Investing in a vinyl pool is no small thing. You have to maintain it properly if you want your liner to last and stay beautiful for years to come. To help you protect your vinyl pool liner from tears, leaks, fading, and other common damage, we at Metropolitan Pools have put together a vinyl pool care guide to assist you in maintaining your vinyl liner pool.

What Chemicals Do I Need for a Vinyl Pool?

You can cause problems for the pool with bleach, pool shocks, chlorine, and other chemicals overuse. All signs of an overuse of pool chemicals include fading, stains, wrinkles, corrosion, and a brittleness. However, chemicals should not be skimped on either. Algae growth can develop when the chemicals are not properly balanced and keeping the water clean. This growth will stain your liner or lead to fading, as well as cause other undesirable issues. When using any type of chemical in your pool, follow directions carefully. By both your pool liner manufacturer and the manufacturer of the chemicals themselves, follow all directions and safety guidelines noted. Damage your liner, dangerous chemical reactions, or cause the chemicals to be ineffective call stem from improper chemical use.

Test Water Chemistry Often

Your water chemistry should be tested on a weekly basis. Depending on how frequently you use your pool, you may need to test it more often than that. Balanced pool levels are:
– pH: 7.2-7.8
– Dissolved solids: below 5000 ppm
– Cyanuric Acid: 40-80 ppm
– Chlorine: 1.0-2.0 ppm
– Chloramine: Below 0.4 ppm
– Calcium Hardness: 180-220 ppm
– Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm

Can I Add Pool Chemicals with the Cover On?

After adding chemicals, avoid using a pool cover. After you add chemicals, you should wait at least 24 hours before covering your pool. Chemical concentrations can occur and damage your liner in closed environments, so these situations should be avoided. Before putting your pool cover back on, test the water again.

Cover Pool when Not in Use

You should cover your pool when you and your family aren’t using it other than the 24 hours following adding chemicals. To help protect your liner against fading, animals, debris, weathering, and other damage, use a pool cover.

Stay Away from Floating Chlorinators

Throughout your swimming pool, floating chlorinators can create uneven chlorine dispersion. If the chlorine gets too concentrated in one spot, fading or staining can occur on your liner.

Only Use Cleaning Tools Designed for Vinyl Pool Liners

You can mark and ruin the vinyl liner using abrasive scrubbers such as steel wool and scratcher pads that you might have on hand for cleaning around the house, as they are too rough. Also vacuum heads meant for cement pools, not vinyl liners, can also end up causing damage. These tools can cause damage, including holes and gouges. Make sure whatever cleaner or tool you’re using in your pool is meant for vinyl pool liners.

Vinyl Pool Installation, Repair, Maintenance & More in Sandusky, Lorain, Elyria, Medina, Parma, Mentor, Akron & Greater Cleveland, Ohio

Call Metropolitan Pools for all your vinyl pool needs!