Exit murky pools; enter sparkling pools

Summers centre around the pool but when it is close to your living area and not bright and welcoming, it can quickly become a huge irritation. In this edition we revert back to basics with these tips:
The key levels to monitor are the chlorine and pH.

Chlorine is used to kill germs and bacteria in pool water, so it plays an important role in keeping the water clear. The pool’s pH level, which measures how acidic or alkaline the water is, influences how effective the chlorine is in keeping the water clean. Use a water testing kit to measure the chlorine and pH levels approximately 3 times a week – the chlorine should measure between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million, while the pH level should read between 7.2 and 7.6. If the chlorine level is low, replenish your chlorine supply. If your pool’s pH is too high, you need to add acid to the water to help lower it. Muriatic acid and sodium bisulphate are the most common acids used to lower pool water pH. If your pool’s pH is too low, add an alkali like sodium carbonate to reduce the acidity.

Make small adjustments (small amounts of chlorine and acid per dosage). Be careful about media ads selling you a quick one-stop solution. We have often seen damage to pools as a result of short-cut remedies which left the pool surface stained or damaged. If you are unsure, bring a water sample to LIC pool for testing and we’ll supply correct advice on what to add to your pool. After you treated the pool with chemicals, you need to keep the pool open for at least 4 hours to enable all vapours to escape.

Make sure you backwash regularly. Feel free to install a plastic tank into which your backwash water is pumped. Do your bit to use water wisely and by a few clever plumbing techniques, this water can be used in the garden at a later stage. Contact us at [email protected] for information.
The use of a flocculant to make sure all small particles settle down on the pool floor is vital. Regular dosages of stabilizer can set the pH and chlorine levels of the pool and thereby save you the hassle of many chlorine top-ups.

Please pop in at LIC and ask the sales staff for advice. The LIC pool team deals with pool-related problems for a living. We attend to problem pools throughout Namibia daily. Our sales team has years of knowledge to help you sort out your pool in no time.
Burgert Terblanche