We all know that pools have skimmers and jets but do you know WHY these parts of the pool are important? These are parts of the pool that are for more than just sucking water in and removing debris then shooting it back out. These parts are super important for the sake of pool circulation in the pool itself. Much like blood needs to circulate through the body, so does water need to circulate through the various parts of the pool in order to keep the water in good chemical balance. If you fail to circulate the water properly then you will find that your pool is dirty and unsanitary. So we went out in search of an article to support what we already know to be true and found this gem!
We developed a 3-step process to taking care of your swimming pool: The 3 C’s of Pool Care. They include, circulation, chemicals and cleaning.
Circulation is the first step in the process. Circulation plays a major role in all parts of the process. Circulation of the pool water allows you to filter your water, which is cleaning. It also helps to spread the chemicals you add to the water, like stirring a cup of coffee after adding cream and sugar.
All three steps are necessary for proper pool care, but without circulation, the other two steps would be impossible.
What Makes Good Pool Circulation?
Every pool should be equipped with a pump and a filter, at the very least. Circulating the pool water is performed by your pump. The pump sucks in the water from the pool by the skimmer, or the rectangle hole in your pool with the failing door (sometimes).
Once the water is sucked out the pool by the pump, it passes through the pump and into your filter. The filter’s job is the clean the water by filtering out particles that are making your water dirty.
After it passes through the filter, it’s pushed back into your pool through a jet, which is a little round hole in your pool (some pools have multiple jets and multiple skimmers).
Your return jet should be multi-directional, if it’s not I would suggest getting a new jet fitting that will allow you to direction which water the water is pushed back into your pool. This whole process is circulation of the pool water.
How To Improve Pool’s Circulation
It’s good practice to point your return jet in a direction that will spin the water in your pool, hence, circulate.
If your pool only has one jet, it’s a good idea to point the jet to the opposite side of your skimmer and downwards. This will circulate the water and also mix the water on the bottom of your pool to the surface.
Dead Areas
Dead areas are spots in your pool that have poor circulation. Some commons spots include:
- Behind your ladder(s)
- In and around pool steps
- All cracks, creases, crevasses
- Underneath the skimmer(s)
Sometimes these dead areas are unavoidable. You can do your best to point your return jets to improve these areas, but you may just have to take care of these areas manually. This is why it’s important to always have a pool brush handy.
Brushing
This is a major part of pool circulation. Every pool is going to have a few dead spots, so practicing good circulation also includes brushing your pool. You should brush your pool often, at least once a week.
For the rest of this article please go to swimuniversity.com.