Top 5 Pool Tips
By Elizabeth Dougherty
Back in the day, folks would get up at 5
a.m. and work on their farms and ranches until it
got unbearably, swelteringly hot. It was so toasty
outside (and inside, too) that the only solace was
to dig swimming holes and dive in with innertube
in hand. And every once in a while, Jed next
door might look like he was doing a disco water
ballet when a few water moccasins would make
an unwelcome appearance.
The romance of the old days notwithstanding,
we still like to cool off when we can.
No doubt, Alabama is hot in the summertime.
Fry an egg on the sidewalk hot. The average
daily high temperatures here are; May - 81°, June
- 88°, July- 90°, August - 89 ° and September
- 86°. Thankfully, at night the temperature cools
down almost 20 degrees. The average high
temperature in July might be 90° but the average
low is 70° (www.weather.com).
More and more Lee County homes now
come fully equipped with gorgeous, heat-quenching,
sparkling blue pools. What used to be rare is
now becoming standard.
To keep your pools in stellar shape you need
to understand, maintain and enjoy your pool.
Here are the TOP 5 tips to help:
1 Leaks
It is totally normal for your pool
to lose a little water every day through
evaporation and more during high usage times by
splashing kids or the ever-popular showoff – the
cannonball. But if your pool loses several inches
in a day, you should check for leaks.
The most common sources are where pipes
and joints combine with the pool shell. If you are
a “do it yourself” kind of person you might try
the following; wait until the pool is perfectly calm
(turn off the pump with no swimmers, etc.) and
start dropping a little food dye near the pipes and
joints. If there is a leak close by, the food dye will
head straight for it. Locate the leak, patch with a
little epoxy putty and you’re all set.
For a more serious problem you should call
a professional. Leaks (even slow leaks) waste
chemicals and water- lots of water. If your pool
loses a pint of water per minute you will lose
more 65,000 gallons per year. Even a loss of only
3 drops per second will cost you about 1,000
gallons per year. (That’s enough to make you fix
that leaky toilet, too.)
2 Keep it clean - Always
A clean pool is a happy pool. Everybody
knows a family where the kids seem
half dolphin and are always in the pool. The pool
is always clean. Just as a rolling stone gathers no
moss, a pool with constantly flowing water gathers
no algae. Brushing (and cleaning the filter) is
the number one method of keeping algae from
growing on the pool walls.
3 Balance
A sparkling blue pool, like most
things in life, is a matter of balance.
Chemicals, usually chlorine, are used to kill
germs and deter algae. While no one wants an
unhealthy pool, neither do you want to swim in
an acid bath that stings your eyes and wreaks
havoc on your hair. If the pool is clean, balancing
the chemicals is simple.
4 Decks
Water is fun in the pool and dangerous
on the deck. Keep your non-slip decks
clean of debris. If you don’t have a non-slip deck
you should think about getting one. They are
good looking, inexpensive and safe.
5 Childproofing
Have a safe and non-worry summer.
There are many methods of childproofing
your pool for your family or an overly curious
neighborhood child. There are fences, screens,
locks and alarms. Specially made removable
fencing is attractive and safe. For more ideas
go online to sites like the Parent Center at http:
//parentcenter.babycenter.com/.
Elizabeth Dougherty, a resident of
Auburn, is a former Real Estate Broker
and Mortage Broker. She can be
reached at EADougherty1@aol.com.
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