Tips to Keep a Clean Pool While You Vacation

If you are heading out on vacation and you are a pool owner, this is what you need to know to ensure your pool stays healthy while you are away.

The biggest key to success in keeping your swimming pool healthy and clear while you are away is finding a neighbor, friend, or professional to visit your water on a daily basis. This individual should perform the following tasks:

• Empty skimmer baskets
• Remove surface debris
• Check the filter pressure
• Test water
• Adjust water chemistry as necessary

In addition to those steps, we recommend adding a pump timer that is set to run for at least eight to twelve hours a day. This is a critical step in keeping your pool clear.

Last but not least, before you head out of town, you’ll want to correct any issues. Test your pH levels and ensure that your water’s alkalinity is balanced in addition to your sanitizer levels being at the correct reading.

A quick cheat sheet for proper pool chemistry is as follows:

• pH: 7.4 to 7.6 is ideal
• Alkalinity: 100 ppm to 150 ppm; 125 is ideal
• Calcium Hardness: 175 ppm to 225 ppm
• Chlorine: 1 ppm to 3 ppm
• Bromine: 3 ppm to 5 ppm
• Salt Water: .5 ppm of chlorine
• Mineral Systems: .5 ppm of chlorine

Depending on what type of pool you have and its set up, you may want to consider outsourcing its care to a professional while you are away. Not only does this provide you with peace of mind that your investment is cared for, it means that you are guaranteed to return to a swim ready environment!