Extreme summer temperatures can alter your pool’s chemistry, biology, and physical properties at the same time. Understanding how and why this happens can help you prevent it by keeping up with preventive pool maintenance for Arizona heat. At Cimarron Circle Construction, we specialize in new pool installation, pool renovations, and pool maintenance. Here are the top reasons your pool is struggling in Tucson’s extreme heat, and how you can fix it.
Chlorine Depletion
UV light and heat can cause rapid chlorine depletion. In fact, without a proper stabilizer, the sun’s rays can destroy half of the available chlorine supply in just 20 minutes or less. The chlorine schedule you used during cooler months is no longer adequate for summer pool maintenance. Free available chlorine will be consumed much faster as the pool develops algae blooms and other microorganisms, and becomes contaminated with sunscreen and sweat.
Evaporation
The height of summer also means that water will evaporate much faster. Your pool may lose up to an inch of water a day, and as the water drops, the chemistry changes. This can quickly affect the pH of your pool as well as the calcium hardness of the water.
Chemical Imbalances
More people swimming in the summer, combined with microorganism blooms and accelerated UV degradation, means that the chemical balance of your pool’s water requires careful care and attention. Harsh sun will cause water temperatures to rise, and if the temp rises above 85 F and the chlorine levels drop, it creates the perfect environment for algae and bacteria growth. More people using the pool means more sunscreen, sweat, and other contaminants are in the water. This spikes chlorine demand, further throwing off the pool chemistry.
Equipment Overheating
Summer sun, heat, and increased pool usage also put more wear and tear on equipment. Pool pumps and motors will be working overtime to keep up with demand. Intense heat can degrade critical elements of pool equipment, and cause motors to burn out. Over time, this will result in poor water quality and an increase in debris and contaminants.
Filter Clogs
More debris in the water due to failing equipment, wind, or monsoon storms will put extra strain on the filters as well. If you don’t check and clean them regularly, water flow and circulation will decrease, and the pool may become cloudy, dirty, and stagnant. This affects water chemistry and bacteria levels, starting the entire cycle of problems over again.
Call Cimarron Circle Construction if You’re Facing Pool Problems This Summer
Our pool experts at Cimarron Circle Construction can help you prevent pool problems this summer. We’ll make sure you know how to optimize circulation by running your pool pump for the right length of time each day and how to check pool chemistry and balance the water. We may recommend increasing your chlorine or using a stabilizer, as well as shocking your pool at night. You can combat rapid evaporation by keeping the water level at the mid-point of the skimmer and topping it off occasionally with your garden hose. You can also rely on us for crucial pool maintenance, including cartridge and filter cleaning and pool equipment repair. Call us now at (520) 881-2777 or contact us online to schedule pool maintenance or pool repair in Tucson, Oro Valley, or the surrounding areas in Arizona.