Above-Ground Pool Maintenance (Things You'll Need To Keep Your Intex Pool Clean)

Are you a new pool owner? Do you have an Intex above-ground pool? Do you want to keep it crystal clear? In this post, I am going to share what tools and products you need for your pool needs.

Pool ownership can be overwhelming. I am a newbie when it comes to pool maintenance. I read and watched lots of videos and articles to find out what I needed to keep the pool clean and the water crystal clear.

I’ve learned so much from owning a pool this summer. Maintaining a pool is no easy feat. It can get very frustrating at times, especially if you’re dealing with algae but that’s for another blog post 🙂 Today, I am going to share the products and chemicals you need to maintain an above-ground pool.

Maintaining an above-ground pool involves regular care and attention to keep the water clean, balanced, and safe for swimming. Here are some essential tools and products you’ll need to help you maintain your above-ground pool:

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Skimmer

Use a skimmer net to remove leaves, bugs, and other debris from the pool’s surface regularly. Clean out the skimmer baskets and the pump strainer basket as needed to ensure proper water flow.

Pool Vacuum

Use a pool vacuum to clean the bottom and sides of the pool. You can choose between manual, automatic, or robotic vacuums, depending on your preference and budget. I currently have this Intex pool and I’m pretty happy with it. It picks up leaves and sand. I used to have the robotic vacuum but did not work well for me so I ended up returning it.

Pool Brush

Brushing the walls and floor of the pool will help remove algae and other build-ups that the vacuum might miss. I use this Intex deluxe maintenance kit which includes a pool brush, skimmer, and vacuum head.

Solar or Pool Cover

When the pool is not in use, consider using a pool cover to keep debris out and reduce evaporation. Solar cover is great for retaining heat and keeping your pool warm during spring and early summer. I got our solar cover from Amazon and it works great.

Test Strip Kit

Regularly test the water’s pH, chlorine/bromine levels, alkalinity, and calcium hardness using a pool water testing kit. I love this 7-in-1 test strip from Amazon. Aim to keep the water within the following ranges:

pH – 7.2 to 7.8 ppm
Total Alkalinity – 80 to 120 ppm
Calcium Hardness – 250 to 500 ppm
Cyanuric Acid – 30 to 100 ppm
Free Chlorine – 1.0 to 3.0 ppm
Total Chlorine – 1.0 to 3.0 ppm

Chemicals You’ll Need For Your Pool:

Pool Shock: Shocking the pool means adding a higher-than-normal dose of chlorine to kill bacteria and algae. This should be done every 1-2 weeks or as needed based on usage and water conditions. Free chlorine should be between 1-3. If it’s 0 then it’s time to add shock to the pool.

Algaecide and Clarifiers: Use algaecide and clarifiers as per the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent algae growth and maintain water clarity. Run the pool pump and filter system for 8-12 hours per day to ensure proper water circulation and filtration.
Alkalinity Increaser: If the water alkalinity level is low, add an alkalinity increaser or baking soda. Baking soda is cheaper than the alkalinity increaser. However, you have to be very careful to not put too much baking soda because it can also increase the pH level.
PH Increaser or Decreaser: Add baking soda to increase pH and use pH decreaser if you have high pH or alkalinity.
Stabilizer: After opening the pool, check for Cyanuric acid. It has to be within 20 to 50 ppm. If you have low CYA, add chlorine stabilizer to increase CYA. On the other hand, if you have high CYA, you’ll have to drain some of the water to dilute the CYA and refill the pool. Chlorine stabilizer, or cyanuric acid, protects free chlorine from breaking down under the sun’s UV light.
Chlorine Tablets: These help sanitize the pool and dissolve slowly over time and provide a steady supply of chlorine to your pool. It also contains a chlorine stabilizer or CYA. It comes in 1 and 3 inches pucks. The 3-inch tablet can sanitize over 5,000 gallons of water.

SHOP HERE:

My weekly routine to keep the pool water crystal clear is to vacuum, skim, balance the water chemistry, always have chlorine tabs, and add algaecide. If the free chlorine is low, I add shock to the pool.