The Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-04-16, Page 56P'�ge2tt
The two mast common unin-
vited guests at any 'swimming
pool are dirt and bacteria. Add to
these a sprinkling of twigs,
leaves, animal fur and other air
and human borne contaminants
and you have the reasons behind
a , regular program of pool
maintenance.
re an.d maintenance of
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 bi-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, a nd
the diatomaceous earth (D )
filter which uses „ min
diatomes (microscopic
creatures) spread over a
membrane to entrap the equally
microscopic dirt particles.
Care of the filter is relatively
simple., Both types of filter must
be hackwashed 'approximately
every two weeks to remove dirt
clogging. Although the DE filter
requires much less water to
backwash, after each back-
lwashing it must be repacked with
more dirt. (A. season's supply of
`about 50 pounds costs around $8).
Most pool contractors
recommend that the filtration
system be in operation at least 1.2
hours out of every 24 to insure
• .best 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
storing chemicals.
The amount of chemical to add
can be determined by testing pool
water for chlorine residue and pH
or acid -alkaline balance: Simple
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. B'rushdnwn walls 'and tile '
with stiff -bristled tile brush;
3. Clean the sjtimmer's basket
and hair -lint strainer;
4. Vacuum the pool bottom";
5. Clean thefilter wf-
ficient dirt has_ accumhdtt Suulated and
the 'recirculation flow has
decreased); and
6. Hose clean the pool deck.
Daily addition of chemicals can
your pool
be 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
ITuvn, o page 271
EVERYBODY INTO THE POOL: Backyard pools
pr9vide fun for all ages. An above -ground pool
suitable for spfashing..costs as little as a few Mtn -
died dollars. Whatever its cost, though, your ¢ool
will pay for itself in no time in terms of pleasure,
. says the National Swimming Pool Institute,
e sokedl®°
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286 HURON ST. ACROSS FROM ELM HAVEN
PHONE
482-3722