11/10/2017
THE THREE “C’s” Part 1
Let’s face it. Taking care of a swimming pool or spa is a lot of work and stress but this can be minimized by adopting the process of the three C’s. These are; CLEANING, CHEMICALS, and CIRCULATION. You see, you have to have all 3 of these working in your pool operations at all times in order to maximize the ease of care for your pool. If one of these items is not being tended to properly, you will experience a problem. If you already have challenges then by the process of elimination, check each item one at a time until the solution presents itself. In Part 1 of this series we will talk about proper cleaning.
CLEANING: Did you realize that this is probably the most important thing you can do in your pool in order to protect the plaster and help keep it sanitized? But in order to do the job right, you must have the right tools. A good 18 to 24 inch nylon brush mounted onto a telescoping pole is best. The large brush helps you do large areas quickly and effectively and the telescoping pole enables you to reach deep parts of the pool. Of course if you have a shallow body of water you do not need the telescoping pole. Just be sure to get the pole that bests suits your needs. The second type of brush you should have is a smaller 6 to 8” nylon brush. This is one that you would also mount on a pole which enables you to get into smaller and tighter areas of the pool such as the corners or stairs. It is important that you don’t try to shortcut the brushing of the pool especially in the corners and tight spaces. Why? Because the number one enemy in the pool is algae and algae gets a chance to grow because of a natural substance in the water called “bio-film”.
If bio-film is not brushed off, it adheres to the pool walls and then protects the algae spores and other substances from chlorine. These other substances are bacteria, germs and viruses. Being shielded from the chlorine means that the algae and other substances can grow at will. Proper brushing will break up the bio-film, remove most of the algae and then allow the chemicals to attack and kill what is left. Remember proper brushing keeps algae from growing on the plaster, keeps other substances from latching onto the plaster and keeps the plaster clean.
How often should you brush a pool? It does depend on if the pool is out in the open or surrounded by trees, time of year and weather conditions. I recommend that you brush the pool a minimum of 3 times per week during the summer, and 2 times per week during winter. If you have an indoor pool then at least 2 times per week. Is it okay to do it more? Absolutely! The more and better this job is done the better your pool is going to be.
How about vacuuming? You need to be doing this on a regular basis in order to remove loose debris from the pool. The number of times you vacuum also depends on the factors listed above. In most cases 1 to 2 times per week will suffice. Also don’t forget to get a skimming net so you can remove things that are floating on the surface of the water such as leaves. Also remember to check and clean out the skimmer baskets on a regular basis (usually daily).
It is often asked, can we do the brushing, vacuuming and skimming in one day. The answer is “yes” but you have to space things out. I usually recommend skimming and brushing first, wait a couple of hours for the water to settle down then vacuum the floor. In a lot of cases my clients brush and skim on one day then vacuum the next day and they are experiencing very good results.
I hope you have found this information helpful. If you would like information on our next CPO class, have questions, need services or you would like a transcript of todays topic, please send us an email at: [email protected]
See you next time when we will discuss part 2 of the three C’s which is chemicals.
