FAQs for New Pool Owners

You’ve always wanted a pool and now you’ve finally taken the plunge and invested in your own personal backyard oasis. Congratulations!
Now that the dust has settled in your yard, you’ve found yourself with some basic questions about pool ownership and maintenance. Well, we here at Alpin Haus have some experience in that area (over 50 years) and we’re here to help! This week, we’ve put together a list of FAQs for new pool owners to get your questions answered, and take you from the keyboard to the diving board in no time.

Why is my pool green?

Green water is usually caused by the presence of algae, and the growth is usually triggered by low levels of chlorine in the pool. Algae grows quickly, sped up by the summer heat, and is known to turn a pool an unpleasant color in as little as a single day. It’s important to address the problem quickly, not only because the water is an eyesore, but because swimming in a green pool is unsafe and can be a breeding ground for insects.

Why is my pool water cloudy?

When diagnosing cloudy water, the first step is taking a quick look at your filter to be sure that there’s nothing clogging it up. If the filter is clear, check your pump to be sure that it’s running properly. If the filter is clear and the pump is in good working order, it’s time to test your water. Unbalanced pool chemistry can give you that tell-tale cloudiness, but our water care experts can work with you to test and correct your levels, getting you back in the water in no time.

How many hours a day should I run my pool?

At a minimum you should run your pool 12 hours a day during daylight hours. Many of our customers have upgraded to variable speed pumps, which allow them to run their pools 24/7 for the same or less electrical cost as running a traditional pump for half the time.

How often should I change the sand in my filter?

You should change your sand in your filter every 6-7 years to ensure that its functioning properly.

How often should I get my water tested?

At the beginning of the year, you should bring the water in to test it weekly until it’s perfectly balanced. Once you’ve achieved the correct levels, you can check the water with at home test strips. At that point, we recommend checking your levels with a test strip about 3 times per week and bringing it back to our pool store professionals at least once a month.

How often should I backwash my sand filter?

The biggest tell-tale sign of when you need to backwash is when you notice the pressure on your filter rising. Keep an eye on the pressure gauge on the side of your filter, and when you notice it bump up above what it normally runs at it, it’s time to backwash.

How often should I clean my cartridge filter? How do I clean my filter?

This depends on a couple of things, the amount of use the pool is getting and how much debris gets into the water. The biggest tell-tale sign of when you need to clean your filter is when you notice that the water coming back into the pool isn’t circulating as well as it normally does. To clean your filter, simply remove the cartridge and spray it with a filter cleaner. We use a product called Filter Aid, a spray cleaner that goes directly onto the filter.
Each brand has its own directions, so be sure to consult them on how long to let the cleaner soak into the filter before spraying it down thoroughly and putting it back in place.

How often should I clean my salt cell?

You should be cleaning you salt cell after every 6 months of use, or for us in the Northeast, each full pool season. Cleaning your cell will result in greater running efficiency and ultimately a longer lifespan for the equipment.

What is Salt? Why would I want it in my pool?

Salt systems, or salt chlorine generators, make sanitizing your pool a much easier process.
Once your salt system is installed, all you need to do is add the recommended amount of salt per gallons of water, and the system will automatically create enough chlorine from the salt to sanitize and clean your pool.

How often do I change the salt cell?

With proper water care, your salt cell should last about 6-8 years. You only need to change your cell once you start
noticing its chlorine production starts to diminish.

How many tablets do I put in my chlorinator? How often should I fill it?

You should place 3-5 tablets in your chlorinator at a time, depending on the size of your pool. You’ll know that you have the correct amount in the chlorinator when the tablets last you 7 days.

Hopefully we’ve got you off the internet looking for answers and back into the water, but if you have any more questions, please stop by and see us or give us a call at (518) 954-2229. Our water testers will to give you the knowledge you need to ease your mind and ease back into the deep end.