From 50€ per Month

If you own a property with a swimming pool in the Algarve, chances are you either have someone looking after it or you are looking for someone to look after it. Seashell’s Algarve Property Management is more than able to help you out with your swimming pool maintenance, making it last longer and making it a safer place for the family. In the Algarve, swimming pools are used most of the year although in the colder months you will need a heat exchanger to be able to swim comfortably as the water tends to be too cold.

If you have someone to look after your swimming pool or if you look after it yourself, make sure you know these swimming pool maintenance tips and common mistakes:

• Pool’s chemistry not checked often enough. Swimming pool water should be checked at least once per week, twice a week in summer, spotting an early change in water chemistry and correcting it immediately is always better than waiting for chemistry spikes that tend to either make the swimming pool murky or even inviting algae to prosper.

• Never allow pH to rise above 8.0.  Chlorine is a very effective bactericidal disinfectant at the right pH which is between 6.8 to 7.5, at this range the chlorine is 60% to 75% effective. (dependent on water temperature as well) At pH 8.5 chlorine is only 10% effective, taking 6 times more time to kill bacteria and and pH 9.8 the chlorine is 100 times less effective for the same amount at pH 7.0.

• Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) should be measured if the water tends to be too hard. High Calcium hardness is responsible for the unaesthetic white stains or plaques in the water level lining as well as the deterioration of the sand filter effectiveness. Tile calcium plaques requires hydrochloric acid to remove. We provide this cleaning service with our maintenance service, this is better left for professionals as it will require a mask with acid filters to be done safely and properly.

• Alkalinity is often not looked after properly. The right Alkalinity level will help prevent pH spikes and the consequent chlorine performance loss. Low Alkalinity will make the pH able to go from 7.5 to 4.0 or to 9.0 in the span of a day in small swimming pool, on the opposite side, high Alkalinity means it will be hard to balance the pH of the water if it is already off limits.

• Chlorine generators (in salt water swimming pools) need to be maintained by cleaning and washing them periodically. Failing to do so will result in corroded or calcified cell generators that will in turn produce a lower amount of chlorine.

• Too many backwashes will just waste water while adding nothing to the filter performance, in fact it will make the filter less effective over time. Backwashing should be done when the pressure gauge reaches 1 Bar or approximately 14 PSI. (depending on the installed filter)

• The Skimmer basket and the pump basket need to be cleaned often. Leaves, hairs and other debris will keep accumulating, extra straining on the pump and poor water circulation will affect the turnover rate. (number of hours of work needed to circulate water equivalent to one swimming pool)

• Cyanuric Acid (chlorine stabilizer) levels should be kept at approximately 50 ppm, this will prevent the rapid consumption of chlorine by UV rays, especially in summer months.

• The pump needs to run long enough to make a turnover everyday, this is dependent on the pump power and the capacity of the swimming pool. Usually not less than 3 hours a day and not more than 8 hours a day, for every hour too much, energy will be spent without any added benefit.  Flow is the key in the proper maintenance of a well balanced and clean swimming pool.

We’re sure you’ll never look back in regret shall you allow us to do your swimming pool maintenance.

Seashell | Property Management Algarve