Don�t believe all those nasty rumors... pool maintenance is not rocket science.  It�s a constant, but simple, task.  When done properly and regularly, the effort it takes to maintain your pool will end up saving time in the long run.

Daily:  Make sure water is properly balanced.  Chlorine should be kept between 1.0-3.0 PPM (parts per million) and pH between 7.2-7.8.

Ideally, the filter should run twenty-four hours a day (10 to 12 hours minimum).  Should the pool water become cloudy, run the filter constantly until the water clears.

Remove leaves and any other debris on the water surface with your skimmer net.

Weekly:  Brush down the walls every two weeks.  While you�re lounging by the side of your pool, your automatic cleaner needs to be chasing dirt for four to five hours every other day.  Keeping the pool clean helps to lower the chance of algae in the pool water.

The pool needs to be shocked once a week using granular chlorine, or a bawdy joke � pools are easily shocked.  Always follow label directions.

Clean the skimmer and pump baskets as often as possible, particularly when leaves are falling from overhanging trees. It is important to remember to check the skimmers and baskets after a windy or rainy day.

Keep an eye on the pressure gauge.  When the pressure is 5 to 8 pounds per square inch above normal (or the return flow is considerably less than usual), it�s time to backwash.  This should be done for one to two minutes until the water is clear, then switch to rinse for one minute. Backwashing rinses the filter sand and gets rid of residue that could be carried back into the pool.

Cleaning is also important for DE or cartridge filters.  Monitor the pressure gauge and clean by following the manufacturer's directions.

Monthly:  remove any scum ring around the waterline by cleaning pool walls regularly.  Using a tile and vinyl cleaner every three or four weeks can greatly simplify this task.

It is essential to maintain properly balanced water in your swimming pool.  With some experience, you will find that this is really not a hassle, and will greatly enhance the enjoyment you�ll get out of your pool.  There are a few things you should keep in mind regarding testing water and keeping an eye out for problems. 

Some pointers for water testing:

• Always follow test kit instructions (test strips are easier to use thanliquid kits, though kits are generally more accurate than strips). 
• Liquid reagents only have a shelf life of one year, so remember to use freshreagents.
• Before using the test cell, rinse it out with pool water.
• Retrieve a water sample at elbow depth from the deep end of the pool.

The most important poolside tests are those for free chlorine, pH, and total alkalinity.  Free chlorine is the unused, effective chlorine that you want in your pool.  PH is a measure of the pool�s acidity, measured on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7.5 being a perfect reading.  Alkalinity measures the total alkaline materials that are dissolved in your water, and acts as a buffer to stabilize pH. 

Following is a list of the important factors in testing pool water, and the ranges you will want to maintain:

Keeping your water properly balanced is the most important task in maintaining your pool.  By spending time on regular maintenance tasks, you�ll greatly reduce the chances of anything going wrong.  Remember, it�s always easier (not to mention less costly) to work to prevent a problem than to try to fix one after it�s occurred.