Pool Maintenance Tips

Pool Maintenance

Your pool should be a fun, relaxing way to spend time with your family and friends and maintaining your pool should not be a chore. By following a quick and easy weekly program you will get the most out of your investment. Proper pool maintenance allows for clean, sparkling water, healthy equipment and results in more time for you to enjoy your pool. You can book an appointment with the Service Department at Bud's Spas and Pools for a personal pool or hot tub orientation, or come into the store and speak with a staff member to obtain instructions on how to properly maintain your pool or hot tub. Buds also offers a weekly maintenance service, so feel free to contact our Service Department to set up a weekly schedule that will be performed by one of our qualified technicians.

Water Chemistry

Ensuring that your pool is properly balanced and sanitized creates a safe and healthy pool environment. All pool water should be tested once a month at Buds Spas & Pools free water testing lab. Our trained water technicians will be able to guide you in correcting the water balance if it is required. Properly balanced water prevents damage to equipment as well as the pool or hot tub surface and preserves full warranty coverage. Bring in your 1 litre sample today!

Water Sanitation

Health Canada recognizes bromine and chlorine as the only two sanitizers that can be used in a pool or hot tub. Sanitized water prevents bacteria and controls algae in the pool. A consistent sanitizer level is maintained by using chlorine sticks or bromine tablets and shocking the pool water on a weekly basis or running a salt generator system. Consistent sanitizer levels do not give algae a chance to flourish in the water and make it easier to prevent bacteria and waste from residing in the water. Come in and speak with one of our knowledgeable staff members so we can help you make the choice that best fits your needs in maintaining healthy sanitized water.

Pool Cleaning

Chemicals alone do not prevent algae in a swimming pool. A weekly cleaning of your pool is required to ensure that all debris gets filtered properly. Using a leaf skimmer for large debris prevents staining on liners or concrete surfaces and makes the pool look inviting. Using your manual vacuum to collect fine debris from the bottom of your pool will alleviate the growth of algae. Brushing the walls and the floor weekly prevents dead spots in the pool from collecting bacteria and waste. Dead spots are areas in the pool where there is poor circulation. The most common areas for dead spots are under diving boards, behind ladders and in the corners of your pool. The more debris or foreign matter you allow to accumulate in your pool water, the quicker your sanitizer level will decrease leaving room for algae growth and bacteria build up. Please see our additional handouts for step by step instructions to most of your maintenance questions.

Pool Safety

Never mix chemicals. Each chemical should be added to the water individually and an appropriate amount of time needs to expire before another chemical is added.

Always add chemicals to water (not water to chemicals). Chemicals react the moment they touch any liquid. If you add water to a bucket of chemical, it becomes even more unstable and could result in severe personal injury or illness.

At Buds Spas & Pools, our first priority is to make sure you enjoy your swimming pool in a fun and SAFE manner.

Please read the following safety tips to help ensure your pool area is a SAFE pool area:

• Always close and lock pool gates when the pool is not in use.
• Keep all chemicals out of the reach of children and pets.
• Store and handle all chemicals as per manufacturer's instructions.
• Learn CPR & other emergency techniques
• Keep a list of emergency telephone numbers in a prominent location.
• DO NOT allow horse play or running in pool area.
• Keep a complete first aid kit in a clearly marked and easy-to-reach location.
• Keep safety rope float kit installed at all times.
• NEVER leave children unsupervised.
• NEVER leave non swimmers unsupervised.
• Keep a rescue apparatus handy at pool side at all times.
• Demand that all children pass your proficiency exam before being allowed to use your pool.
• Carefully explain "your pool rules" to all visitors.
• If your pool water depth does not meet the standard government regulations for a diving pool, ensure that you do not allow any child or adult to dive into the water. If you do have a diving board on the pool, make sure everyone knows that is the only spot they can dive from.
• Ensure that everyone knows the proper way to go down the slide - feet first.
• Keep all glass away from pool area including decks & patios.
• Keep electrical cords or appliances at least 3 meters (10') away from the pool.
• Keep the cover to the automatic vacuum line in the ‘CLOSED' position at ALL times when not in use. The suction on this line is capable of holding even an adult underwater if their hair or bathing suit were to get sucked into the opening. This could result in serious injury or even death. NEVER LEAVE THE SAFETY COVER OFF THIS SUCTION LINE!