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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1979-04-26, Page 52OCare and maintenance of your pool `•.`L The two most common unin- vited guests at any swimming pool are dirt and bacteria. Add to The amount of chemical to add these a sprinkling of twigs, can be determined by testing pool leaves, animal fur and other air water for chlorine residue and pH and human borne contamtrfants or acid -alkaline balance. Simple and you have the reasons behind a regular program of pool maintenance. storing chemicals. Pool maintenance is relatively easy, according to the National Swimming Pool Institute, and most pool owners prefer the do-it- yourself approach. Self servicing requires from one and a half to four hours a week and keeps costs down to an average of around $20 per month, including parts and chemicals, for the average unheated pool. The main requirements are vacuuming for debris, daily chemical treatment and weekly or hi -weekly brushdowns of pool walls. The owner's major allies in keeping the pool clean are the skimmer, the filtration system and chemical additives. In ad- dition, new innovations are ap- pearing all the time to make the job easier. The skimmer, built into almost all pools, takes leaves and other floating debris off the top of the water. A pool vacuum cleaner, operated by the owner, is used to pick up debris off the bottom. Filtration -systems are of two main types, the sand filter through which water passes leaving dirt particles behind, and the diatomaceous earth (DE) filter which uses minute diatomes (microscopic sea creatures) spread over a membrane to entrap the equally microscopic dirt particles. Care of the filter is relatively simple. Both types of filter must he hackwashed approximately every two weeks to remove dirt clogging. Although the DE filter requires much less water to backwash, after each back - washing it must be repacked with more dirt. (A season's supply of ,about 50 pounds costs. around $8). M t pool contractors recommend that the filtration system he in operation at least 12 hours out of every 24 to insure hest results. Chemical additives are usually a daily requirement, depending upon the traffic in the pool and also upon such factors as hot weather and high ' winds which create conditions calling for more chemical purifiers. Chlorine is the most widely used disinfectant, although bromine and iodine are also used. Less than one drop of chlorine in every 1:000,000 drops of pool water is enough, providing the chemical is.100 percent active. Pool owners should carefully follow the manufacturer's directions in both using and testing kits are widely available. ' Alkaline salts, used in liquid chlorine to help it maintain its limited stability, eventually build up in pool water and upset the pH balance. Periodically an alkali - neutralizer such as muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate may be added to neutralize increasing alkalinity. Proper pH balance is necessary to insure that the chemical additives react properly, that the proper bac- teria -killing "residual" is maintained. The ideal pH range for pool water is 7.2 to 7.6. A simple set of rules to follow when manually cleaning the pool are: 1. Skim the pool's surface with a standard leaf skimmer; 2. Brushdotivn walls - and tile with stiff -bristled tile brush; 3. Clean the skimmer's basket and hair -lint strainer', 4. Vacuum the pool bottom; 5. Clean the filter (when suf- ficient dirt has accumulated and the recirculation flow has decreased) ; and 6. Hose clean the pool deck. Daily addition of chemicals can he avoided by purchase of an automatic chemical dispenser for under $50. The automatic dispenser eliminates the necessity of daily testing for pH balance and can be set to operate at a time when the pool is not in use. Other automatic maintenance devices are also available to make the pool cleaning job simpler. Among these are the automatic cleaning systems which operate on the principle that agitation of the water keeps dirt and algae from adhering to pool walls and bottom, thus making it easier for the filter to process them out. NSPI recommends that anyone considering building a pool should investigate automatic cleaning equipment. Although such equipment will increase initial cost of the pool, it will help save both time and money later on, the pool institute claims. Portable cleaning systems, operated on the same principle and powered by a garden hose, are available for use in already constructed pools. A heavy duty vinyl pool cover, averaging around $200 for a rectangular home pool, can he a sound maintenance investment. Kept on the pool during the winter months, it will eliminate much of the spring clean up chore. A cover also makes sense in summertime when the owner plans to be gone for two weeks or more—both to keep the pool clean and to keep out uninvited swimmers. Special problems may arise, however, even in well maintained Put houseplants outside but watch for sun scorch Summer is not far away, lout before you decide to put your houseplants outdoors, carefully consider their individual needs. Theo Blom, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food extension horticulturist, says putting some houseplants outdoors may do them.,more harm than good. "One of the major factors to consider is sun scorch. If you decide to put plants outdoors, don't place them in full all -day sun, even if they have been kept in sunny windows indoors. The leaves may scorch due to the direct sunlight, or the drying effect of the wind," Mr. Blom suggests setting even sun -loving plants in partial shade, protected from the wind. Locations such as a screened porch, gazebo or under trees or large shrubs are best. Plants such as geraniums, azaleas, cacti, succulents, poinsettias, Easter lilies, ficus species and draceanas will take early morning sun. Some of the foliage plants should be kept in a shady location. It is important to remember that houseplants undergo shock when taken outdoors. Some horticulturists recommend that houseplants be introduced to the outdoors gradually, to allow them time to get acclimatized.. - Indoor gardeners moving their houseplants outside for the summer should remember to treat each houseplant according to its individual light and moisture requirements. For practical purposes, leave the plant in the pot when putting it outdoors. Before bringing houseplants indoors in the fall, be sure to check for insects and disease. Remove spent.blooms Spent blooms detract from the attractiveness of the flower bed, and also sap energy from the plant. Remove spent blooms to encourage new blooms. pools. One of these in algae. Algae commonly appears in two forms: black algae, which makes unsightly spots on pool walls, and green floating algae. Both are normally taken care of by a I regular maintenance program, but stubborn cases rrr'ay be treated by vigorous brushing of spots, followed by application of spot killer and use of special inexpensive algaecides. Another problem, red -brown discolored water, is caused by a high concentration of dissolved iron. Disinfectants may oxidize this dissolved iron, leaving rust particles in the pool and giving Use oxidizing sanitizer and run the filtration system for 48 hours straight to clear out the particles. Should particles settle to the bottom, they should lie vacuumed up immediately to avoid staining the pool bottom %es oto Cedarhill. 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Examples are Briggs and Stratton, Stihl, Homelite, Tecumseh, Lawson, Lawn -Boy, Kohler, etc. And, "Doc" has 40 years of engineering experience to back up his guarantee._ Small Engine Repair is our Business, NOT our sideline. EVERYBODY INT() TNI POOL Backyard pooh provide fun for all ages An above -ground pool suitable for splashing costs as little as a few hun- dred dollars. Whatever its cost. though, your pool will pay for itself in no time in terms of pleasure. says the National Swimming Pool Institute.