Swimming pools are fantastic, but failing to properly maintain them can turn the experience of ownership into a nightmare. Make sure you don't fall foul of these common maintenance errors.

Taking too Many People too Often

When people first get a pool, it's common for them to celebrate by inviting people over all the time to make use of it. This usually goes double if you have kids. What this means is that plenty more people than normal are using your pool, which is fine, but you need to compensate by using more chlorine.

If you employ a service technician, let them know so that they can prepare for the party. If not, brush more often, then add chlorine and clean your filter the day after large get-togethers. An inline chlorinator or a chlorine floater can be used if your pool generally needs more than normal.

Not Running the Pump Enough

It's true that you don't need to run your pump 24/7, and also true that many new pool-owners leave theirs on too much. However, plenty of others make the opposite mistake, and fail to run the pump enough in an effort to save money. Unfortunately, the small amount of money saved in utility bills won't cover the cost of chlorine and maintenance when your filter hasn't done its job.

Maintaining a healthy pool is all about circulation. You should run your pump for around 7 to 8 hours a day in the summer, or more if it's particularly hot. Above all, if you see your pool start turning from blue to green, then you should run the pump 24/7 until everything is returned completely to normal.

Failing to Brush

You shouldn't need reminding to keep adding the right chemicals and checking the PH levels, but you might just be skipping the vital step of brushing down your pool. This can be a little tedious, especially when you never notice any actual problems developing.

However, cleaning the sides and bottom once a week with a pole-mounted nylon brush is something you need to make time for. Too many people assume that vacuuming is enough to rid their pool of algae and bacteria, but it isn't ever a substitute for brushing.

Adding Chlorine During the Day

If you add chlorine to your pool at the wrong time of day, this can reduce the chlorine's effectiveness. The right time is in the evening, after the sun has set; never add chlorine during the day, especially when it's at its hottest. This is because UV rays from the sun will stop the chlorine from doing its job. At night, it will be able to actually sanitise the water.

For more information on taking care of your pool, or getting it back to healthy conditions, consult swimming pool renovation companies.