Practical Swimming Pool Maintenance Tips - 3 Must Have Chemicals

So, you've made the decision to add a pool to your home. Adding a pool to your home can be a great investment and can certainly add to the value of your home, but it can also be a lot of work.

One of the biggest tasks that comes with pool ownership is the use of chemicals. It'd be great if you could just fill up the pool with water and just walk away, but it's not that simple. Every pool owner has to deal with chemicals at some point in time, and there's a few things you should know.

No matter how many chemicals you have, don't ever try to mix them together. Bad idea. Never add water to dry chemicals, always add the chemical to the water. And no matter what, you should never, ever, under any circumstances, try to handle the chemicals with your bare hands. That would be a terrible choice.

Over time, you'll be handling a lot of chemicals that will help with your swimming pool maintenance. Be familiar with them, learn them, know them. They can keep your pool in great shape and help provide years of fun and enjoyment for your family. Here are 3 of the most common chemicals used in swimming pool maintenance.

1. Chlorine tablets
Chlorine tablets come in a variety of dimensions, usually ranging from 1 to 3 inches. These tablets are used in your skimmer and, depending upon how many skimmers you are using, you'll need from 4 to 8 tablets in your pool at any one time. The chlorine tablets usually last about a week, so when you're deep in the heart of summer and the pool is being used every day, stock up. You can buy the tablets by the bucket, but they can retail for as much as $80. Be ready to invest some money in keeping your swimming pool maintained.

2. Alkaline powder
Yes, you've got to have chlorine in your swimming pool water to help kill off germs, but you've got to have alkaline powder too! If you don't use enough alkaline, the chlorine will raise the pH level of your pool, causing metal parts to corrode and turning your water green. But be careful, using too much alkaline powder can turn the water cloudy and create dangerous health issues! Always use brand name alkaline powders in the amount recommended.

3. Chlorine powder
Chlorine powder is essential to killing germs such as algae and bacteria that exist in your pool and multiply at very fast speeds. To kill off these germs, you'll need to use a large amount of chlorine powder in your water. Depending on the size of your pool, you may need to use more powder than others. Chlorine powder can tend to be expensive, so you should always check how much you need before you buy. This is a chemical you must have, as it's impossible to keep your pool free of germs without it. If you have already bought it or if you plan to buy a large supply, you shouldn't worry as you'll always have the need for it - meaning that you can never buy enough chlorine powder.

Familiarize yourself with these three most basic swimming pool chemicals and you'll be well on your way to having a great time with your family in your new swimming pool.