There are several types of filters available for swimming pool water.

Sand and gravel, diatomaceous earth, anthracite, and cartridge types are the filter mediums most commonly employed. Regardless of the medium used, the basic principles are the same. This consists of passing water through tiny passageways. Particles larger than these passages are trapped and thereby separated from the main body of the water. This process continues until all of these passageways are blocked. The filter must then be cleaned and the cycle repeated.

BRUSHING

A swimming pool should be brushed on a regular basis to remove anyaccumulation of deposits that your automatic pool cleaner or manual vacuuming process misses. Especially with a new pool, this process is a must. We suggest performing this task once a week in order to keep the finish in its best condition.

VACUUMING

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A filter is designed to remove sediment and suspended matter from the main body of water, however, some dirt will inevitably settle to the bottom of  the pool during periods when the filter is not in operation. The only way  for this sediment to be removed is through vacuuming.

The swimming pool vacuum operates in a similar manner to the common household unit except it draws water through the vacuum head instead of  air. There are two way in which this may be accomplished. One method employs a jet of water supplied by a garden hose to power the suction which draws the dirt into the head to be trapped in a cloth bag. The other method uses the suction power supplied by the filter which draws the sediment and dirt from the pool floor for removal through the filter. When there is a considerable amount of sediment to be removed the filter valves should be adjusted so that the vacuumed water will bypass the filter and run to waste.

It is recommended that the pool be vacuumed about once weekly, the exact schedule to be determined from the pool owners experience.

SURFACE SKIMMING

Hair, lint, leaves and insects which enter the pool and remain floating on the surface can be easily removed with surface skimmers. There are two types of surface skimmers-hand and automatic. The hand skimmer is simply a plastic screen or net attached to a long pole and should be used to remove the larger floating objects such as leaves and grass.

The automatic surface skimmer is a device which is attached to the filtering system. During the filtering process, part of the surface water is drawn through the skimmer and into the filter, carrying with it dust, small insects, and other fine debris before these can settle to the pool floor.

The pool should be skimmed frequently since most dirt enters the water through the surface.

When used properly, it is filled with a solution containing from one to two ounces of granular calcium hyochlorite for each gallon of water. All bathers entering or leaving the pool should be required to place both feet into the solution for a period of not less than fifteen seconds.

TEST KITS AND THEIR USE

The test kit is perhaps the most valuable aid to the pool owner and enables him to keep his pool in proper swimming condition. An adequate test kit is one which includes both a chlorine and pH test. Most test kits use the ortho tolidine test for total available chlorine.

This test produces a yellow color varying in strength with the amount of  chlorine present in the water. When the color produced corresponds to a chlorine reading between 0.3 and 0.6 ppm, the bather is assured that the pool is safe for swimming. Since chlorine dissipates rapidly in hot weather and under heavy bathing loads it is wise to test frequently to assure a sufficient chlorine residual. Just how frequently is best left to the individual pool owners experience. A colorless reading means that all of  the chlorine has dissipated and it will be necessary to add more. A reading greater than 0.6 ppm indicates the presence of an excessive amount of  chlorine and bathers should not be permitted to enter the water until the chlorine had dissipated to a safe level.

Tests for chlorine should be made about thirty minutes after it has been added to allow the material to dissolve and mix throughout the water. The phenol red method is the most common way of testing for pH. In this test, the color changes from amber at low pH to purple at high pH, each color between corresponds to a different pH number. When the color produced corresponds to pH readings between 7.2 and 7.8 the water will be in proper chemical balance.  PH tests should be made at least once daily and more frequently during periods of adjustment. When adjusting the pH be sure to allow enough time for the chemicals to dissolve and to mix thoroughly throughout the water before testing.