A sanitiser is a product which kills bacteria. It is the only job a sanitiser has. There are many types of sanitising methods available on the market. The most common method is Chlorine. There are many different types of chlorine products on the market as well. Other types of sanitisers include Bromine, Hydrogen Peroxide and Peroxide variants.

An Oxidiser is a product designed to destroy waste material in the water. Waste material includes all of the killed-off bacteria and algae as well as the depleted chlorine molecules. This depleted chlorine (Chloramine) is the cliché chlorine smell people usually associate with having too much chlorine in the pool. These chloramines and dead bacteria can become food for other bacteria if it is left in the water. Introducing an oxidiser will eliminate this “food” and greatly reduce the onset of bacteria or algae growth.

It depends on your own individual pool and it’s equipment. It is best practice to circulate your pool’s water volume twice a day for residential pools and twice again for commercial pools (x4). For residential pools, it is best practice to run your pool for 8 hours a day. It is also best practice to split this up evenly into 2 cycles per day. 6am to 10am and again in PM works very well for summertime and summertime usage. When the year starts to get into the cooler months, the filtration can be reduced to 6 hours per day for Autumn and Spring. Wintertime can allow you to reduce your running times to 4 hours a day. However, the water quality must be maintained and running times may need to be re-increased depending on weather conditions.

Your pool or spa water should be tested every week. It can be reduced in spring autumn and winter to a 2-week frequency. For a spa, you should do a sample every week especially if it is continued to be used even through winter. The most important thing is keeping it regular.

A lot of people shut the pool off to save money on power costs. This is the worst thing to do with your pool. Having no filtration and circulation is the quickest way to an algae infestation. It is not recommended. The costs of algae treatment can greatly surpass the cost of running the pump. But power bills are not getting any lower. You can work your pool pump around peak power times if needed but the pump is still required to turn over the water for 8 hours a day. Setting your pump to run just after 8pm or so can get you outside peak power times, but you must check noise levels and council requirements. The best way to save power on your pool is to install an Eco Filtration Pump such as the 9-star energy-rated Hayward Variable Speed Pump. Another products that can save you running costs is the Dolphin Range of Robotic Cleaners. Ask us how.

Keeping the surrounding area clear of leaf litter and your gardens tidy can go a long way with pool maintenance. There are products today designed to make your everyday life easier. Whether this be a smartphone, iPad, or maybe a more efficient vehicle. Pools are no exception either. More efficient pool pumps can move more water around with less effort, thus cleaning your pool better. The Dolphin Robotic Cleaners can also reduce your maintenance procedure and cut down on filtration running times as well. If you would like to sign up for one of our maintenance schedules, it is a great way to create more time for yourself.