Helpful Tips for Maintaining Your Pool
New pool or new liner customers: please bring in a water sample (in the 1l sample bottle provided) to buds spas and pools before adding any chemicals and/or before entering your pool for the first time.
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1.
Test kits or strips can help you to maintain your pool water, however, we recommend visiting Bud’s Spas & Pools for a water test at least once a month to maintain proper water balance. Monthly tests are required to ensure that the warranties on your pool equipment and pool liner remain valid. Also, at home testing should be done on a weekly basis to assure bather safety. If any problems occur, such as algae or cloudy water OR if at anytime you question the balance of your water, come into Bud’s for a water test.
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2.
Before adding chemicals to your pool water, the pump needs to be running. To maintain proper filtration, the pump should be operating 24 hours a day. If your pump is on a timer, you should make sure that it runs during the hottest hours of the day. A minimum time of 8 hours of circulation is recommended.
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3.
When adding chemicals, proper dosage is VERY important. For measuring purposes, approximately 1000 grams = 1kg of product.
- To avoid cloudy water, please be sure to wait the recommended time required between each chemical addition.
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4.
Follow Sanimarc’s 3 step weekly maintenance program printed out on the bottom of each water test. You should also be adding a weekly dose of Stain Prevent especially if you have a heater and/or salt chlorinator. Sanimarc’s 3 step Simplicity Kit consists of: Aqua Foot (Sanitizer), Zap Shock (Oxidizer) and End Algae 40 (Algaecide). Using these 3 products once a week will keep your pool water sparkling. We recommend following the following procedures when using a:
- Chlorinator or Skimmer Basket: Add 1-2 Aqua Foot and replace them as they dissolve, (usually once a week). Set your chlorinator dial at 2 ½.
- Brominator: Fill the feeder half full with Brominating Tablets and set the dial at 2.
- You should always be checking your sanitizer level and adjusting the dial on your chlorinator/brominator as required (depending on use, weather conditions, etc.)
Shocking or oxidizing eliminates bather wastes such as perspiration, body oils, and cosmetics that tend to cloud the water. Zap Shock will reach breakpoint oxidization to eliminate these wastes and should be added once a week and after heavy rainfall or heavy bather loads. One hour after shocking, add the required amount of End Algae 40 to prevent algae growth.*If you are using a Salt Chlorinator, Salt Shock should be added every other week to extend the life of your cell.
*Please remember to remove all toys, automatic vacuums etc. from the pool before shocking and leave your solar blanket off for at least 8 hours after shocking.
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5.
One hour after adding End Algae 40, we recommend adding the required amount of Stain Prevent each week.
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6.
Stabilizer is an important chemical that needs to be added to all pools to prevent sanitizer loss to the sun. More importantly, Stabilizer is added to ensure that the liner is protected and that the liner warranty remains valid.
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7.
Do not leave the solar blanket on your pool for an extended period of time, as it creates a warm environment that algae thrives in. The best time to put on the solar blanket is at night and only for a maximum of 12 hours. The solar blanket is meant to keep heat in the pool, not to heat the pool.
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8.
A dirty filter can cause many problems in your pool such as foaming, cloudiness and low circulation. We recommend using Filter Cleaner at least once a season to prevent these problems from occurring. These cleaners will also control scale/rust and remove oils/greases from the filter.
- If you have a cartridge filter, please remember to rinse the filter off weekly or when pressure gets to high, cleaning between each fiber strip. Do not use a pressure washer as it could damage the fibres.
- If you have a sand or Zeobrite filter, the filter media should be changed every 5-7 years and possibly sooner if it has not been chemically cleaned.
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9.
Over time O-rings tend to break down and as a result can cause an improper seal with your pump, heaters etc. Apply a Silicone Lubricant to o-rings at the beginning and end of every pool season to prevent this from happening.
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10.
Things you should be doing on a regular basis:
- Brush down the walls and floor once a week to stir up any debris or algae that may be hiding.
Clean out your skimmer and pump baskets often, as it can restrict the flow and use up sanitizer if there is a lot debris gathering in the baskets. - Suction side automatic vacuums are a great way to keep your water clean, but they should not be used for any longer than 6 hours. The water at the surface is not circulating when the vacuum is in use.
- Bring a water test once a month to Bud’s or whenever you are having problems with your pool water.
- Brush down the walls and floor once a week to stir up any debris or algae that may be hiding.
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