Swimming Pool Operation & Maintainance in Valencia Spain

Description:

Swimming Pool Operation & Maintenance

Normal Filtration

This should be from the Skimmer and the bottom, as it will clean more of the water.

The valves are usually those with the red handles and when the handle is ACROSS the pipe then it is closed as it's across the flow - When it's pointing with the pipe then the valve is open - see photos below:

                   Flow open                                                                                  Flow Closed
                                  
       Red Handle in same direction as pipe                                           Red Handle across direction of pipe

When vacuuming, all other valves should be CLOSED, to give maximum suction force to the vacuum.  Empty the filter basket afterwards.

Once a week
(or sooner if required) empty the skimmer basket and the motor filter.

With the motor filter, turn all the valves, including the multiport valve to CLOSED!  The basket can then be removed without flooding!

Make sure the lid is tightened after replacing a clean basket or you will get leaks!

For normal operation, re-open all the following valves: -

• Pool Bottom
• Skimmer
• Multiport Valve to "Filtration"

 
The Multiport Valve

The Multiport Valve is multifunctional and the photographs below show the translations for each position - Usually they have 6 positions but some have less.

              
 
The Pressure Gauge


 

The pressure gauge will normally work at 1 kg/sq cm.  When it creeps up to 1.5 kg/sq cm and the jets are not working as efficiently as they were, this means that the "muck" has been collected by the sand in the filter unit and is blocking the flow, so it is now in need of being discarded.

Cleaning the Filter Sand

The sand is what actually fine cleans the water in your pool.  In the picture below, it's the large tank shaped like a big canister.

 

This allows the water to be finely sifted whilst the pump is on.  Once the pressure rises, it's not doing its job as efficiently.  By reversing the flow, the dirt can be ejected down the drain or onto the land.  This is called "Backwashing" - It then needs to be followed by a "Rinse".

By using the Multiport Valve on "Back wash" for TWO minutes, followed by a "RINSE" for 30 seconds, you will return the sand in the canister to a "clean" status and the pool will once more work efficiently.    If you have a small glass tube above the multiport valve then you can see the water getting cleaner.

Important:  Turn the motor off before moving positions on the multiport valve.

Pool goes green?

If ever you get Algae in the pool (turns green), it is likely that you are not putting enough pastilles in the skimmer each week and you should increase the dose by one.

You should then buy "Astral Tricloro Granules" - They come in 1 KG containers.  These should be sprinkled in the pool as per the instructions.

Pool Chemicals - Normal Cleaning

This is what you should look for: -
 


Depending on the size of your pool, put 2 to three tablets in the skimmer basket per week in the summer.  In winter this will reduce, as they do not dissolve so quickly and the pool still remains clear.

We do not recommend the floating baskets as there is no water movement over the tablets.  Placing the tablets in the skimmer basket ensures that water is moving over the tablets whilst the filter is on.

The filter should be operated for a couple of hours a day.  I prefer an hour in the morning, just before the pool is likely to be used, and another hour at midday, when nobody is likely to be using it as they are at lunch or siesta.  This should keep your pool beautifully clear and clean!  Alter to the times to suit.

In fact, since this was written the pool man left it at 1.5 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours in the afternoon and I left it on that setting.  Though it worked fine for 3 years on my setting!

PS:  There is now a 5 content tablet obtainable at Leroy Merlin, but these cost about 35 € per tub, whereas the 4 content tablet above is still 25 € at local village shops.
 
If you want to reduce pool cleaning to 5 minutes per week then you should spend about 750 € to get a "Polaris" cleaner.  This is what we use and we can go away and leave the pool for three weeks and it keeps the pool spotlessly clean!

We used Mora in Torrent and believe that they are the best in this area.  Ask us for a demonstration of the Polaris pool cleaner.