If I had to make a guess, I would say about 80% of the populations likes to take summer vacations (or if you’re European, holidays) instead of winter vacations. Personally, I like taking my vacations in the winter. I do a lot more winter activities than summer activities, but enough about me. Being that most of our readers take summer vacations and own swimming pools, I figured I would share a few tips on how to take care of your pool while you’re away. I use to get asked this question a lot when I worked at the pool store. It’s not as hard as you might imagine.
1. Find a Neighbor or a Friend
This is the key to success when it comes to keeping your swimming pool clear while you’re away. The ideal canidate is someone who owns a pool themselves. They will know what the deal is, and how important it is to check up on the pool. Tell your friend/neighbor to check on the pool once a day. Maybe, you can provide a simple checklist for them including tasks like:
- Empty the skimmer basket(s)
- Skim the surface of the pool
- Check the filter pressure (backwash if needed)
- Test the water with a test kit or test strips
- Add any necessary chemicals (only if they know what they’re doing)
2. Get A Timer
Hopefully if you have an inground pool, your pump already has a timer. If not, I would invest in one, they are crucial to have. If you have an above ground pool and don’t already have one, they are pretty easy to hook up and you can pick one up at Home Depot, Lowe’s or your local pool store. Set the timer to run the pool at least 8 to 12 hours a day. If you can split up the times, great! If not, it won’t be a problem for it to run straight. Running your pump and filter is very important to keep your pool clear and it’s better to leave a timer in charge than a person, no room for human error.
3. Get Your Water Checked Before You Go
Take a sample of your pool water to your local pool store and get it professionally checked. Make sure when you get it check that you correct any issue and balance out your chemicals before you go. You want to make sure that your pH and alkalinity are properly balanced and your sanitizers levels are at the right level. Also, make sure your pool is clean and cyrstal clear. You want to come back the same way you left it.
This entry was posted on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Tags: clear pool, pool care, pool vacation, summer vacation, swimming pool
Thanks for having this site. I do not want to receive ads through email, and live outside the US, so odds are shipping would be prohibitive anyway. However, I am always trying to figure out how to take better care of my pool and appreciate sites like this that provide helpful information.
Yours truly,
Laura Brown.
p.s. have you heard about using copper sulfate to keep water clean (rather than the regular chemicals)? Someone told me he uses two teaspoons every other week but that you can only use this in a chlorine-free pool or the liner goes black. I am wondering if it is safe. It seems to be used in animal troughs and to control algae in ponds.