Cleaning your swimming pool

Cleaning your swimming pool

To ensure hygienically clean water care it is necessary to clean the pool regularly, whereby the pool should be cleaned while empty at least once a year. This applies to both outdoor pools and indoor pools, because regardless how clear the water looks, the sides and bottom must be cleaned of lime and dirt deposits in order to remove micro-organisms (bacteria and algae).

Thorough cleaning (spring clean)

For cleaning your empty pool you should always use Decalcit Becken. This highly effective, viscous cleanser has been specially developed to remove lime and other soil deposits while maintaining the highest degree of material protection. It is applied with a brush and then rinsed with water after cleaning. If your pool is made of sensitive foil or plastic, Adisan is also suitable for thorough cleaning.

General cleaning (maintenance cleaning when the pool is full)

General cleaning should also be done regularly because air pollution and constant use for bathing results in mildly fatty and sooty soiling. Adisan is good for removing such residues. Randfix was specially developed for dirt, fat and soot scum at the level of the water surface. The best way to clean is to use a suitable fleece (Randfix care set) when the water level is lower, e.g. during back flushing. Randfix is suitable for all pool surfaces such as tiles, foil, polyester, etc. Since the product is viscous this makes it ideal for vertical surfaces (pool sides).

Take care when using cheap household cleansers. They introduce foreign particles into the water that can lead to cloudiness, foam or the growth of algae and can attack some surfaces, e.g. foil.

Automatic pool cleaning

If you want to have as little work as possible with cleaning your pool, and get the work done quickly, then you need BLUE DIAMOND and new BLUE DIAMOND Plus with the Aqua-Smart System. This floor cleaner automatically removes impurities from the water. With its 1-hour programme, BLUE DIAMOND cleans the bottom of the pool and parts of the side walls. With BLUE DIAMOND Plus the whole pool and all the wall surfaces are cleaned in just 3 hours. BLUE DIAMOND Plus can be steered to the dirty areas by remote control. Both cleaners vacuum, scrub, brush and filter the dirt into their integrated filter bags. 

When the sides of the swimming pool get slippery

Problem: Green, cloudy water, bottom or sides are slippery, algae

Possible cause:

  • Algae growth (especially during stormy weather)
  • Not enough algaecide in the water
  • Water contains phosphate (food for algae)

Remedy:

  • Measure pH and if necessary set to 7.0 - 7.4
  • Mechanically brush algae off the bottom and sides, loosen it up and vacuum as completely as possible. Back flush or clean the filter
  • When using VariTab: Add the double amount once
  • Give a chlorine shock with 1 chlorineiklar/m³ or 25 g chlorifix/m³
  • Let the circulation pump run continuously for at least 24 hours
  • With sand filter systems: Add an additional Superflock flocculent cartridge into the skimmer for removing clouding
  • Preventative measure: Afterwards add the double quantity of algaecide into the pool water (Desalgin, Desalgin Jet)
  • Regularly use a Superflock flocculation cartridge for removing phosphate from the water
  • In the case of obstinate problems: Extra filter clean using FilterShock

Pool sidewalls feel rough

Problem: The sides of the pool feel rough, the water is cloudy or milky

Possible cause:

  • Lime is precipitating because the pH or the temperature are too high

Remedy:

  • First brush the lime from the bottom and sides mechanically and remove lime deposit from the bottom using a vacuum cleaner.
  • If the lime cannot be removed mechanically: drain the water, clean with Decalcit Super
  • To prevent further lime precipitation, add Calcinex to the pool water. When filling the pool anew, always add Calcinex while the pool is being filled.

Corrosion

Problem: Corrosion on metal parts

Possible cause:

  • pH is too low and/or high chloride content

Remedy:

  • Increase pH to 7.0-7.4
  • Increase fresh water supply
  • Do not use any hydrochloric acid to reduce the pH

Black spots on pool foil, green hairs

Problem: Black spots on pool foil, green hairs

Possible cause:

  • Copper in water, caused for example by corrosion or cupriferous algaecide (BAYROL algaecides do not contain any copper)

Remedy:

  • Set pH to 7.5-7.8
  • Add Superflock for removal of copper
  • Request our special lab data

Bleach spots

Concentrated disinfectant acts as bleach, so you should not drop slow-dissolving disinfectant tablets straight into the pool but use a dosage float or place it in the skimmer.

Quick-dissolving chlorine tablets (Chloriklar) are best dissolved in the skimmer (with running pump!). This avoids bleach spots caused by small chlorine particles which could trickle through the net of the dosage float.

When using granules that are dosed straight into the pool there is no danger of bleaching because the substances used dissolve immediately. To be on the safe side, the circulation should be kept running and the granules should be added at several places around the pool.

Chlorine particles on clothing will bleach the material if it comes into contact with moisture.

Dosage aids

Due to the danger of bleaching, concentrated disinfectants such as chlorine tablets should be kept away from painted or plastic surfaces, and only dissolved in the water with the aid of so-called dosage (BAYROL Dosage Float).

This is why BAYROL has established a simple rule for using its own care products:

Always dissolve white tablets in a dosage float!

This goes for Chlorilong, and especially Bayroklar tablets. Exception: Chloriklar tablets should always be dissolved in the skimmer (with circulation running).

Dosing in the skimmer would be convenient, but it is however recommended that you do not do this with Bayroklar tablets, because a great part of the disinfection effect is lost on the way through the filter. It is best to use a dosage float.

When using the BAYROL dosage float you can control the addition of how much disinfectant is added: the size of the dosage opening can be altered by turning the dosage ring which then  adjusts the chlorine dose appropriate for the extent of the water contamination.

When disinfecting with chlorine dosage can also be given using the skimmer.

Filter maintenance

We always recommend backwashing at least once a week in order to remove the dirt that has collected in the filter medium. If the water is hard, lime will be deposited in sand filters despite regular backwashing. In extreme cases the deposit can almost fully block the filter medium and consequently seriously reduce the filter effect.

As a preventative measure we therefore recommend you descale and clean the filter 3-4 times a year using Decalcit Filter. After carrying out a backwash, add 300 - 500 g of Decalcit Filter in the skimmer, set the filter control to "Filter" and switch the pump on briefly and then switch it off again straight away so that the Decalcit Filter reaches the filter tank. Let it work overnight and then give it a good backwash.

Effective disinfection and removal of cloudiness by flocculation requires that the sand filter system is working perfectly. Generally: Replace filter sand every 2 - 3 years!

BAYROL has done intensive research into the relationship between water quality and filter condition and found out that in practice, every second filter is either soiled or contaminated.

This has a serious negative effect on the effectiveness of the disinfectant used. The disinfectant is then effectively wasted as far as killing germs is concerned, and no longer effectively disinfects the pool water. To combat this, the BAYROL research department have developed Filterclean Silver, a patented filter granulate that prevents the build-up of germs and bacteria in a place hard for the disinfectant to reach – right inside the filter. This guarantees you long-lasting high water quality and provides long-lasting (2 - 3 years) disinfection of the filter area.

Next time you change your filter sand, have your BAYROL dealer fill 40% of it with Filterclean Silver instead of silica sand and make sure that you backflush the filter for 5 minutes before you switch it on for the first time. The material is then well mixed and will give you a germ-free filter system for the next 2 to 3 years.

The most frequent cause of cloudy and green water or generally poor water quality is a soiled or contaminated sand filter. This particularly occurs in pools where the backflush speed of the sand filter is insufficient. The solution to these problems is the new FilterShock, a chlorine-based granulate for cleaning and disinfecting filters. FilterShock has a double effect: it cleans any organic dirt left in the filter, and effectively kills germs with its disinfecting impact. Adding FilterShock is recommended at the start of the season and when any problems arise.