Pool Maintenance Tips From Fix It Home Improvement - Home Improvement Podcast

VILLA PARK, Ill. - July 8, 2014 - PRLog -- The Fix It Home Improvement Podcast is sharing some pool maintenance tips.

Once a week skim the surface, clean the sides of the pool and vacuum the bottom. Clean out the skimmer baskets and check the water level.

Check and balance your pool water chemistry. Free available chlorine is 1-3 parts per million(ppm) . Bromine is 3-5 ppm. pH is 7.2 to 7.6.

Shock your pool once a week or whenever the free available chlorine is below 1 ppm. Shock adds 5 to 10 ppm to the pool. This is best done after sundown with the pump and filter on. Do not enter the pool until the free available chlorine is 1-3 ppm.

Monthly adjust the water chemistry. Alkalinity should be 120 to 150 ppm for a vinyl or fiberglass pool. 80 to 120 ppm for a concrete pool. Bromine should be 3-5 ppm. Calcium hardness 180 to 220 ppm. If you have too much calcium, your pool will collect scale. If your calcium is low, the water will break down grout on tile pools and dry out the liner on vinyl pools.

Once a month test for dissolved solids and add an algaecide. Check the motor and pump for leaks. Check the pool for cracks or leaks. If you have a salt pool, check the salt level.

To open a pool, clean around the cover before removing. Fill the water to the normal height. Clean all the pool equipment that enters the pool. Scrub the walls of the pool, vacuum the bottom and skim the surface. Turn on the pump and start your system.

Balance your pool chemistry. Alkalinity 120-150 ppm. 80-120 ppm for concrete pools. Calcium hardness 180-220 ppm. Allow the pool filter to run for 8 hours before adjusting the pH.  Shock the pool. pH should be at 7.2 to 7.6 and free available chlorine at 1-3 ppm.

It may take up to a week to balance the pool chemistry when opening a pool for the season. Let the pump run 24 hours a day for a few days, then reduce the time to 1 hour per 10 degrees of outdoor temperature.

To close a pool in the sunbelt, reduce filter time to 1/2 normal. Cover pool and keep pH at 7.2 to 7.6. Clean and vacuum once a month. Keep free chlorine level at 1-3 ppm.

To close a pool in the snowbelt, balance water chemistry pH to 7.2 to 7.6. Alkalinity 80-220 ppm. Calcium hardness 180-220 ppm. Shock the pool and run the filter 24 to 48 hours till the free chlorine is 1-3 ppm. Remove skimmer baskets, ladders and cleaners. Lower pool water 6 to 18 inches, per manufacturers recommendation. Drain all pumps and filtering equipment. Blow out all lines that could freeze. Move small equipment inside. Lubricate o-rings and cast iron plugs to prevent rust. Clean and cover your pool.

For the full podcast on pool tips, pool maintenance and hot tub tips visit and subscribe to Fix It Home Improvement podcast on you favorite podcast app. http://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=34729176&refid=stpr