The month without a holiday needs your attention.Not until after the month of August has graced us with humidity and heat, will you need close down the pool. Or if you live in the South, you may stay open for business. Until then, enjoy and create some sort of August holiday or tradition, an event that neighbors, friends, church members or fellow co-workers can attend. Host a family reunion or a back-to-school pool party. Make it center around your pool and stretch out the last few weeks of summer. There are several weeks left of humid, sun-filled, hot days.
Here are some things to remember for the month of August; amid all the celebration. Treat your pool right, protect it from going green, yellow or black. Yes, algae comes in several different colors.
Heating up doesn't mean greening up.
1. Keep it clean. The sanitizers keep chlorine levels optimal. Be sure to do this every day, all day in the heat. If you utilize a salt chlorine generator, you are already guarding against the beast. If you aren't using a salt generator, you'll need to shock your pool at a minimum of once weekly during the hot months.
2. Move the water. Whenever water stops moving anywhere, it forms a ring, crust or film. Same is true in a pool. Always keep your pool filtering, even when away. Many pumps have an adjustable speed setting which prevents stagnant water syndrome, without using too much energy.
3. Make a splash. This means use your pool. Use it or lose it to the infiltrating, multiplying algae. Swimming and splashing stirs up debris in the water, which will allow the skimmer to suction more of the rapidly breeding particles.
4. Watch the filter. It will be collecting more during the high heat. If it's clogged up, the water will not be moving as fast and can actually instigate algae growth. To have a happy pool relationship all the way until winterizing and closing, check the filter often.
5. Add an Algaecide. Not neccessarlty a must, just an additional preventive measure against the green, a sort of insurance policy on your valuable time. It can't hurt, it can only help.
6. Enjoy the weeks to come.
