In the warm Houston climate, gunite is one of the best materials a swimming pool could be made of. Its durability ensures that you’ll rarely need to call for repairs. However, it’s always important to keep your pool clean and ready to use. Thankfully, most gunite pool maintenance is simple enough you can do it on your own.
A gunite swimming pool requires just as much cleaning and maintenance as any other kind. Though most pool cleaning methods are pretty simple, you do need to remember to perform regular maintenance to keep your pool running. Let’s look at the most common forms of gunite pool maintenance you’ll need to do regularly.
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Clearing Debris
Bugs, leaves, twigs, or other bits of debris in your pool not only look unsightly, but can clog a pool filter if left unchecked. Use a net to fish the debris out of the water and dispose of them safely. Depending on where you live, you may want to do this simple maintenance task every day to keep foreign matter from accumulating in your pool. Save yourself from the gross factor of swimming with bugs in the water, and save money by preventing your pool pumps from clogging.
Clean the Interior
Every couple of weeks, use an automatic cleaner to scrub algae growth or other grime from your pool’s gunite interior. Ideally, you shouldn’t have to do this more than once a month since keeping your pool’s chemicals balanced will kill the worst of the algae. If you keep up with the rest of your maintenance tasks, your pool should not need a thorough scrubbing very often.
Pro Tip: If your gunite swimming pool follows a highly curved pattern, you may want to check on the automatic cleaner every so often to make sure it hasn’t gotten stuck.
Cleaning Your Pool Filter
Even if you scoop bugs and leaves out daily, a few will make it into your pool filters. Long-term buildup in the filters can lead to clogs and expensive repairs. Thankfully, a quick cleaning of your pool filter every couple of weeks can prevent severe problems. Check your owner’s manual for instructions on safely removing and cleaning the filter.
Test Your Pool’s pH
Using a special kit, test a sample of your pool’s water to test its pH and chlorine levels. Keeping the water from becoming too acidic provides a comfortable swimming experience for you and your family, while preventing the water from becoming too basic helps prevent algae growth. Balancing the chlorine also ensures the water stays clean and clear. You should test your pool water every 7-10 days.
Maintain the Water Level
If you have an automatic water system, don’t worry–this part is covered. For those with a manual system, you’re well aware that the Houston sun can evaporate your pool water. If the level starts getting too low, add more from your garden hose and make sure to rebalance the chemicals afterward. Keep the water level high so your filters can freely clean your pool.
Proper Maintenance of a Gunite Pool
Your pool builder will provide you with any additional information on cleaning and basic maintenance once your pool is complete. Your custom designed gunite pool will require some work from you, but a properly maintained pool should last you a long time without any major repair work necessary.
Interested in learning more about gunite pool maintenance? Join the conversation and see how other homeowners care for their swimming pools.