Saltwater pools have become increasingly popular in recent years, and for a good reason. They are low-maintenance, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. But even though they require less work than traditional pools, they still need to be properly cared for.
In this blog post, we will provide a saltwater pool maintenance guide that covers everything you need to know about the maintenance of saltwater pools and keep your pool in its prime!
Why Do You Need to Maintain a Saltwater Pool?
To Extend Its Lifespan
As with other items, proper maintenance can help a saltwater pool stay in tip-top condition longer. For example, salt can build up on your pool parts and wear them down more quickly than naturally. If you wash the parts regularly, you can stop this from happening and extend the life of your pool.
To Save Money
If you neglect your saltwater pool, problems can arise and become very difficult to fix or, in some cases, will be unable to be fixed. Then, you will have to shell out money to address the problems. Expenses for repairing and replacing pool parts can total up to big bills. So, it is best to avoid this with correct and consistent upkeep.
To Protect Your Health
Maintaining your pool ensures the microorganisms in the water are killed, and sediment and debris are removed. These will stay with you while you swim if you do not clean your pool. A dirty pool can lead to many illnesses, such as rashes, ear infections, and respiratory infections.
The lack of pool maintenance can also cause off-balance pool chemistry, severely hurting your health. Your pool might be over-chlorinated, and swimming in it can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat. There is a risk of chlorine poisoning too!
Now that we know the "why," let's dive right into the "how.
How to Maintain a Saltwater Pool?
There are things you should do daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly to upkeep your saltwater pool.
Daily
Remove Debris — Think fallen leaves, branches, and dead insects. Use a net to get rid of any visible debris.
Clean Pump Basket — Check your pump basket and discard any trash that has been collected. Hose the basket down and inspect it for signs of damage before returning it to its place.
Clean Skimmer Basket — Similar to cleaning the pump basket, take the skimmer basket out and empty it. Check that it is still in good condition before putting it back.
Weekly
Check the free chlorine, stabilizer, and pH levels every week. They must all be within their ideal range.
Free Chlorine Level: 1.0 - 3.0 ppm.
If your free chlorine level is too low, you can raise the free chlorine level by removing calcium accumulations on the salt cell or using a pool shock.
If it is too high, reduce the output setting on your generator, set less time for your circulation system, or slow down your pump speed.
Stabilizer Level: 70 - 80 ppm if your pool is outdoor and 5 - 30 ppm if your pool is indoor.
If you need to lower your stabilizer level, drain some of the water and add fresh water to dilute it.
If you need to raise it, add cyanuric acid. For this, be sure to follow the instructions provided closely.
pH Level: 7.2 - 7.8 ppm.
If you have to lower the pH level, add an acid.
If you have to raise it, add an alkali.
Whether you are adding an acid or alkali, it is necessary to remember to add in small increments and wait for 4 to 6 hours so the water can circulate before you test it.
Monthly
Each month, you will need to check the levels of salinity, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and total dissolved solids in your pool. These must be within their ideal range, like the chlorine, stabilizer, and pH levels.
Salinity: 2700 - 4500 ppm.
Add salt to lower the salinity, but make sure you do this very carefully and slowly.
To raise it, add fresh water.
Alkalinity: 80 - 120 ppm.
To lower the alkalinity, add sodium bisulfate.
To raise it, add sodium bicarbonate.
Calcium Hardness: 200 - 400 ppm.
To lower the calcium level, drain some water and replace it with fresh water.
To raise it, add calcium chloride and let it dissolve completely before testing it again.
Total Dissolved Solids: 3000 - 6000 ppm.
Backwash and clean your filter if your reading is 1500 ppm or higher.
If your reading is a lot higher, drain some water and add fresh water.
Yearly
Inspect the cell and liner. For the former, make sure there are no calcium buildups on the plates; for the latter, look for signs of damage like a tear, rip, or sag.
Finally, if you use a zinc anode in your pool as an added protection measure, check it too. If it appears degrading, it is best to replace it with a new one.
Factors to Consider When Maintaining a Saltwater Pool?
When maintaining a saltwater pool, two things to consider are whether you have all the technical know-how and are comfortable with doing the upkeep yourself. If your answer to both of these is no (or not a confident yes), or you still have questions like how to sanitize saltwater pool?"" then you should hire a professional.
Consider BMWemple — Florida's trusted pool maintenance service. BMW's team knows all the ins and outs of maintaining a saltwater pool so that you can count on them. You can reach out to them here.
Conclusion
As you have read, maintenance of saltwater pools is necessary but not easy. There are many tasks daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Luckily, if you are not up for the upkeep, you can rely on experts like BMWemple.
