Landscaping and Your Swimming Pool

The landscaping around your pool affects it in more ways than you know. Not only do all of those leaves from the surrounding trees make it look dirty but they also alter the delicate chemistry of your pool water.

Leaves, seeds, flowers or sticks are all organic material rich in phosphates. And guess what? Phosphates are algae favorite food. So every time that mango tree blooms in March and you get excited about the prospect of a good mango crop, think also about getting those flowers out of your pool as soon as possible. Not only do they feed the algae but they also consume very quickly the chlorine in your pool, making it prone to an algae bloom.

Same for the oak tree, which sheds all of its leaves in this time of year. And the wind we have been getting does not help either. If you don’t have an automatic pool cleaner or yours doesn’t work as it used to, consider getting a new model like the Polaris 360 or the MX8 Elite. If your trees shed smaller leaves we recommend the MX6 Elite that just hit the market. Not only does it vacuum the floor and climbs the walls but this new model as cyclonic scrubbing action to keep pool finish sparkly clean. With any of the MX models, you can get a cyclonic leaf catcher that prevents the leaves from clogging your vacuum line or reaching the pool pump.

Unfortunately, some times no automatic pool cleaner does the job of scooping the leaves as good as a human. You can tell your pool technician to come twice per week during these critical months or you can pitch in a little of your time to skim the surface of the pool in between pool services. Also, tell your landscaper to trim the vegetation around the pool and cut the palm tree blooms to prevent the seeds from falling into the pool. Keeping the landscaping under control is key.

If you need help with weekly pool cleanings send a request for a free estimate here.