There are three simple rules for cleaning a pool: one balance, your water chemistry, two maintain good pool circulation and three keep a simple cleaning schedule. Once you understand these basics, you'll never have to deal with problems like cloudy water and algae again. So, let's dive into three rules for how to clean a pool real quick before we continue. If you want more help taking care of your pool, be sure to grab our free pool care, cheat sheet at swimuniversity.com cheat sheet, it's totally free and will help keep your pool, clean and clear all season.

Long here are a few supplies. You'll need to keep your pool clean one, a telescopic pole this attaches to things like skimmer nets, brushes vacuum heads and helps you reach further into your pool to get debris and leaves two a skimmer net and a leaf net when choosing a skimmer net a flat. Skimmer is easier to use and shake off the debris you collect from your pool, but you'll also want a heavy duty pool leaf net. This is useful for scooping up large debris and you won't have to empty it as often while you're cleaning three a pool brush you'll need a pool brush to remove dirt and algae clinging to your pool walls and floor.

If you have a gunite or unpainted concrete pool use a heavy duty pool brush with stainless steel, but if you have a vinyl, fiberglass or painted concrete pool use a brush with nylon bristles. Only four, a manual pool vacuum you'll need a manual pool vacuum not only for regular cleaning, but for things like removing algae, infested, water or for clearing out pool flocculin. A manual vacuum should include a vacuum head. A vacuum hose that's long enough to reach into the center of your pool and a skimmer vacuum plate to attach to your skimmer.

If needed, five test strips or a liquid test kit regularly testing your pool water will help. You know when it's time to add more chemicals and help you stop problems like algae before they get out of control. Speaking of chemicals, that brings us to pool cleaning rule number. One balance your water chemistry, the most important step to keeping your pool clean is keeping your water sanitized, and that means knowing what chemicals to have on hand and when to add them.

You'll need alkalinity, increaser, ph increaser, ph decreaser chlorine tablets or granules calcium, hardness, increaser and pool shock with those supplies on hand. Here's how to balance your water chemistry, one test your water once a week every week, you'll want to test your alkalinity ph and chlorine levels. These levels tend to fluctuate the most and can cause problems like algae if they're not kept in line two balance. Your alkalinity first alkalinity helps protect your ph from wildly fluctuating.

So when your alkalinity level is in range, it will help keep your ph in range. Total alkalinity levels should be between 100 and 150 parts per million or ppm. Three balance your ph levels. Balance ph, helps your chlorine to work more effectively and protects your pool equipment.

Your ph should be between 7.4 and 7.6, because alkalinity and ph go hand in hand. They can be tricky to balance. So if you need more help, balancing your ph and alkalinity be sure to check out our other video four adjust your chlorine. If your water isn't sanitized things like bacteria and algae can start to build up and what keeps the water sanitized chlorine, your chlorine levels should be between 1 and 3 parts per million.

This range might be on the higher side. If you have a salt, water pool or on the lower side, if you have a mineral system regardless keeping your chlorine levels in the right range helps your water kill. Contaminants just make sure your ph is balanced, since it can impact your chlorine levels. Five check your cya levels, your cyanic acid levels help keep your chlorine stabilized.

Without it, your chlorine will get eaten up by the uv rays from the sun. Your cya should be between 30 and 50 parts per million, if you're, adding chlorine tablets or granules to your pool. They probably already contain cyanic acid. This is known as stabilized chlorine, so just make sure these levels don't rise too high or your chlorine will become less effective.

Six check your calcium hardness. This level can build up over time if you live somewhere with hard water, so check these levels periodically, especially after adding fresh water to your pool. Seven shock your pool once a week adding shock each week will help keep your chlorine active and stop any issues like algae growth in its tracks. A non-chlorine shock is great for regular maintenance and keeping your chlorine working properly, but you'll need a chlorine shock to kill contaminants and, if you're, not sure how to shock your pool be sure to check out our other video.

Next, let's move on to pool cleaning rule number two maintain good pool circulation. Keeping your water properly circulating lets your pool equipment, do the heavy cleaning for you and a pool with good circulation. Rarely has issues like cloudy water or pool algae. So here's how to maintain good pool circulation, one keep your pump and filter system running for at least eight hours a day.

You'll want all your pool water to pass through your filter at least once a day, and that usually means running your pump and filter for at least eight hours a day and even longer, depending on your pump and pool size. Two clean your skimmer basket, be sure to regularly check for debris and remove them as they accumulate in your skimmer basket. A clogged up, skimmer basket can stop water from circulating properly. Three clean, your filter.

If you have a cartridge, filter, you'll need to regularly spray and soak the cartridge throughout the pool season and replace it when it's worn out and if you have a sand or de filter. You'll want to regularly backwash your filter, not sure when it's time to backwash check out our other guide on when to backwash your filter. Four angle: your return jets towards the bottom of your pool by tilting the jets downwards. At a 45 degree, angle, you'll stir up more water and improve your circulation five get into the crevices.

When you brush your pool, this will help remove algae from dead zones or areas where there's not a lot of water flowing. Finally, here's pool cleaning rule number three keep a simple cleaning schedule once a week. You'll want to skim brush and vacuum your pool. This will not only help keep debris out of your water, but it'll help prevent cloudy water and algae from building up.

While weekly cleaning may seem like a lot of work, it's better than trying to clean up green water, so try to stick to a once. A week clean during the pool season start by skimming the water to remove larger debris like leaves then brush the sides and floor of your pool to help loosen up anything clinging to your pool. Walls, don't forget to get into the crevices behind the ladders. Then it's time to vacuum manually vacuuming helps remove tiny particles, dead algae and smaller contaminants out of your water.

This is also where robotic pool cleaner can come in handy while an automatic pool cleaner can significantly cut your pool cleaning time. It won't completely eliminate the need for regular skimming and brushing, and you still want to own a manual vacuum to vacuum out water from your pool as needed. Remember if you balance your water chemistry, maintain good pool circulation and keep a simple cleaning schedule. Your pool will stay clean and clear throughout the year if you need more help with pool maintenance grab our free pool care cheat sheet at swimuniversity.com cheat sheet, and if you found this video helpful leave a comment hit that like button and subscribe for more pool maintenance.

Tutorials throughout the season, that's it thanks again and happy swimming you.