Vacuum Pool Cleaner

Keeping a small pool clean is relatively easy;

First, check the chlorine level of the water using the test kit. Keep the chlorine level up at the recommended level (1-3ppm) to keep algae from starting. Don’t worry about pH until you can keep the chlorine level stable for a week.

Second, run the filter long enough to filter all of the water at least two times per day. I think that your pump is rated for about 1,000 gallons per hour (check the label or instructions), so run the filter about 3 hours per day, every day of the week (2 x 1,400 gallons = 2,800 gallons. 2,800 gallons divided by 1,000 gallons per hour = around 3 hours).

You can run it a little more if you want, but filtering the water more than 5 hours per day for your pool and filter will not get the pool any cleaner and just wastes electricity.

This rule is true for all filters and pools and most people WAY overfilter and waste electricity and then complain about the costs of having a pool.

Third, after the chlorine levels are stable, then adjust the pH (if needed). You may need to get a pH Up chemical and a different pH Down chemical to do this. Get them from Lowe’s or Home Depot. There is no reason to pay high pool store prices for the same basic chemicals.

If your pool is used a lot, then its a good idea to shock it with a large dose of chlorine once a week. Use shock chlorine and not the regular tablets to get the chlorine level up to 8-10 ppm. Then, let the chlorine come back down to 1-3ppm on its own.

If you want, you can use algecide once a month as a precaution, but if you keep the chlorine level up on a regular basis and shock once a week, there should not be a need to do this.

Every 2-3 days, sweep up debris off the bottom of the pool.