimal effort. Gone are the days of having to manually clean the pool, while this is still an option, of course, there are an array of alternatives to prevent you from having to do this. Let’s dive into them:
Automatic Pool Cleaners
Suction Side Cleaners
On the cheaper end of the automatic pool cleaner scale, you have a suction side cleaner. They connect to the skimmer component of the pool and utilise suction created by the filtration system to power the cleaner across the interior picking up dirt and debris along the way. This vacuum type only works when the pump is on and they can damage your pools filtration system if overused. A negative is when attached, they prevent the skimmer from drawing in dirt and litter from the surface of the pool. Because of this, it sinks to the bottom.
Pressure Side Cleaners
Pressure side cleaners are more powerful than suction-side cleaners and rather than using suction to clean the pool they use pressure from the pool pump to operate. They work best when they have a separate pump to reduce wear and tear. If you don’t have a separate pump, they can be connected to the eyeball return jets which manoeuvres the pressure cleaner along the pool wall. They can pick up finer particles of dirt than suction-side cleaners and come in different pressure strengths. They free up the skimmer allowing it to draw in the surface water and filter it. They do a more thorough job of cleaning the pool, hence their higher price tag.
Robotic Pool Cleaners
If you’re looking for the most effective automatic pool cleaner, you can’t go past a robotic cleaner. They differ from the other two options as they do not rely on the pool’s filtration system to function. They run via the smallest amount of electricity and use no more than that of a standard light globe. Due to their low voltage consumption, they are the cheapest to run and are gentler on the environment. Robotic cleaners have been engineered using advanced pool cleaning technology and are equipped with a revolutionary navigation system to help the cleaner guide itself around the entire perimeter of the pool, including steps. Once the whole pool has been cleaned, it simply turns itself off. While they are the dearest automatic cleaner option, the amount of time that is saved on cleaning the pool is seen as a worthwhile investment for many.
Self-cleaning Pools
Self-cleaning pools are the ultimate solution to reducing your pool maintenance. These systems are so advanced that the amount of time you will have to commit to pool maintenance is practically nothing. The water quality is maintained at a superior level with a self-cleaning system as they circulate the water throughout the entire pool, meaning every inch is receiving filtered water which leaves no stagnant areas for algae and bacteria to harbour and grow. Self-cleaning pools distribute the correct amount of chemicals evenly throughout the pool, meaning less money and time is needed to balance the chemistry levels. They shoot streams of filtered water in the pool which pushes leaf litter into the drain. Sitting flush on the floor of the pool they are virtually invisible when not in use. Self-cleaning pools are the most expensive pool cleaning option; however, you most certainly will recoup your investment over the lifetime of the pool by not having to clean it manually each week or spend excessive money on chemicals.
Other Ways To Reduce Your Pool Maintenance
Choose A Smaller Pool
If you haven’t already purchased a pool and you are wanting to dedicate as little time to pool maintenance as possible you should consider a smaller pool variety. The bigger the pool, the more cleaning and maintenance is normally required to keep them clean. They use more water, electricity, and chemicals.
Trim Trees
If you have shrubs or trees close to your pool, it’s a good idea to trim them often to prevent leaf litter from constantly falling into your water. By doing this, you are reducing the amount of time you will need to spend scooping them out. Once the leaves have sunk to the bottom, the likelihood of them unbalancing your pool water is high.
Put In A Windbreak
If your pool is situated in a spot that’s frequently exposed to wind, you can benefit from putting a windbreak in, why? Wind evaporates water a much higher rate which means you will have to top your water up more than normally needed; this not only takes time but costs money too. By having to refill the pool to the correct level regularly, you are essentially diluting the chemicals in the water and will need to adjust them too, which can be a time-consuming task. A windbreak can be anything from screening or hedging. Glass fencing is a great option as it limits the amount of wind that can get to your pool, this also makes it much more enjoyable getting out the water as you are protected from the wind when wet.
Pool Equipment
You must choose quality equipment for your pool. Cutting corners and choosing the cheapest equipment you can find to save money can end up costing you more down the track and if it does not do its job sufficiently, you are the one who is going to have to spend more time cleaning the pool. If you have an existing pool and the equipment is old and not working properly, it is best to replace it when you can to avoid having to spend extra time cleaning.
Pool Cover
A pool cover is one of the most underrated yet effective ways to drastically reduce your pool maintenance. They can reduce evaporation by 95% and chemical and heat loss by 70%. Covers prevent leaves and debris from falling into your pool which keeps your pool water clean. This means less time balancing chemicals, topping up the pool and clearing bugs and debris from the water. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to use.
Hire A Professional
If you have read through all of the ways you can reduce your pool maintenance and you still don’t like the idea of dedicating any time to pool cleaning, you can hire a professional pool cleaner to take care of it for you. You can schedule them to clean and maintain the pool as often as you like, freeing up time for you to enjoy your pool rather than cleaning it.
If you have any questions about reducing your pool maintenance or would like to discuss one of our stunning fibreglass pools for your home, get in touch with our friendly team here at Barrier Reef National. We have been in the pool industry for more than 30 years and know a thing or two about pools and would love to help if we can.
