How to keep a Healthy Pool
If you have bought or inherited a pool in France the chances are that it is your first. You are therefore taking on the management of something that you have never looked after before and probably have little clue about! There are reams and reams of books about pool water chemistry, pool sanitisation and pool maintenance and acres of internet space dedicated to the subject so it easy to become overwhelmed and confused.
Never fear though, each pool is different and with a little practice, some technical help and a thorough cleaning regime you will be able to stay on top of your pool and get full pleasure from it for many years to come.
Never fear though, each pool is different and with a little practice, some technical help and a thorough cleaning regime you will be able to stay on top of your pool and get full pleasure from it for many years to come.
The key component in your armoury against an unsafe pool is the filtration system. Consisting of a pump and a filtration unit it must be capable of circulating the entire contents of the pool in maximum eight hours. If you buy a pump that is not up to the job this is a real false economy and you are fighting an uphill battle from the start. Buy a quality pump (see our accessories section) and you will never regret it. A typical pool house layout will look something like this.
The filtration of your pool water is key to the cleaning process so the best filter you can afford will make your life a lot easier. There are lots of variations on a theme out there but a moulded pressure vessel with a Zeolite medium can not be beaten and it is the industry standard for good reason. You wouldn't buy a Ferrari and then try to run it on diesel so why not get the best you can from the start. Once you have a good system a regular regime of filtration, backwashing and vacuuming will give you a good head start.
No matter how clean your pool might look it still contains bacteria, algae and all manner of nasty things and the only way to get rid of them is to use a sanitising agent. Again, there are endless arguments and opinions about the best method and medium for the job but it is very much a personal choice and, provided they all work, it does not really matter which road you decide to go down. You can choose to dose manually or let technology take the guesswork out of it and buy an automatic doser. There is more information about the options available elsewhere on this site.
It is a good idea to invest €50 on a good quality digital strip tester even if you do decide to buy an automatic dosing system just to keep on top of things. Once you have got a good chemical regime going it is normally fairly easy to keep your pool in balance but it is worth testing regularly. You might also want to buy a good quality pool robot as vacuuming your pool is sometimes quite theraputic but can become a chore and then the job does not get done so well.
Another key element in keeping your pool clean is to keep the dirt out of it in the first place so don't have any loose material like sand or gravel near the pool, keep potted plants well away from the water. Try to site your pool away from trees and shrubs, especially pine trees and install a poolside shower to rinse dirty feet and suntanned bodies before entering the pool. Also, keep the pool covered when not in use.
If you are heating your pool don't make it too warm, anything over 28 degrees celsius is asking for algae growth and can also damage the liner and make the job of the pool chemicals more difficult.
If you would like a health check and advice on your particular pool please give us a call and we will make a 'no obligation' site visit to discuss your requirements.
If you are heating your pool don't make it too warm, anything over 28 degrees celsius is asking for algae growth and can also damage the liner and make the job of the pool chemicals more difficult.
If you would like a health check and advice on your particular pool please give us a call and we will make a 'no obligation' site visit to discuss your requirements.