Pool cleaning: how to keep the pool clean

A house with its own pool is the dream of any owner. It would seem that you just need to find a place on your summer cottage, equip an artificial reservoir and deal with the end. However, the most difficult thing is to care for him. Water is an excellent environment for the growth of bacteria and the formation of silt deposits, and the wind can cause a lot of garbage in one day. Cleaning the pool in the country is a skill, mastering which, you can maintain the beauty in your courtyard.

Cleaning methods

There are different ways to purify pool water. Which one is suitable depends on the degree of surface contamination and cost. Conventionally, they are divided into 3 types:

• Mechanical;
• Chemical;
• Electrophysical.

To care for the home pool, you can choose one option. If in each method there are suitable nuances, then filtering methods can be combined.

Mechanical method

The most uncomplicated and affordable way to clean the pool without chemicals. Pond clean up with their own hands. To clean the bottom and walls using special brushes, automatic and semi-automatic devices.

Filtering units

Filters and pumps can be used to remove small particles. Cleaning equipment is classified according to need.

• Sand. Such filters for cleaning the pool are the most inexpensive of all presented. They are filled with quartz sand. Water passing through the pump is purified, small particles of garbage settle in the sand, but not less than 20 microns. For all its simplicity, a sand filtration system is unpopular with consumers. It requires careful care. The filter must be washed every week, substituting under running water. If there is a problem with the water supply in your summer cottage, then this method should definitely be abandoned. This installation is more suitable for an inflatable pool, where water is updated much more often.
• Diatomint. This is a new word in the market of filtering systems. Water passing through the pump is cleaned of the smallest debris - up to 3 microns! This result is provided by diatomaceous earth - these are small particles of plankton shells. The disadvantage of this method is that the cartridge clogs pretty soon. Rinse it like a sand filter will not succeed, you need to buy a new one. Given the high cost of installation, this option is by no means the most affordable.
• Cartridge This is a convenient pool water purification system for those who want to get a good result and do not overpay for it. The filter device consists of several cartridges. It does not require special care and at the same time does not pass particles up to 10 microns. It can be washed under a strong stream of water in the same way as a sand. You can use disposable cartridges. Cleaning the pool water from iron will be effective with filters. Cartridge filters are a great option when you need to clean frame pools.

The cleaning unit must pass through the entire volume of water at least three times a day. It will help get rid of large debris in the water (leaves, grass) and small, for example, hair and insects. For a better result, the pump needs to run for at least 6 hours.

Types of filters

It is important that no filter pump can cope with the plaque that forms on the walls and bottom of the tank. For mechanical care, all kinds of underwater vacuum cleaners are used for cleaning. They are divided into types:

• Manual. Inexpensive device for caring for an inflatable pool. It connects to the filtering unit.
• Semi-automatic. The unit is more expensive than manual. Its advantage is that it can work autonomously and is equipped with a bag for collecting garbage. Suitable for cleaning small size pools.
• Auto. It is used to clean the surface of large water tanks. These are powerful and maneuverable devices that can handle large-scale areas.

However, these tools are not enough in the arsenal of the pool owner.

Special tools

Do-it-yourself pool cleaning will only add confidence in cleanliness, which means you can not do without a whole set of primitive, cheap, but necessary devices.

• The net is a good helper when cleaning the pool. Budget alternative to skimmer. Using the surface net, you can remove noticeable debris from the water surface, and using the depth net, get things that have fallen to the depth from the bottom without damaging them.
• A hand brush is another inexpensive tool that can cope with the dirt on the pool walls in the right hands as well as an automatic vacuum cleaner. True, for this you need to make an effort and spend your time.

The mechanical method is a rather time-consuming option. Do-it-yourself water purification in the pool is suitable for those who have a lot of free time. If it is not, you can consider other methods of combating pollution.

Chemical method

As the name implies, in this case, a whole range of chemicals will help to cope with pollution. To achieve better water quality, this method cannot be replaced only by mechanical, because only with the help of chemistry can the pool be cleaned of particles less than 3 microns. In addition, special cleaners will prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms in the water.

Chemical cleaning helps achieve the following results:

• normalizes the level of Ph;
• disinfects water;
• prevents sludge and calcareous deposits;
• prevents clouding of water.

This method can be carried out using various means. Each of them has its pros and cons.

• Chlorine. The most popular way to clean a pool is to chlorinate. It is used in public places. Chlorine is inexpensive and works well with harmful bacteria. You can chlorinate the pool with whiteness at home. However, cases of an allergic reaction to a chemical are not excluded, in addition, it has an unpleasant odor. Excessive doses of chlorine can cause skin burns.
• Bromine. This pool cleaner does not have an unpleasant odor, but it does worse with microorganisms. Moreover, its cost is higher than that of chlorine. So here you need to prioritize correctly.
• Active oxygen. The most expensive option and the most effective. The active substance kills microbes. It does not spoil the skin, hair and does not irritate the mucous membrane. Water with dissolved oxygen is odorless, but concentration is extremely important here; overdosing will cause burns.
• Algicidal preparations. They are needed in order to get rid of silt, algae and other types of “flowering” of water, from which it turns green. They are hypoallergenic, effective, but at a high price.
• Copper sulfate. This substance prevents clouding of water, the formation of algae. After using copper sulphate, the unpleasant odor disappears and a short disinfection occurs. With this tool you need to be extremely careful. In case of overdose and ingestion, it can cause serious intoxication, which will lead to death.
• Hydrogen peroxide.Cleaning the pool with hydrogen peroxide is used to disinfect water, even in aquariums. Water with the addition of perhydrol becomes bluish. There is an established recommendation for dilution of peroxide. Once in the aquatic environment, it decays. Such a chemical reaction makes water unsuitable for the life of bacteria and microorganisms. Water becomes clear, and the unpleasant odor disappears. There is no need to change water or carry out cleaning for about another couple of months, but it is forbidden to use treated water in the first 24 hours after the procedure. Cleaning the pool water with hydrogen peroxide is an inexpensive and effective way to care.
• Zelenka. Experienced owners are sure that the purification of water in the pool at the cottage should not require large cash costs. In practice, it is a good disinfectant. The contents of a bubble of brilliant green are added to the pool and within a month there are no problems with water quality.

Pool Cleaning Tablets

The market for pool care products is now full of drugs for every taste and budget. Powders, granules, gel-like substances, tablets. Most of them are harmless to human health, but you need to know their differences, classification and permissible concentration.

For example, you can use special pills for cleaning pools. These instant effectiveness tools work on several fronts at once:

• disinfected;
• level the level of Ph;
• remove plaque and organic deposits.

It can be said that this is a universal remedy for water purification in the pool, based on chlorination. It must be admitted that not all pool owners know how to handle chemistry properly.

Before buying pills, you should study the instructions or consult with the seller. It may be necessary to prepare a pool before dissolving the tablets - it depends on the initial state of the tank.

Electrophysical method

This method is considered advanced, and its use requires significant cash costs. The method is good for those who want to do without chlorine and other aggressive drugs. Moreover, it is much more effective and safer for humans.

Ozonation

The method of cleaning the pool with ozone is a cut above that with oxygen. Provided that both of them are oxidizing agents, the strength is on the side of ozone. It fights viruses and fungi much more effectively, does not smell and does not cause allergic reactions. An overdose of ozone will not cause side effects. This seems to be the best cleaning option, however, and it has its drawbacks:

• has a short action, because does not accumulate in water;
• inhalation may cause respiratory infections;
• only water that passes through the appliance is treated, while the walls and bottom of the pool remain intact;
• high price.

Ionization

During ionization, water is treated with silver and copper ions. They purify water from all undesirable impurities. Advantages of this method: hypoallergenic, long-lasting effect, you can even drink water after treatment, lack of smell There are also disadvantages - this is poor knowledge, and also that it can not be used in parallel with other methods of disinfection.

UV treatment

This is one of the most economical and effective ways. When processing microorganisms do not adapt to UV rays. It is harmless to humans. It is very inconvenient that it is necessary to constantly note the concentration of iron in water. In addition, disinfection occurs only at the time of processing.

Having studied all the methods of cleaning a home pool, you can conclude that everyone needs a try. In each there are suitable options for price and convenience. The main thing to remember is that cleaning procedures should be carried out regularly.