Pool Maintenance | Seven West Media

Would you say winter is the time when Perth pool owners use their swimming pools the least?

Perth’s swimming season is quite a bit longer than some other states, with average maximum temperatures being over 25 degrees for 6 months of the year. Pool owners generally swim from around late October through to mid-April. With most pools out of action between May and September. If you want to get more out of your pool, it’s worth investing in a heating system. Many options exist and these can be either installed when the pool is built or retrofitted down the track depending on the system and the pool pipework. Solar heating is cost effective and great for the environment and will give you an extended swimming season. However, if you want to be able to swim all year round the options available are Electric heating or Gas heating. It’s very important to have your heating equipment correctly sized for your pool, and your requirements so seek the advice of a pool builder or pool shop when choosing a system for your pool.

What are some things that can happen to an ill-maintained pool over winter?

Inadequately maintaining your pool over the winter period will result in greater costs than you may realise.

Allowing your pool to go green over winter could set you back as much as $600 to get it back to safe swimming condition. In addition, a dirty pool puts extra strain on the pump and filter potentially causing abnormal wear and tear and increasing your running costs. A pool is an asset for your home and needs to be maintained to retain its value. Poorly maintaining your pool will eventually lead to the pool surface degrading which can cost thousands of dollars to repair. Incorrect Acid and Chlorine levels for extended periods are guaranteed to damage the surface of the pool causing it to fade, become porous or even flake depending on your pool type.

What are some tips for keeping a well-maintained pool over winter?

At the end of the summer season there are a few simple steps to incorporate into your routine that will set you on the right track for winter maintenance:

At the end of the season, have your water analysed by your local pool shop or pool maintenance professional to ensure your water chemistry is right. Ensure your PH and other chemical levels are correct for your type of pool and adjust anything as recommended by the pool technician.
Continue to have the water tested every 2 weeks throughout winter as rainfall will dilute your chemical balance and increased debris from plants can lead to algae problems as well as other chemical imbalances
At the end of summer give the skimmer box a thorough clean out. Make this a regular part of your winter pool maintenance schedule too by checking the skimmer box each time you test the water. Leaves and debris will be more prevalent in winter clogging up the skimmer and causing your pool equipment to work harder placing unnecessary strain on the pump.
Adjust your sanitizer to achieve a chlorine level of between 1-3ppm, especially if using a blanket.
If you use a pool blanket, don’t leave it on all winter. Its very important to take it off regularly to stop chlorine levels from building up. High chlorine levels will damage your pools surface.
Reduce pool pump running time to around 4 hours a day depending on the pool volume and pump size. Recommendation is that the pool water should be fully cycled through the system 1.5 times per day. E.g.: for a 30,000ltr pool with a pump delivering 300 litres per minute this will take 100mins to turn the pool over once. X by 1.5 = 2.5 hours running time.
Remember to backwash the pool or clean the cartridge filter every few weeks as additional winter debris will build up.
Remove pool equipment and loose items from the pool area such as umbrella stands, in heavy winds these items can blow into pools causing damage.
Keep an eye on the water level of the pool, some pools are equipped with overflow ports, but not all pools are. Ideally the water level should be midway up the skimmer box inlet. If you have an overflow, ensure its open during rainy periods to drain the excess water. If you don’t have an overflow it’s as simple as backwashing for a few minutes. Flooded pools can lead to all sorts of issues from washing in dirt and debris to undermining surrounding paving resulting in sinking.

Are there any different tips for keeping a well-maintained pool when it’s in heavy use over the summer?

Summer maintenance and winter maintenance are both equally important. Increased bather load in summer results in chemical levels depleting so testing needs to be more frequent, we would recommend a couple of times a week.

Are there any different problems a pool can experience if it’s in heavy use and ill-maintained?

Poorly maintaining a pool in summer has all the same negative effects as poorly maintaining in winter, however you also run an immense safety risk to your family and friends. Once water temps are over 25 degrees this becomes even more important as water borne amoebae and bacteria can pose serious health risks.

How long has Add A Splash Pools been operating in WA?

Add A Splash Pools has been in WA for 30 years.

Could you talk me through some of the awards Add A Splash has received?

Add A Splash Pools are WA’s most awarded vinyl pool builder, we have won SPASA WA (Swimming Pool and Spa Association of WA) awards for our new builds as well as our renovations. In 2018 we won National Vinyl Pool of the year with a beautiful pool we built on a farm in Moora.

Can you give an overview of the products/services Add A Splash provides?

Add A Splash Pools specialise in new pool builds, owner builder pool packages, residential and commercial renovations and repairs to existing vinyl lined pools. With new pool builds we can offer custom designed pools or a broad range of fibreglass pools in many different sizes and colours. With renovations of existing pools, we specialise in renovating concrete, vinyl lined and fibreglass pools with a premium Aqualux interior. During the renovation process we can modify the shape of liner and concrete pools, we can also improve the pools functionality by adding in steps and ledges or reducing/increasing the pool size.