Arizona families depend on their pools for most of the year. Outdoor gatherings would be nearly impossible without a cool oasis to help counter the effects of the hot desert sun. Just like your home and your car, your pool requires regular maintenance to remain dependable and operational for years to come.
Most pool problems can be remedied and avoided with regularly scheduled pool service, which Pioneer Pools offers to families in the Tucson area. If you’re looking to diagnose the problem yourself, it’s usually easy. There are a few problems that homeowners in Tucson regularly experience with their pools.
1. Your Pool Walls Always Look Dirty or Stained
Most Arizona homes deal with mineral deposits and buildup from hard water. If you get it in your shower, you’re probably getting it in your pool. Hard water buildup looks like scales or a crust around the walls and floor of your pool. It may appear white, gray, or yellowish in color.
Hard water buildup can be difficult to remove. Installing a whole-home water filter can help to prevent hard water buildup both inside and outside of your home, and if you’re very eager to resolve the problem, it may be worth the expense.
Mineral deposits can be removed by scrubbing the pool with a special calcium buildup remover. Deposits and their removal are unlikely to damage your pool’s finish unless you allow them to remain unchecked for an extended period of time.
If minerals aren’t the cause, your pool walls can become stained for a number of reasons. Spilled drinks, algae, and contaminants can discolor the porous walls of your plaster pool. These stains are sometimes difficult to remove.
Refinishing your pool from plaster to quartz or pebble can minimize the appearance of mineral deposits. Since these finishes are less porous, they’re less likely to stain or become damaged. If you’re constantly dealing with unsightly water deposits, refinishing your plaster pool may be a valuable long term solution.
2. Pool Algae
Algae can grow in any body of water, including your pool. If your pool water is taking on a green hue or if you have green, fuzzy growth on the walls of your pool, you have an algae problem. Algae growth in pools is very common. Pool chemicals are designed to keep the water sanitary and inhibit algae growth.
You should be regularly checking the chemical levels of your pool to assure that the pH is at an optimal level. Your pool should be safe for humans to swim in, but hostile for algae or other microorganisms to thrive in, usually within the 7.2 to 7.6 pH range.
3. Pool Water Burns Eyes or Irritates Skin
All pools require chemicals, sometimes in substantial amounts. Preventing the growth of algae and bacteria is part science, part art. If you’re gone a little overboard in an attempt to sanitize your water, you’re hurting more than just the bacteria.
While it isn’t unusual for pool water to feel uncomfortable when it gets in your eyes or to leave your skin and hair feeling dry, it shouldn’t burn or itch. Skin and eyes shouldn’t become red, patchy, or swollen after exposure to pool water.
4. The Water Looks Cloudy Or Murky
If your pool water looks cloudy, murky, or foggy, it isn’t safe to swim in. Streaky or discolored water is a sign that bacteria has successfully reproduced in your pool. Don’t let anyone take a dip in a cloudy pool.
Bacteria accumulates when the pH of your pool is inadequate. You need more chlorine to kill the bacteria. The exact amount of chlorine may be difficult to dial in. This is a scenario best left up to a professional pool service. Your pool service expert will understand what to check, how to check for it, and administer the proper pool chemicals to address the problem. Your pool expert will tell you when it’s safe to swim again.
5. The Pool’s Water is Disappearing
This is a problem that Arizona homeowners often encounter. Pool water sometimes seems to disappear rapidly, which causes concerns about leaks or cracks in the pool. Before you panic and assume that water is leaking beneath your house and potentially causing severe damage, run a test.
The majority of the time, rapid water loss isn’t related to a leak or a structural problem. It’s the result of the Arizona sun doing what it does best and drying everything up. The best way to check your pool for a leak is to use a five gallon bucket. Fill the bucket up with pool water, leaving a few inches of headroom. Use a permanent marker inside of the bucket to denote the water level.
Set the bucket on the steps of your pool, submerging it as much as possible without allowing the pool water to overflow into the bucket. Check your bucket in two days. If you notice that the water level in the bucket is substantially lower than it was when you filled the bucket, the likely cause of your water loss is evaporation.
If the level is close to the same and your pool water level is continuing to decline, it’s time to call in an expert to check for leaks and cracks. These kinds of problems are hard to fix on your own. Call Pioneer Pools. Our experts know what to do.
Pioneer Pools is the Solution
Pools require a lot of upkeep, and allowing them to go unmaintained for a prolonged period will only make problems worse. Pioneer Pools will be happy to provide routine pool service to your home. You never have to give your pool a second thought. It will always be ready for every pool party or afternoon swim. We’ll clean your pool and manage the chemicals. All you need to do is enjoy your outdoor entertaining area.
If your pool needs to be refinished or repaired, we’ve got you covered. Our experienced renovators refinish and repair pools and decking. We’ll work with you to assess the problem, discuss solutions, and envision a beautiful design to transform your outdoor entertainment area.