If you have an outdoor pool you will need to consider a few vital accessories to keep your pool in great shape. A pump is there to circulate the water and keep it fresh. A pump should be able to circulate your swimming pool water every 6-8 hours. There is no regular maintenance required for pumps as the motors and baskets are self contained and sealed. Sta-Rite was the first manufacturer to design swimming pool pumps made of a glass-reinforced composite resin. StaRite pumps quickly became the industry standard. This is most likely the type of pump you will use in your pool. Making sure your pump is sized correctly allows you to save energy and get maximum pool filter benefit. If you use a pump that is too big, it reduces the effectiveness of the filter, causes more wear and tear on your plumbing and adds unnecessary cost. Bigger is not better when choosing a pool pump. To choose the correct pump size you can consult a pool pump-sizing chart that matches the hydraulic characteristics of the pump to the piping and the pool’s flow characteristics. You can save even more energy by cutting down the amount your pool pump runs to 6-hours, but make sure you run the pump while you are adding pool chemicals and for automatic debris filtering. If you are worried about algae growth, use chemicals in the water and scrub the walls when needed.

Note that your swimming pool pump should be kept free of dirt and also located where it can be protected from flooding during heavy rain (most warranties don’t cover you for flood damage). Try and keep all debris clear of drains and skimmers because clogged areas force your pump to work harder.

Filters also help keep your pool clean and there are three basic types of pool filters to choose from: sand, DE and cartridge. Sand filters use sand as the filter media to remove debris up to about 40 microns in size. The water is pumped through the sand to filter out any debris. Sand filters are low maintenance and very reliable. The sand media will need replacing every few years. DE filters use diatomaceous earth (the fossilized remains of a type of hard shelled algae known as diatom). This is the most efficient type of filter for your pool and traps particles down to 3-5 microns. Cartridge filters use a cartridge filter element and trap particles down to 25-100 microns. They need to be serviced regularly. They are considered the lowest maintenance filter and many pools are fitted with them because of that.

The use of swimming pool covers is a good idea to keeps debris out of your pool when not in use. They also reduce evaporation by between 90 and 95%. Without a cover, an average pool of 18 feet x 36 feet loses about 1 inch of water a week in the height of summer (an annual water loss of around 7,000 gallons). You should also consider swimming pool chemicals to help keep the water clean. Pools can be safely covered without concern about gaseous exchange apart from in the case of chlorine where you should let air in.

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