Pool Maintenance Guide for Australian Homeowners

The Chemistry Fundamentals

• 1 Free chlorine: 1-3 ppm. Below 1ppm — pool is unsafe to swim in. Above 3ppm — irritating to eyes and skin.
• 2 pH: 7.2-7.6. Below 7.2 — corrosive to pool surfaces and equipment. Above 7.6 — chlorine becomes ineffective.
• 3 Total alkalinity: 80-120 ppm. Acts as pH buffer — too low causes pH to swing wildly.
• 4 Cyanuric acid (stabiliser): 30-50 ppm for outdoor pools — prevents UV from destroying chlorine. (Don't add to indoor pools.)
• 5 Calcium hardness: 200-400 ppm. Too low — plaster and surface erosion. Too high — scale formation.

Testing Your Water

Test water 2-3 times per week in summer (when usage is high and UV levels break down chlorine quickly) and weekly in winter. Use a good quality test kit (Taylor Technologies K-2006 is the gold standard for accuracy) or test strips for quick checks. Take a water sample to your pool shop quarterly for a full professional analysis.

Filtration: How Long to Run?

As a general guide, run your filtration system for 1 hour per 10°F (5.5°C) of water temperature — so 8 hours in summer is typical. In practice: summer run time should be 8-12 hours during daylight hours (to maximise chlorinator output). Use a timer to automate this. Running filtration during off-peak electricity hours (10pm–7am) saves on energy bills.

Seasonal Considerations in Australia

Australian pool maintenance is driven by the summer peak: December–March requires most chemical attention. In cooler states (VIC, TAS, ACT), consider reducing filtration to 4-6 hours/day in winter and adjusting chemicals monthly rather than weekly. In subtropical and tropical QLD, year-round maintenance is at near-summer intensity.

When to Call a Pool Professional

• 1 Persistent algae that doesn't clear with shocking and brushing — may need algaecide treatment and testing for phosphate levels
• 2 Cloudy water that doesn't clear within 48 hours of shocking
• 3 Pool surface etching, staining, or scale that requires acid wash
• 4 Equipment failures: pump not priming, filter pressure consistently high or low, chlorinator cell not producing
• 5 Annual service: at minimum, have equipment checked annually by a pool technician