Above-ground pools are a fantastic source of summer recreation and entertainment that seem to make those summer days last a lifetime. An above-ground pool is always intended as a long-term purchase. Indeed, after the initial installation, and those endless summer afternoons and nights, most pool owners and users expect their above-ground pool to last forever. However, the true answer, beyond any myths or speculation, may surprise potential and current pool owners all over the world.

Typically, above-ground pools will last around 10-15 years on average, but can last shorter or longer depending on the circumstances. The somewhat limited lifespan can be a result of many different, varying factors, the greatest of which is the maintenance. The care that goes into protecting the pool and keeping it healthy is a major factor in increasing the pool’s lifespan. Those who neglect the addition of chlorine and bromine, or those who add too much pool chemical to make up a forgotten addition, are practically dooming the pool to premature rusting and bacterial infection. A pool becomes unsafe to swim in, or “finished”, once the water levels are constantly unstable. The pool water will either be an odd color, or will be constantly cloudy, leading to frequent discomfort and irritation. Once the pool is finished, the only thing you can do is drain the water from the pool and dismantle the set-up. Avoiding a premature takedown is why pool maintenance is such a critical part of caring for your pool.

Despite the seemingly brisk lifespan of an above-ground pool, there are pools in people’s yards across the country that have lasted longer than average, some more than 20 years and counting. These seemingly indestructible pools last longer than the common above-ground pool for various reasons, the most prominent of which is the top-notch care and maintenance. This top-notch care will work wonders against the potential forming of rust in an above-ground pool, which shortens the lifespan of the pool faster than any other factor. While pool fillers can come in handy to protect your pool from losing amounts of water, it is critical that you replace the leaking liner as quickly as possible, as the water flowing out of the main pool area will damage the inside wall of the pool and start to form rust before any other damage is done. Keeping the rust from forming is the key factor in extending the usage of an above-ground pool. You typically don’t own an above-ground pool for multiple decades without having some experience in the field beforehand, however.

One of the worst accidents that can happen to your above-ground pool is if it accidentally springs a leak. Unfortunately, there is no one cause of a leak in an above-ground pool, and sometimes, there can be no way to prevent it from occurring.

Leaks can happen due to a rip or tear in the liner of the pool’s frame, a poorly-constructed pool leaking because of shoddy workmanship, or due to harsh inclement weather causing property damage. Water leaking from the pool will lead to water damage to the surrounding environment, in the form of a negative reaction to the water’s chemical content, and the increasing lack of water inside of the pool can lead to a greater chance of infections from bacteria. Worse yet, if it’s a slow leak and not a wide-open hole that the water’s flowing from, a pool owner might not notice the leak at first, allowing the damage to slowly spread without the pool owner even noticing before it becomes too late to prevent. Luckily, if your pool has sprung a leak, or is frequently subject to springing leaks, then there is a simple solution that will prevent leaks from occurring.

A pool filler is a device that will automatically maintain the correct water level of your above-ground pool. Set-up is very user friendly. Snap both pieces of the filler together (a process that does not require additional tools). Hook one end of the device to a garden hose to siphon the water. The pool filler rests on the top rail or lip of your above-ground pool. The filler should be positioned so that half of the device is under the pool water.

From there, the filler will frequently scan the water levels in your above-ground pool. The filler can detect when the water supply is lower than normal. When it detects a lower content of water, the pool filler releases water from the hose into the pool. The filler can remember when the normal water levels are supposed to be, and will shut off the addition of the hose water after stabilization. The device is smart enough to not flood the pool and your yard with unnecessary amounts of water.

Even though the pool filler performs its tasks automatically, it is wise to monitor its actions from time to time to see if the device ever goes off. If it has, you shouldn’t just leave the pool alone. If the pool filler has added water to the pool recently, it would be wise to inspect the entire pool and pipe system to check for any damage. Any holes or rips should be manually repaired as soon as possible. Everyone wants stability. With a pool filter constantly monitoring the water, you can always count on the stability of the water supply in your above-ground pool.

Having a fully functional filtration system on your above-ground pool is a vital piece in keeping your pool free of germs, bacteria, and other foreign contaminants. Modern pool filters circulate the chlorinated water in the pool and suck up the foreign particles, storing them in round filter cartridges safely out of the main pool water supply. Unfortunately, your pool’s above-ground filter will not last forever. You will need to constantly keep the filter in good condition and the cartridges fresh to prevent harmful objects from seeping back into the pool water. Luckily for above-ground pool owners everywhere, replacing the filter cartridges on your pool is easier than ever!

Your pool is always at risk from being infected or damaged from outside bacteria, and needs a clean filter to properly protect the water supply. Above-ground pool filters contain special round cartridges that suck up the infected particles discovered and neutralized by free chlorine. The particles then become affixed in the cartridge and cannot return to the main swimming pool area. Eventually, however, the cartridge will have taken all the infected material it can, and will become dirty past the point of repair. When this occurs, you’ll need to replace the entire filter cartridge. The dirty cartridge can be removed by simply snapping it out of its fixed position in the filter.

Above-ground pool replacement cartridges are quite easy to come by. Pool web sites like Groundpools.net can help you to find the correct cartridge and ship it to you as soon as possible. When in contact with a pool web site or pool supply store that sells filter cartridges, make sure you have the name of your current cartridge brand and its model no. (located on the outside of the cartridge). From there, the supplier will be able to ship you the correct cartridge type that works for your above-ground pool. When it arrives, you simply snap it back into place like you did for the old one. Your water quality will return to normal, and you can rest easy in your above-ground pool once again.

There is no one specific “filter change” date for every above-ground pool. Depending on the size of your pool and filter cartridge, the appropriate time to change the filter can take anywhere from months to years if you’re lucky. However, despite this, you should make it a habit to frequently inspect your pool’s filter cartridge to make sure that it is not loaded with infected particles. The inspection of the cartridge should take place about once a week. You’ll know from there when to make the change.

As long as the water in your above-ground pool is circulating or in use, its filter will be working to keep a balance of chlorine and other chemicals throughout your pool’s water supply, as well as removing any trace of foreign objects it can detect. However, the pool’s filter would not be able to achieve its tasks without the aid of “filter media”.

“Filter media” refers to any component or additional product found within the filter’s structure that enables and aids the filtering process. There are two subdivisions of filter media that can be found in an above-ground pool: a surface filter, which acts as a sieve to trap and dispose of solid particles and foreign objects within the pool, and a depth filter, which is a group of granular material that retains solid particles as they pass through the filter. Typically, in above-ground pools, sand is placed into the filter to act as a depth filter, any foreign object that gets sent through the filter becomes trapped and stuck to the sand, keeping it in place (until manually emptied) and preventing the foreign material from traveling back into the open pool water.

Typically, actual granules of sand are used in the sand filter of above-ground pools, as the sand granules are easy to come across and have had near-constant success in keeping sand brought in from swimmers and outside sources out of the pool and safely inside the filter. In addition to the sand granules, there exist alternate forms of filter media for use in above-ground pools. Sand-alternative products such as Zeobest are made up of granules derived from natural zeolite materials, safe to the touch and quite efficient at cleanliness and sanitation. For every two pounds of sand a filter requires to function properly, only one pound of Zeobest granules would be required. In addition to keeping foreign objects out, the Zeobest granules can remove ammonia produced from dead organic material in the water. Also, the granules can reduce eye irritation and odor, in effect reducing the amount of chlorine or bromine you’d need to use in the pool water. Whether you go with traditional sand or the new technology, the filter media present inside of your filter will do the job with ease, keeping your pool water safe to swim in every single day.

Adding chemicals such as chlorine and bromine to your above-ground pool is highly important if you want to keep your pool water free from bacteria and other infections. The granules of chlorine that you add to the pool is circulated by the pool filter and the motions caused by any swimmers. Proper circulation will allow the chemical to travel around your entire pool and paralyze the foreign contaminants, allowing them to be easily sucked out of harm’s way by the filter or pool cleaners, either automatic or manual. However, once you add the granules of chlorine to the pool water, the chlorine is separated into one of two groups: free chlorine and combined chlorine. Neither class of chlorine will last forever in your pool water, so a constant, steady dose of granules is necessary for the good health and sanitation of your above-ground pool.

Free chlorine is any granule of chlorine that is capable of killing bacteria in pool water. Free chlorine granules have not yet attached themselves to harmful particles and are merely present in the water, metaphorically searching and waiting for a dangerous contaminant to come into contact with. Their ability to fight against these contaminants is very strong. Any new granule that has just been added to the pool water can be considered free chlorine.

Combined chlorine, also known as total chlorine, or chloramines, is a granule of chlorine that has attached itself to bacteria or oxidizing contaminants. These granules can still fight bacteria, but because they have attached themselves to the foreign particles, they have a diminished ability to sanitize and oxidize your pool water. Until the filter is activated, and the harmful material is swept away, combined chlorine particles will not have a great chance of keeping your pool safe and clean.

This is why consistently adding chlorine to your pool is a necessary step in keeping your pool safe to swim in. If you simply add free chlorine granules to your pool and then leave it alone, the chlorine will admittedly fight off and disable any bacteria present in the pool. However, once they couple themselves to the bacteria, the original chlorine supply will be unable to effectively fight against the constant threat of infection, and once they are sucked into the filter, the chlorine supply will be all but depleted from the water supply. Adding a consistent supply of chlorine granules to your pool every week will guarantee a fresh amount of free chlorine in your pool at all times, and will prevent your above-ground pool from becoming overrun by ineffective combined chlorine and harmful bacteria particles. To remain up to date, you can use pool test strips to detect the amount of free chlorine present in your above-ground pool’s water supply.

Testing your pool water to ensure its quality should be a fairly frequent occurrence for above-ground pool owners the world over. The water supply in your above-ground pool is very susceptible to infection from bacteria and outside sources, in addition to becoming unsafe to swim in due to a mishandling of pool chemicals like chlorine and bromine. Performing pool tests with special pool testing strips can determine a variety of problems present in your water supply, including the amount of free and combined chlorine present, the pH level, the total alkalinity of the water, among many other factors. The typical way to perform pool tests is to use paper-like test strips and dip them into the water. Most pool stores carry these kinds of strips and are in no short supply. However, technology is always moving forward in the swimming pool industry, and as a result, pool test strips have seen a major advancement. Digital pool testing is now on the market and ready to inspect your pool better than ever before!

Digital pool testers, a recent addition to the pool market and industry, are quickly becoming a major option in detecting issues in your above-ground pool’s water supply. Using the strip tester is simple enough that anyone can utilize it. The process begins just like the old method: insert special TruTest digital test strips into your pool’s water supply. After a matter of seconds, remove the strip from the water. Rather than color-code like before, insert the wet digital strip into the bottom of the strip reader. After 15 seconds, the digital LCD screen will display the amount of free chlorine, bromine, alkalinity, and the ph level in your pool’s water supply. From there, you can match the readings to the official, recommended amount of chemicals from your above-ground pool’s manual, and use chemicals to adjust the water levels accordingly.

There is no color-coding to be done with a digital test strip: by extension, the digital readout also eliminates the guessing game one might play if the color on the paper test strips doesn’t exactly match up to a color on the guide. You will know for sure the state of your water supply with a digital reader, and will avoid accidental overexposure of chemicals to your pool’s water supply due to a mistaken reading of a paper pH test strip. This also benefits colorblind above-ground pool owners who have no use for color-based tests.

Technology is always moving forward. Your pool and its accessories can be one of the most advanced around, in addition to having the highest quality water supply. All digital testers and their accessories are waterproof and highly resistant and protected against accidental droppings, built to last alongside your above-ground pool for the entirety of its existence.

So maintaining PH level of pool is essential and the Blue wave products can help on this in two ways;

Increaser

Use as needed to raise the pH level to the ideal range of 7.2 to 7.6 ppm. Slows the rapid loss of chlorine caused by low pH, and slows chlorine dissipation, so your pool uses less chlorine. Stops eye irritation, etching and corrosion caused by low pH. Contains sodium carbonate “soda ash”.

Recommended dosage: 1 lb. per 10,000 gallons.

Reducer

THE SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO MURIATIC ACID!
Use as needed to lower pH to ideal range of 7.2 to 7.6 ppm. Stops eye irritation, cloudy water, and scaling caused by high pH. Boosts chlorine’s ability to fight bacteria and algae. Contains granular sodium bisulfate.

Recommended dosage: 6 oz. per 10,000 gallons.

Maintaining a safe pH level in your above-ground pool is highly important to the safety of the swimmers and the pool itself. A common, proven test for a safe pH level is the use of pH test strips. Simply dip the pH strips into the pool water to test the acidity levels. The strip will change color, and will tell you if the pool is too acidic or basic (presence of alkaline). Compared to other types of pH tests, like the use of droplets of phenol red or titration in the pool water, pH strips are faster and easier to use, allowing you to maintain a safe, manageable level of acidity and alkaline in your pool’s chemicals. However, pool experts and designers are always working to improve the pool experience, making progress on developing high-quality pools and pool accessories every day. Scientific developments and advancements have been made to improve the overall quality of the pH strips in the form of 7-way test strips.

Aqua Chek Silver 7-way test strips show noticeable improvements over standard ph test strips in numerous ways. The strips are longer than standard pH test strips, and for good reason. The 7-way strips can measure seven different features in your above-ground pool: the total hardness (meaning the mineral content) of the water, the total amount of chlorine present, the amount of free chlorine (the chlorine that can still break down foreign contaminants), the pH level, the total alkalinity, the amount of cyanuric acid (which stabilizes the chlorine found in the pool water), and the total bromine levels. All of these attributes can be detected using just one test strip!

The strips work in the same manner as the standard strips: simply dip one of the strips into the pool. After you remove the strip from the water, you’ll see the strips have changed multiple colors. Match the colors on the test strip to the corresponding colors on the packaged chart: each color represents a different condition. Because of the length of the strips and the testing of multiple factors, you’ll need to hold the 7-way pool strips in the water for at least 30 seconds to get an accurate reading. Your above-ground pool deserves the highest standard of cleanliness and quality, and when you use 7-way test strips, you will be guaranteed to know exactly what will fix your pool’s problems.

When maintaining the quality of the water in your pool, it is important to keep the water supply sanitary and free of harmful contaminants. In addition, it is also wise to keep a proper balance of chemicals designed to fight infection-spreading particles in the water from either nature or the water supply. It is a good idea to keep yourself knowledgeable regarding the different types of water conditions and what they mean for you. One such condition is the “hardness” level of the water found in an above-ground pool.

When you’re talking about the hardness of pool water, it does not mean water that’s been frozen solid into a block of ice. Instead, it refers to the amount of mineral content present in your above-ground pool’s water supply. These minerals are typically classified as calcium or magnesium. A pool with a high hardness level has an abnormal amount of mineral content, and as a result, the oversaturated water will attract the calcium and magnesium particles into small, yet noticeable clumps. These mineral clumps then attach themselves to pool ladders, lights, and even the walls, requiring additional, extensive cleaning to make the pool safe to swim in once again. If the water’s hardness level is too low, the water becomes unsaturated, which makes the water unsafe to swim in; a lack of any calcium, magnesium, or other mineral in the water supply will lead to corrosion of the walls and pipe systems.

You can use advanced test strips to detect how hard your above-ground pool water is. Simply dip the strips past the surface of the pool, and match the color of the strip to the color-coded guide to measure the hardness level. If the water proves to be unsaturated or contain a lower than average amount of saturation, you can add an appropriate amount of calcium & hardness increasing liquid to the pool water to readjust the hardness level to a manageable amount.

It cannot be stressed enough how important cleanliness and sanitation are in regards to your above-ground pool. During winter, your pool is most susceptible to potential damage caused by nature. This article will be your guide to the types of damage winter can inflict on your above-ground pool, and the measures you can take to prevent them and keep your pool safe during the coldest months of the year.

After the summer months have come and gone, you must protect your pool, as nature will wreak havoc on your above-ground pool during the winter months if you are not prepared. The types of damage that can happen during wintertime are numerous and varied. Snow and sleet constantly falling from the sky can land in your pool and eventually start to freeze into ice. Ice stuck to the walls of your above-ground pool can weaken the walls of your pool, essentially turning it into a giant ice cube tray, and can cause heavy rusting and thinning of the walls once spring comes around. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can hit your above-ground pool and weaken the structural integrity of the pool’s frame and walls, even without the presence of humidity from the summer months. In addition, algae is constantly growing around your above-ground pool, even during the winter months, and you may find a large infestation of algae in and around your pool without a proper deterrent.

Despite the chaos nature can bring during the winter months, there is no need to panic. Every problem mentioned can be easily prevented to prolong your above-ground pool’s lifespan. A strong winter cover and tight winter cover seal will solve most of your problems. The winter cover, woven multiple times from heavy polyethylene scrim and coating, can withstand any amount of snow or sleet nature can throw at you this wintertime. Set-up is simple: just stretch the cover over the entire upper rim of the pool. The elastic band running around the edges will hold the cover in place. No additional tools are needed. The winter cover can stretch around the entirety of any above-ground pool style, with an added four-foot overlap around the pool’s upper rim, providing extra coverage for your pool and preventing any chance of a high build-up of snow to damage the pool’s interior. The winter seal is a tough poly blend film that wraps and seals itself around your pool’s rim, on top of the winter cover. When wrapped multiple times around the pool rim, the seal prevents strong gusts of wind in torrential winter scenarios from blowing the seal off of the pool’s rim and affecting the pool’s interior. Once springtime returns, the seal can be safely cut off of the pool rim and recycled. Note that these damage prevention methods only apply to the inside of the pool. The exterior walls of the pool will be able to withstand snow, ice and other harsh weather conditions without breakdown: only the insides of the pool need special protection.

Troubleshooting your pool can be an unavoidable problem. You go swimming in your above-ground pool for enjoyment, recreation, and relaxation during the hot summer months. The last thing you want to have happen is to endure pain and irritation from swimming on any part of your body. However, this can sadly happen if you are not careful. Your eyes and skin are the body parts most susceptible to irritation and pain due to improper levels of chlorine, which in turn can lead to a potentially harmful pH level of the water in the pool.

The most common reason for skin and eye irritation after swimming in an above-ground pool is an excess of chlorine in your pool. Chlorine is a chemical placed in your above-ground pool’s filter that keep the water sanitary and clean, but using too much of it is harmful to swimmers and anything else entering the pool water. As a result of the far too strong levels of chlorine in the pool, the pH levels in your pool will become either too acidic or basic (alkaline). This is what causes damage to swimmers more than anything: an excess of pool chemicals makes the water dangerous, and the eyes and skin are the most sensitive, easily targeted parts of the body that undergo irritation.

If you want to have a safe pool once again, you must fix the ph levels. To do so, acquire a pH testing kit, available at pool supply stores: dip the strips from the ph kit in the water. The paper will change color. Match the color on the strip to the corresponding color on the kit to find if the water is too acidic or basic. From there, acquire a pH increaser or reducer kit; use the granules in these kits and apply them to the pool water. Make sure the pool water is circulating when applying the increaser or reducer. The pool water should return to normal chemical levels within a matter of hours. A more detailed description of the steps of fixing ph can be found earlier in this blog.

Despite its inherent risks as a chemical, chlorine is an important part of keeping a pool safe. To provide further protection from chlorine, consider using goggles when swimming underwater to keep your eyes safe and dry. Even those with sensitive skin should not have an immediately negative reaction to chlorine in water: consider showering or soaking in pure, un-altered water before and after swimming in an above-ground pool. Using lotion to soothe the skin should only be used after exiting the water, as an excess of lotion or sunblock in the pool water can lead to rings around the pool’s edges.

So maintaining PH level of pool is essential and the Blue wave products can help on this in two ways;

Increaser

Use as needed to raise the pH level to the ideal range of 7.2 to 7.6 ppm. Slows the rapid loss of chlorine caused by low pH, and slows chlorine dissipation, so your pool uses less chlorine. Stops eye irritation, etching and corrosion caused by low pH. Contains sodium carbonate “soda ash”.

Recommended dosage: 1 lb. per 10,000 gallons.

Reducer

THE SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO MURIATIC ACID!
Use as needed to lower pH to ideal range of 7.2 to 7.6 ppm. Stops eye irritation, cloudy water, and scaling caused by high pH. Boosts chlorine’s ability to fight bacteria and algae. Contains granular sodium bisulfate.

Recommended dosage: 6 oz. per 10,000 gallons.