When I talk to people about “swimming pool maintenance,” I hear them describe it as (1) emptying baskets, (2) netting out leaves, and (3) vacuuming out debris. And while it’s true these are part of regular swimming pool maintenance, they are by no means the whole story. In fact, they’re dangerously devoid of some other crucial maintenance elements. Let me explain, using what I often referred to as “The 3 Critical Pillars” of maintaining a recirculating body of water:
- Circulation
- Filtration
- Water Chemistry.
More accurately, I should refer to this as “the tripod of swimming pool maintenance.” That’s because a tripod needs all three legs to stand up properly. And if one leg gets out of whack, it’s going to affect the other two. Thus, all 3 legs need to be reasonably balanced for the tripod to be stable. Similarly, a swimming pool cannot be maintained properly without an equal balance between these 3 pillars.
For example, the more a pool circulates, the better it filters. And the better it filters, the less chemicals that are needed to keep it clean. On the other hand, if a pool doesn’t filter sufficiently, and/or doesn’t circulate enough, and/or isn’t balanced chemically, the water quality and safety will certainly be compromised.
Once you recognize these “3 pillars of the tripod,” it should be easy to understand why the circulation, filtration and chemistry should be checked a minimum of once every week, and adjusted as necessary to stay balanced. On average, 20 minutes or once a week is all it takes to keep your pool healthy and in good condition.
REMEMBER: A swimming pool is a dynamic and constantly changing aquatic environment. Without weekly maintenance, your water quality and safety can be compromised, and potentially lead to an unhealthy and/or costly situation. So if you ever have questions about your swimming pool maintenance, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Here’s to your “Easy Life”!
Sincerely,
Rick Beaubouef.
Owner / Head Specialist, Easy Pools.
