Fourth of July fun in the sun is almost here!
It’s just about time to celebrate with red, white and blue attire, delicious food from the grill and fireworks gazing – but in our opinion – no Fourth of July is complete without a pool party.
Before you get started cooking and decorating, follow these steps to help you and your pool water get ready for entertaining the extra swimmers:
1. It’s time to get cleaning
Nothing is worse than swimming in water with floating debris. Remember to skim, vacuum or set your automatic cleaner to clear out unwanted leaves, dirt and other debris. Additionally, scrub and brush the sides and bottom of your pool to make it look clean and pristine for your guests.
2. Check your equipment
So your pool can run clear, clean and warm – double-check that your pump, heater and filter are all working properly. Make sure that your pump is running quietly, not heating up and isn’t leaking. Depending on when your last inspection was, you may want to have your heater cleaned and serviced before your party. If bugs, leaves or other unwanted material made its way into your burner tray or orifices, you’ll want to vacuum it out to assure your heater is working as effective and energy-efficient as possible.
Also, make sure to clean your filter before your pool party. There is a common misconception that rinsing filters will properly clean them, but filters cartridges must be removed and soaked in filter cleaner to get rid of built-up grease from makeup, sunscreen, sweat and other bather load contaminants.
3. Prep & balance your water
One of – if not the most – important things you need to do to prepare for your pool party is balancing your water. This means that your ph, total alkalinity, cyanuric acid, total dissolved solids, calcium hardness and phosphates must all be in proper ranges. Balanced pool chemistry will help water be clean, clear, odorless and safe for swimmers.
If you’re using a Clear Comfort non-chlorine sanitation system, here’s how your water should be balanced:
- pH: 7.2 – 7.4
- Alkalinity: 60 – 120 ppm
- Cyanuric acid: 20 – 40 ppm
- Total dissolved solids (TDS): Less than 1,500 ppm
- Calcium hardness: 200 – 400 ppm
- Phosphates: Less than 200 ppm
Additionally, to assure that combined chlorine, bacteria and algae are destroyed, you might want to shock your pool a couple of days before your party.
4. Stock up on game & accessories
Who doesn’t love inflatable pool floats and games? From an inflatable volleyball net to lounge floats to diving rings there are pool accessories that everyone can enjoy. Also, keep in mind that pool floats aren’t just for lounge chaises, there are all sorts of fun shapes you can get, some include: a red, white and blue U.S. map, pizza, pineapple, watermelon, swan and much more. These fun float shapes also make for a great photo op!
5. Don’t forget about safety!
Last but not least, if there are children coming to the party, be sure to have safety measures in place to avoid mishaps. If you need to, set up barriers to prevent children from falling into the pool. In addition, review pool safety rules with children and parents when they come to swim.
After your pool party, you may need to shock your pool due to high bather load so remember to keep a non-chlorine or cal-hypo shock on hand so you can enjoy clean, clear pool water after the pool party.
To learn more about pool shock, check out our “Home Pool Shock 101” blog here.
So, now you know what you need to do before your best pool party of the summer. Have a happy, safe and fun Fourth of July pool party!
