Tips and Care

HOW TO TAKE A WATER SAMPLE

For the kids, the pool is all fun and games, but for grownups, there is work involved. Primarily, that consists of maintaining clean water in your above or in-ground pool. The owner of Goulart Pools offers sound advice on pool maintenance from how to take a water sample in Weymouth, MA, to ways to prevent algae growth.

WATER SAMPLES FOR TESTING

The numbers matter when it comes to pH and chlorine levels in the family pool. The proper water balance saves you money and downtime due to algae and bacteria. We encourage you to take samples of the water on a regular basis and have it tested for free at our stores. We even give you a computerized printout, so you know exactly how much of which elements are present.


To take a water sample, use a plastic water bottle or glass container and reach down into the pool about elbow deep, away from the return line. Bring the sample into our Weymouth store within a few hours. If it is your first water sample of the season, make sure pool has been running at least 12 to 24 hours.


If the results from your sample show the chlorine level is more than 3 ppm, it’s not safe to swim. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to reduce that level.

MAINTAINING THE FAMILY POOL

To maintain a clear and carefree pool, keep chlorine pucks or sticks in the skimmer at all times and replace them when they shrink to the size of a marshmallow. It’s important not to let them disappear. We advise running your pool at least eight hours per day as circulation helps maintain the proper balance of chemicals in the water and keeps it clean.


An essential part of pool maintenance is pool shock. Shock your pool on a weekly basis. We find Sunday night after everyone is done swimming is a good time to do this. Run the pool all night to circulate the water, and add your algaecide the next morning. Shocking the pool kills contaminates and the algaecide prevents them from growing until the next shock.


To maintain clean water in your pool, make sure to keep the filter clean. The filter is the heart of the pool and does about 70% of the work to keep the water sparkling.


At times, you may notice the water in your pool is cloudy. The cause is likely a low level of chlorine. Remedy that by shocking the pool.


Here’s a tip to help prevent a green pool opening for those owners who have pools with safety covers. Around the beginning of April, pull each corner of your safety cover back and pour a gallon of liquid shock into each corner.

 

Contact us today to learn more tips about caring for the water in your pool. From our store in Weymouth, we proudly serve pool owners on the South Shore of Massachusetts.

VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION!

GOULART POOLS HAS MOVED TO 550 BRIDGE ST, N WEYMOUTH, MA

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