June Maintenance To-Do: Prime Your Pool

Ah, June. School’s out, the days are long, and the weather’s getting toasty. We get it—your vacation is beckoning. But before you slather yourself with SPF 75 and reach for a margarita, do yourself a favor and tackle a few maintenance projects. A little pain now means a big gain later—you’ll ensure your home runs smoothly through the dog days of summer.

Here’s a biggie for the Summer months: get your pool ready for action with a little simple maintenance.

Remember, you don’t need a degree in chemical engineering to keep your pool clean. Start by testing your pool’s pH levels, and keep up with this often to keep the chemicals balanced and your pool safe for swimming. Run the pump daily (one hour for every 10 degrees of heat in the water is a good rule of thumb) to avoid that swampy green color.

If you forget and come home to a green pool, don’t freak out.  According to Dave Quandt, vice president of American Home Shield, a jug of liquid bleach will “shock” the water and clear it up quickly.  Just don’t jump in for about 24-hours to let it settle.

When to Call in the Pros: Don’t want to bother with it? You can hire a pool maintenance company for an average of $243 a month.

—
Photo Credit: oneSHUTTER oneMEMORY / Shutterstock.com