Swimming Pool Advice and Guides
Keep your swimming pool clean, safe and efficient with our expert guides. Whether you are a first-time pool owner or an experienced operator, our advice covers everything from water chemistry to equipment maintenance.
Pool Water Chemistry
Understanding Pool Chemistry
Correct water balance is essential for safe, comfortable swimming and to protect your pool equipment. The key parameters to test and maintain are:
- Free Chlorine: 1.0 to 3.0 ppm — sanitises the water and kills bacteria
- pH: 7.2 to 7.6 — affects chlorine effectiveness and bather comfort
- Total Alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm — stabilises pH levels
- Calcium Hardness: 200 to 400 ppm — prevents surface damage and scaling
- Cyanuric Acid (Stabiliser): 30 to 50 ppm — protects chlorine from UV degradation (outdoor pools)
How to Shock Your Pool
Pool shocking (superchlorination) destroys chloramines and kills algae and bacteria. Use a pool shock treatment product and follow the dosage instructions. Always add chemicals to water, never water to chemicals. Shock at dusk or overnight for best results.
Treating Algae
Green or cloudy water usually indicates algae growth. Brush pool surfaces, shock treat the water, run the filter continuously and use an algaecide product. Test and rebalance water chemistry before returning to normal sanitisation.
Pool Equipment Guides
Choosing the Right Pool Pump
Your pump should turn over the full pool volume every 8 hours. Calculate your pool volume (length x width x average depth in metres x 1000 for litres) then divide by 8 to find the minimum flow rate in litres per hour. Add 20 percent for pipework resistance.
Sand Filter Maintenance
Backwash your sand filter when the pressure gauge rises 5 to 8 psi above its clean starting pressure, typically every 1 to 2 weeks in the swimming season. Replace filter sand every 3 to 5 years.
Pool Cover Advice
A good pool cover reduces heat loss by up to 70 percent, reduces water evaporation and keeps debris out. Solar covers warm the water using sunlight. Winter covers protect the pool during the off-season.
Seasonal Guides
Opening Your Pool for Summer
Remove the winter cover, clean and store it, reinstall equipment, fill to correct water level, prime and run the pump, test and balance water chemistry, shock treat and then run the filtration for 24 hours before swimming.
Winterising Your Pool
Balance water chemistry, shock treat, add winterising algaecide, lower water level below the skimmer, drain pumps filters and heaters, fit the winter cover and disconnect electrical equipment safely.
Need More Advice?
Our team is happy to help with product selection, chemical dosing calculations and equipment recommendations. Please contact us with your question and pool details.