Swimming Pool Maintenance and ph Advice
Owning a swimming pool is one of the true pleasures of property ownership, but it comes with some seasonal responsibility! Here is our guide to monitoring and maintaining ph levels in the swimming pool of your property in France (or anywhere). This is important, especially in southern and southwest France, where summers can be hot and rural pools can sometimes “go green” faster than expected!
Regular Maintenance is Essential
Consistent maintenance and TLC are the cornerstones of your season-long pool care. It’s tempting to think you can skip maintenance if the water looks clean. However, even if your pool appears spotless, algae and bacteria can quietly build up, especially during spring and summer, turning your sparkling oasis into a green lagoon before you know it.
At a bare minimum, clean and check your pool once a week. But if your pool sees heavy use or you have the luxury of time, increase this to twice a week. Whatever you do, never let pool care slide for a fortnight. During a busy summer, a week might pass by in the blink of an eye, but two weeks is more than enough time to turn your pool into a green swamp. Regular care might seem like a chore, but it’s far less work than rescuing a neglected pool.
Seasonal Maintenance Work
Opening Your Pool in Spring
- Remove the winter cover carefully. Clean and dry it before storage.
- Check the water level — top up if needed.
- Reconnect equipment: filters, pumps, heaters, if you have one.
- Clean the pool thoroughly: remove debris with a net, brush walls and floor.
- Test and balance the water: adjust ph (ideal 7.2–7.6), chlorine, and alkalinity.
- Shock the pool with chlorine to kill winter bacteria.
- Start the filtration system and let it run for at least 24–48 hours before swimming.
Top Tip: If your pool has been closed for a long time, it’s often worth getting a quick professional inspection.
General Care During the Summer
- Monitor ph levels at least twice a week.
- Keep chlorine stable: use slow-release tablets if needed.
- Use a pool robot to clean the floor and walls automatically.
- Skim the surface daily to remove leaves, bugs, and pollen.
- Backwash the filter every 1–2 weeks to keep it clean.
Monitor watercolour:
- Clear and blue = good
- Cloudy = filtration or chemical imbalance
- Green = algae (needs shock treatment immediately)
Bonus Tip: Heat waves and heavy use mean you should check water quality more often.
Closing the Pool in Autumn
- Thorough clean: brush walls, floor, and vacuum.
- Balance the water, especially ph and chlorine.
- Lower the water level slightly to prevent freeze damage.
- Drain equipment: pumps, filters, heaters.
- Add winterising chemicals (antifreeze, algaecide) as recommended.
- Cover the pool securely with a winter cover.
Great Tip: A good winter cover protects from debris, algae, and cold damage.
Monitoring ph Levels
Test Your Pool’s ph Level (at least once a week)
Use a test kit, such as a liquid drop kit or test strips, readily available at Leroy Merlin, Castorama, or Jardiland.
Dip a strip into the pool, fill a test tube with pool water, and add drops according to the kit’s instructions.
The ideal ph level for swimming pools is between 7.2 and 7.6:
- Below 7.2: Too acidic, which can be corrosive and irritating to skin and eyes.
- Above 7.6: Too alkaline can cause cloudy water and reduce chlorine effectiveness.
Adjust the ph if Needed
- If ph is too high: Add ph minus (ph-), often sold as “réducteur de ph.”
- If the ph is too low, add ph plus (ph+), or “réhausseur de ph.”
How Much to Add?
Follow the product instructions, which usually specify how many grams or millilitres per m³ of water to use. Make adjustments gradually and retest after a few hours.
Essential Tools & Supplies Checklist
- ph test kit or strips
- ph plus / ph minus products
- Chlorine tablets and shock
- Robotic pool cleaner
- Skimmer net and pool brush
- Pool cover (summer and winter)
- Anti-algae treatment (winterising)
Bonus Tips
- Hard water zones (like in southern France) can push ph up naturally.
- Bicarbonate de soude (baking soda) is a common local DIY trick to raise ph if you run out of ph+ slightly.
- Most garden centres (jardineries) and hardware stores sell produits piscine in big tubs relatively cheaply.
Taking small, regular actions will save you big headaches (and costs) later, and potentially damage that may not be covered by your home and contents insurance policy. Whether you manage it yourself or work with a professional, a little care goes a long way to keeping your pool pristine and ready for enjoyment.
