How to look after your pool: the complete routine
What to do every day, every week and every month to keep your pool water clean without wasting money on chemicals.
2 min read
A clean pool doesn't depend on expensive products: it depends on consistency. A little care every week costs less and means you'll hardly ever need to shock the pool.
The 3 numbers that matter
- Free chlorine: 1 to 3 ppm. It kills bacteria and algae.
- pH: 7.2 to 7.6. At high pH, chlorine loses much of its strength.
- Total alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm. It holds the pH steady.
A simple test kit measures chlorine and pH in a minute. Without a kit you can go by how the water looks, but you're more likely to get the dose wrong.
Most pool shops will test a water sample for free. Take about 500 mL from elbow depth, away from the return jets.
Every day (or every 2 days)
- Run the filter a few hours a day. Longer in hot weather.
- Scoop out leaves and insects before they sink.
- Add the maintenance dose of chlorine, or check the tablet is still in the floater. With a salt chlorinator, check it's producing.
Every week
Test the pH and chlorine with the kit.
If needed, fix alkalinity first, then pH, and chlorine last.
Brush the walls and floor, especially the corners and the waterline.
Vacuum the floor and empty the skimmer basket.
Replace the chlorine tablet, if you use one.
Every month
- Backwash the sand filter (or hose out the cartridge), as per the filter's manual.
- Test alkalinity and, in an outdoor pool using stabilised chlorine, the stabiliser (30 to 50 ppm).
After heavy rain, a pool party or very hot days, chlorine drops fast. Test and top up on the same day.
The right dose depends on the size of your pool and the product you have. The calculator works it out in spoons and cups.
Calculate the dose now