Owning a swimming pool does sound like an ideal lifestyle addition. When the sun blazes on your head, you can just cannonball right into the refreshing water and kill off the effects of scorching heat. However, it is not all fun and games because a pool demands being taken care of every once in a while.
The maintenance tasks can be overburdening, especially when you have no idea what you are dealing with. Eventually, you will have no choice but to call a pool cleaning service to handle laborious cleaning tasks and repairs. It is important to call them before things get out of hand, or the condition of your pool will worsen otherwise. Therefore, watch out for the signs, indicating that your pool needs help. Here are some major red flags that you must never ignore…
1. Defective Filtration System
It is the filter that is keeping your water clean and safe enough to swim. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call the filtration system the lifeline of your swimming pool. And when it malfunctions, not only the water becomes dirty, bacteria and other pathogens start blooming.
The filter works more than 8 hours a day — if you want to keep your pool ready to swim always. Even at this frequency, a good filter can last for years. But sooner or later, it would need replacement.
Monthly cleaning and maintenance can help lengthen the system’s lifespan. And when it needs cleaning the pressure inside the filter rises — 10 psi higher would mean that it demands immediate action.
Signs That Faulty Filters Exhibit
If you come across any of the following red flags, then your filter needs attention.
- Increased pounds per square inch (PSI)
- Frequent dirt emergence
- Leakage in the system
- Debris Persists
- Slow speed of filtration
Call a reliable pool cleaning service when you face these signs. Delaying would only worsen the situation, which will cost you extra — so heed it well.
2. Algae Explosion
Algae outburst is both the most prevalent and most troublesome problem for pool owners. It occurs when the chlorine level drops, the temperature rises, and the water circulation reduces — all are the major contributing factors to algae spread. Not to forget, sunlight and a high concentration of nitrates and carbon also promote a blooming environment for the spores.
Since the spores enter the water body through wind and insects, they are inevitable. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fight against it. The best way to counter algae growth is by promoting a hostile environment so that the growth halts. You can achieve that by maintaining a good level of chlorine in water, which prevents these plants from taking over your swimming pool.
However, not always the situation can be handled by mere chlorine introduction. If the water has turned green and slimy, all you can do is to call a professional pool cleaning service to deal with the outspread. Companies use a shock treatment, in which a substantial amount of chlorine is added to the water to terminate the growth of plants.
3. Skin Irritation and Eye Redness
Redness in the eye and itchy skin is a common symptom of exposure to chlorine and you might have already experienced it many times. However, when the irritation becomes bad enough to cause persistent ache, that’s when you should suspect a problem.
Often, an imbalance of chemical concentration in the swimming pool creates a solution with harmful pH. This is beyond any homeowner’s expertise, so it is best to call a local pool cleaning service. They will not restore the chemical equilibrium, but also maintain the level of chlorine in the water.
4. Flaking Plaster
No matter how frequently you clean the pool, the surface will start to degenerate eventually — something that can prove lethal to the whole structure. But how so? When the surficial plaster disintegrates, cracks appear, leaving the inner layers vulnerable to external factors like sunlight, impacts, etc. And if left ignored, the cracks might go deeper, initiating leakage.
Fluctuating pH levels and direct sunlight are two main triggers for these troublesome surficial cracks. Remember once they appear, the degeneration accelerates, putting the structure at great risk of collapse.
White flaky substances are the major giveaway when it comes to flaking plaster. At first, you may mistake it for dirt and debris, therefore, watch out for these flakes.
You can treat the cracks on the surface, but it would be impossible to fix the ones that have reached the inner structure. In such a case, you would be left with nothing but one option — replastering. So, contact a reliable pool cleaning service that also takes on heavy-duty tasks like pool surface replacement.
5. Unbearably Cold Water
If your pool system incorporates an electric heater, prepare yourself for frequent repairs. That is because pool heaters are notorious because of recurring malfunctions. And of course, when there is no heater to maintain the temperature, the water will become icy cold.
The problem could occur anywhere within the system, whether it be the air circulation or the heating controls. Needless to say, this problem demands professional skills to inspect and repair the parts of the pool heater — something a normal homeowner would know nothing about. It is only wise to get help from a professional pool cleaning service nearby.
6. Persistent Stains
Apart from greenish water, greenish stains on the tiles or surface could also indicate algae presence. Or it could also mean the aftermath of shock treatment. Either way, it feels gross, especially when you step on the gooey substance.
Removing such stains is a real challenge and regular cleaning methods do not always prove fruitful against them. That is where you need a pool cleaning service to restore the sparkling clean look of the surface. Most of the time, a pool cleaning service for greenish stains involves the introduction of granular chlorine. The chemical wipes out the stains just like it kills off algae in the water, making the swimming pool immaculate and pristine.
