Water is incredibly important for our everyday life. Not only is it absolutely necessary as a drink, but it also relaxes us and provides countless hours of enjoyment. Obviously, this does not apply just to seawater during summer – relaxation in pools is also popular around the world.
The materials used to construct pools can vary a lot, but one thing they all have in common is that their maintenance is extremely important. Pool maintenance primarily encompasses the quality of water in them, although there are other elements one needs to pay attention to if they are to enjoy their pools without any care.
That's why we want to show you how to maintain clean water in your pool, which chemicals to use, and cover a few more topics that could be of interest to you if you're a pool owner or are aiming to become one. Let's get started!
Above all, you need to keep your pool clean in order to protect your own health. Even if the water in it is flawless at the beginning, swimmers and various elements from the environment surrounding the pool can pollute that water quite quickly. Many bacteria and fungi thrive in these conditions and multiply rapidly, which is why you need to regularly check the quality of water.
However, it is also important to keep the pool clean to protect the pumps and other mechanisms working there. Water's pH level is exceptionally important here because if it is lower than 7.0, the water can damage various metal parts of the pool, whereas if the level is above 7.6, this can cause problems with the filtration system.
In fact, if you fail to maintain your pool or do it incorrectly, it is quite possible that you will quickly have to replace some parts or even the whole filtration system, plus it's also possible that the pipes become damaged due to increased pressure in them.
PVC covers can also suffer damage, and the efficiency of chemicals used to treat water can drop significantly, too. Not to mention that cloudy pool water is definitely not how you imagined spending your vacation.
But don't let all those things we discuss in the previous paragraph get you down. Water in your pool can be treated in a variety of ways which can be divided into two main groups: chemicals and UV radiation.
In both cases, you will be aiming to achieve drinking-water quality so that you can be absolutely certain you can jump in and refresh yourself. Once you learn what needs to be done and what kind of protection suits you best, pool water treatment will become second nature to you.
When it comes to chemicals that can be used in pool maintenance, chlorine is probably the first thing that springs to your mind. We've all smelled it at least once, be that at private or public pools.
However, this is not pure chlorine. These are chemical compounds that contain it, and they can be found in the form of liquid or powder. What's important is that chlorine prevents microorganisms from spreading. If your water is kind of greenish and has a specific smell, that's a sign that the concentration of chlorine is below the required level and should be increased to provide a pleasant swim.
It is very important that chlorine is in contact with the water all the time and that its concentration is the same in every part of the pool. For that reason, chlorine compounds are often placed into the filter.
Another popular method used to clean pool water is disinfecting it with ultraviolet (UV) light. In order to be able to do this, you will have to install a special system in the pool's plumbing, but a big advantage of this type of disinfection is the fact that the water remains more or less unchanged – there are no unpleasant odors or anything of the sort.
In addition, installing this system is not a complicated job, and UV lamps can be replaced easily, too.
We also have to mention that using UV light to maintain your pool water is very effective when it comes to combating viruses too, but it's important to know that the longer your water is exposed to the radiation, the better the results will be.
Some people will also appreciate the fact that nothing artificial is used here because UV light is actually part of sunlight, and the wavelength at which it works best is 253,7 nm.
Algae in pools are not a rare occurrence because this type of water is ideal for the development of their colonies. That's why it's important to keep them in mind when maintaining your pool.
Although they are not dangerous in and of themselves, their presence helps other microorganisms to thrive, and algae can also become resistant to chlorine after a while, so you can't count on it to solve the problem anymore.
That's when you'll have to start using other chemical compounds known as algaecides which destroy algae in the pool and help restore it to its original condition. These products can be divided into two categories, depending on the amount of foam they create when they come into contact with chlorine. The first group comes at a lower price but creates a layer of foam at the surface of the pool, whereas the other group is more expensive but does not provoke such a reaction. In both cases, it's enough to use them once a week.
Once the season is over, a pool should be closed and prepared for winter properly so that it's ready to be used next season but also to avoid any major damage caused by freezing water.
Obviously, you will have to remove the water from the pool and from all its systems, but be careful not to remove all of it. Also, a week before you do that, you should raise the pH level just over 7.6 after which you should quickly add chlorine. Don't forget to remove all movable parts such as the handles, heaters, steps, etc., and you will also have to empty the system for injecting chemical compounds if you have one.
Finally, you should cover the pool to protect it from any external influence and/or dirt while it's not used.
The best houses with a pool
If you currently do not own one but are in the market for a house with a pool, you'll be happy to know that all across Croatia's coast there are plenty of amazing houses ideal to enjoy the sun and your own swimming spot. Here are a few suggestions!
This smart villa with a pool in Vodice is still being constructed, but it has a great modern design and an even better location. You see, if you decide to buy this villa, you will be sitting on top of a hill, with an amazing view and even better sunsets.
The sea is very close too, just a few minutes' walk from this villa with four bedrooms scattered across the basement, ground floor, and the first floor. There are five bathrooms in total, while the living room has a wonderful open fireplace. There's also a 50m2 terrace here, so you can literally enjoy yourself however you want.
Four bedrooms and two bathrooms guarantee that you will be comfortable in this small villa with a swimming pool in Žaborić, and the terrace is level with the pool which creates plenty of space to enjoy yourself in the open.
Loads of greenery surrounding the house only helps that, especially when you realize that the master bedroom on the first floor has its own terrace with an amazing view of the sea. It also needs to be said that the owner of this villa also gets a berth for their boat just a few steps from the property. The vicinity of Šibenik and Split Airport is another big plus.
Just outside of Vodice there is a modern villa in a quiet location with a ground floor and the first floor, as well as four bedrooms and bathrooms. The basement can accommodate a gym or even a spa, so you will have multiple options for using this space.
The sea is very close by, but this villa also has its own pool that you can enjoy if you just don't feel like hitting the beach. Therefore, the location offers plenty of privacy, but Šibenik and Vodice are just a short ride away, so you can always head into town to get what you need.
Šibenik
Šibenik
