Backwashing your pool weekly is essential for keeping your sand filter clean from contaminants and working properly. This will help keep your pool nice and clean. But how long should you be backwashing your pool for? You should backwash your pool for 3 to 5 minutes or until the water runs clear. You should never…
I recently researched and wrote an article about replacing your pool water, then I realized, how the heck do you drain an inground pool? The easiest way to drain your inground pool is to use the existing pool pump by setting it to suck water from the main drain (not the skimmer) and letting the…
Maintaining a swimming pool can entail a lot of time and money, and constantly having to top up your pool is a large part of that. Sure, topping up your water level is normal due to evaporation, but how much is normal? It is normal for a pool to lose 2 to 4 inches of…
You might be a lot like me. I often overkill and over-design everything instead of taking the time to work out the required amount. Running a pool pump is no exception. But, is running your pool pump around the clock financially sustainable? Let’s find out if we can save some cash by putting our laziness…
There is a lot of misunderstanding and false information about baking soda and swimming pools. Some say baking soda can clear cloudy water, others think it can clear up algae, neither of which is true. What does baking soda actually do in swimming pool water? Baking soda, which is also known as bicarbonate of soda…
There are only a few reasons to be changing your pool water, and it is quite a big task. Luckily, most problems with swimming pool water can be fixed chemically or manually cleaning, but there are a few exceptions where you shouldn’t avoid changing your pool water. You should only have to change your pool…
pH and Alkalinity are usually linked, and it is important to maintain your pool’s pH levels. Too high or too low can be harmful to your pool and swimmers, but how do you raise or lower the pH and Alkalinity of your pool? The ideal pH of pool water is 7.2 to 7.8, while the…
Maintaining pool water can seem like somewhat of a science, and Google search results seem to contradict one another. Calcium hardness of pool water is a perfect example, causing mass confusion. I took it upon myself to ask around, and do A LOT of research to get to the bottom of the question – What…
Filling a swimming pool is damn expensive man, and it makes sense to use alternative water sources to fill your pool. In some places, the ONLY water source is a well. So, is it okay to use well water to fill a pool? Using well water to fill your swimming pool is perfectly fine, and…
We have all been there. Planned a pool party or barbeque, only to realize the day before that our pool looks disgusting, Green with algae! This can be highly embarrassing. Here’s a trick I learned to get my pool clear overnight. (Results may vary) Shock the pool with a triple dose of chlorine to kill…