Tips & Maintenance

The information provided below consists of pool basics, pool products, proper water balance ranges, links to pool programs and troubleshooting, tips for spring openings and winter closings, pool preparation for vacation, glossary of pool terms & PUBLIC HEALTH FACT SHEET.

Pool Care Basics

Get the most out of your pool by following the five essential steps to basic pool maintenance. With the help of The Pool & Spa Center, you'll become the neighborhood expert in no time.

Circulation: The more your water is in motion, the harder it is for bacteria and algae to take hold. Maximize your sanitizer's efficiency by circulating your pool water-preferable during the day, for 10 hours or more. Debris will also be captured by your filter more easily.
Filtration: An essential piece of equipment, your filter removes both visible debris and most microscopic matter. Check the manufacturer's guidelines on backwashing, a process that removes material trapped on or in the filter media. A regular chemical cleaning is necessary since backwashing will not remove oils and deeply embedded debris.
Cleaning: Algae and bacteria can begin to grow in areas that have little or no circulation. At least once a week, brush and vacuum the walls and floor of your swimming pool. Brushing is a must, even if you use an automatic pool cleaner or retain a weekly service.
Testing: Certain pool elements must be regularly measured and adjusted, including free available chlorine, TA, and CH among others. Most important are PH and the level of active sanitizer—both should be tested weekly. You should also take a sample to The Pool & Spa Center when you open and close your pool, and every four to six weeks during the season.
Proper Water Maintenance: Make sure you apply the right products to your pool water at the right time. The Pool & Spa Center can give you precise instructions on what to do. It's just one of the many valuable benefits you'll receive as a BioGuard customer.

Sanitizers: This group of products form the main ingredient of basic pool maintenance. Their role is to keep pool water clear and protected from bacteria. Each BioGuard pool care program is based on a sanitizer to provide this important protection.
Oxidizers: Use oxidizers to shock the water and chemically destroy the organic contaminants introduced by bathers and the environment. Restore water clarity, maintain water balance, and eliminate the main causes of eye and nose irritation.
Algaecides and Algae Solutions: BioGuard has products to kill, prevent, and control algae infestations. Use them to avoid murky water, increase chlorine demand and clogged filters. Let your BioGuard dealer recommend the product that best suits your pool situation.
Balancers: This category includes products that control scale, prevent metallic stains, adjust the pH and total alkalinity, and correct mineral imbalances.
Stain Preventors: Stains can appear on pool surfaces because of metals—such as iron, copper, and manganese—in the water. These products will prevent stains caused by these metals.
Cleaners and Water Enhancers: This category covers a broad range of products, including a pool cover cleaner and preservative, water clarifiers, tile and surface cleaners, and products to combat high chlorine levels and foam. We also offer a line of high quality vacuum hoses and hand-held cleaning accessories.

To maintain proper balance you should be in the following ranges:

BioGuard offers different programs for easy, expert pool care. Not sure which program works best for you?

Click here to visit the Pool Program Prodigy to help you decide.

Spring Opening Steps

1. Remove the cover from the pool, clean it with Stow-Away and store.
2. Reconnect all the equipment.
3. Clean out the skimmers and replace the skimmer baskets.
4. If the water level is low, refill to middle of skimmer. If the water level is to high, pump water down to middle of skimmer. This will ensure proper pool operation!
5. For pools without main drains, set the vacuum head upside down to use as a main drain to help filter and pull debris.
6. Brush, vacuum, and clean the pool. Chemically clean the filter with Kleen It if it was not cleaned prior to shutting down pool for winter.
   
7. For pools that open like a swamp apply Banish and shock with Burnout Extreme or Smart Shock.
8. Allow pool to circulate for 24-48 hours. After circulating, perform a complete water analysis. Balance the water according to ALEX recommendations.
9. Run pool 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until it clears and is balanced. It is recommended thereafter that you run your pool for at least 10-12 hours a day during the season.
10. Backwash and clean filter as needed, check chemical balance, brush and vacuum pool on a weekly basis.

Be patient. Your pool has been asleep for 6 months or more...it will clear!

SoftSwim Pools

1. Remove the cover from the pool, clean it with Stow-Away and store.
2. Reconnect all the equipment.
3. Clean out the skimmers and replace the skimmer baskets.
4. If the water level is low, refill to middle of skimmer. If the water level is to high, pump water down to middle of skimmer. This will ensure proper pool operation!
5. For pools without main drains, set the vacuum head upside down to use as a main drain to help filter and pull debris.
6. Brush, vacuum, and clean the pool. Chemically clean the filter with a SoftSwim Filter Cleaner if it was not cleaned prior to shutting down pool for winter.
7. Allow pool to circulate for 24-48 hours. After circulating, perform a complete water analysis. Balance the water according to ALEX recommendations.8. Add 1 qt. of SoftSwim Stain Control per 10,000 gallons.9. Add 1 qt. of SoftSwim A per 25,000 gallons. Circulate 2 hours.10. Add 1 gallon of SoftSwim C per 10,000 gallons. Oxidize undesirable compounds and to help clarify water. Run the pump overnight.1
8. The next morning, add 1/2 gallon of SoftSwim B per 10,000 gallons or enough to obtain a 50 ppm SoftSwim residual.1
9. Run pool 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until it clears and is balanced. It is recommended thereafter that you run your pool for at least 10-12 hours a day during the season.1
10. Backwash and clean filter as needed, check chemical balance, brush and vacuum pool on a weekly basis.

Do not swim unless the SoftSwim C level is below 90 PPM. It is important to use SoftSwim filter cleaner every 4-6 weeks.

Note: This information is designed for use only with the BioGuard brand products named above.

Vacation Preparation

While on vacation, debris and bacteria can collect in your pool and upset the water balance. Before you pack your bags, contact The Pool & Spa Center for a vacation maintenance plan. After you return, just bring in a water sample to make sure your pool is properly balanced and ready for swimming!

1. Clean your pool thoroughly, brushing and vacuuming walls and floors.
2. Test pool water and make sure it's properly balanced (i.e.: sanitizer level, total alkalinity, pH, calcium hardness).
3. Prior to leaving, it would not hurt and is recommended to double up on your algaecide, sanitizer, and shock doses.
4. Run your pump at least 10 hours a day to help prevent algae and bacteria growth. Either set your timer or ask a neighbor/friend to turn your pool on and off.
5. Upon returning, have The Pool & Spa Center perform a water analysis to ensure that your pool is properly balanced and ready for swimming!

Above Ground Winter Closing

1. Bring water sample to The Pool & Spa Center; balance water in order to protect your liner and pool throughout the winter.
2. Perform routine maintenance—brush, vacuum, and remove any debris from the pool.
3. Add winter chemicals such as Arctic Blue Winter Kit 12 and circulate for 24 hours.
4. Chemically clean filter with Strip Kwik or Kleen It.
5. Lower water level on backwash or waste, just below skimmers and return lines, disconnect hoses, remove baskets from pump and skimmers, remove drain plugs, and remove steps and/or ladder.
6. Inflate air pillow (Ice Equalizer), and secure to pool.
7. Install cover, and secure with cable and winch provided.8. Collect and store accessories indoors: pole vac, brush auto cleaner etc...9. Cover equipment or if possible store indoors.10. Pump water off cover as much as possible until winter freeze sets in.

Inground Winter Closing

1. Bring water sample to The Pool & Spa Center; balance water in order to protect your liner and pool throughout the winter.
2. Perform routine maintenance—brush, vacuum, and remove any debris from the pool.
3. Add winter chemicals such as Arctic Blue Winter Kit 24 and circulate for 24 hours.
4. Lower water level through main drain or on backwash or waste until below return lines and skimmers. Remove basket from pump and skimmers, remove drain plugs from pump, filter, and chlorinator, remove ladders/diving board.
5. Chemically clean filter with Strip Kwik or Kleen It.
6. Blow all water out of skimmers. (We blow from skimmer to pump).
7. Pour Anti Freeze (for pools) down skimmer, blow to pump, install Gizzmo (Ice Equalizer). Pour 2"-3" of Anti Freeze inside skimmer, crush Anti Freeze bottle and place in skimmer to protect from any possible ice expansion.8. Blow return lines from pump or filter until free of water. Add Anti Freeze (you may need a flexible funnel) and blow to returns, cap returns with winter plugs.9. Blow water out from multiports and heaters.10. Collect and store accessories indoors: pole, vac, brush, auto cleaner, etc.1
8. Cover equipment if possible.1
9. Fill water tubes (if applicable) to hold down cover (3/4 full to allow for ice expansion). Install cover.1
10. Pump water off cover as much as possible until winter freeze sets in.

If you have a mesh safety cover, add Smart Shock/algaecide to pool at Thanksgiving and Easter!

Glossary of Pool Terms

ALGAE - Microscopic plants capable of rapid reproduction.
ALGAECIDES - Products that prevent or control algae growth.
BACTERIA - Microscopic organisms, some of which are harmful to bathers.
BALANCED WATER - The proper ratio on mineral content and pH that prevents pool water from being corrosive or scale-forming.
BROMINE - A halogen element; alternative sanitizer for pools, widely used in spas and indoor pools.
CALCIUM HARDNESS - (CH) The amount of dissolved calcium in water.
CHLORINE - A halogen element; compounds of which are widely used in pool water sanitation.
CHLORAMINES - Irritating compounds formed by the combination of nitrogen compounds and free chlorine. Nitrogen compounds are introduced into the water by urine, perspiration, cosmetics, and suntan oils, among other things.
CHLORINE DEMAND - The amount of chlorine needed to destroy organic contaminants and establish a stable residual for effective sanitation.
CHLORINE RESIDUAL - The amount of chlorine (total chlorine) in pool water.
COMBINED CHLORINE (CHLORAMINE) - Chlorine which is bonded to nitrogen compounds.
DRY ACID - Products used to lower pH and total alkalinity; preferred over muriatic acid (HCI) for handling, storage and safety issues.
FREE (AVAILABLE) CHLORINE - Chlorine in a form capable of bacteria and algae destruction.
OXIDIZE - (see Shock Treatment)
pH - A way to measure the acidity or alkalinity of water. This is the most important part of chemical balance.
ppm - Parts Per Million, a measurement for chemical concentration.
REAGENT - Tablets, powder, or liquid material for use in water testing.
SCALE - Coarse calcium or silicate deposits on swimming pool wall, floors and circulation plumbing, especially in heat exchangers.
SATURATION INDEX - A value based on water temperature, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and pH. The value predicts the tendency of pool water to be corrosive, neutral or scale-forming.
SHOCK TREATMENT - Adding an oxidizing compound to the pool water to chemically break up (oxidize) contaminants such as suntan oils, cosmetics, perspiration, metal ions, and windblown dirt.
STABILIZED CHLORINATING PRODUCT - Form of chlorinating compound used to sanitize pool water. Favored for its economy and ability to remain active in strong sunlight.
STABILIZER - Cyanuric acid; a compound that prevents the dissipation of chlorinating compound residuals by sunlight.
SUPER CHLORINATION - Adding enough chlorinating compound (3-5 times usual dose) to destroy chlorine demand compounds and combined chlorine.
TOTAL ALKALINITY -(TA) The amount of the alkaline components in water. TA acts as a buffer against rapid pH fluctuation.
UNDESIRABLE COMPOUNDS - Substances introduced in the water by people or the environment that interfere with ideal pool conditions.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH)
305 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130