OK, living down on the coast means that you don’t have to worry about really extreme weather conditions, but even so, preparing your pool for Autumn and Winter is still a must.

There are some common errors that will cause you a headache where general swimming-pool maintenance goes, such as not checking TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) or calcium hardness on a regular basis. You should check TDS every six months and calcium hardness every month. These also affect water balance which is different from sanitation, although related.

Another no-no is back-washing sand or DE filters too often. If you do this, the filter can never reach its cleaning potential. If you backwash on a regular basis for no reason, you are wasting water. Most filters require back-washing when the pressure gauge rises 8-10 PSI from clean.

And, with the cost of electricity always going up, you could be tempted into not running pumps long enough. You should run your pump about one hour for every ten degrees of temperature. This assumes you have a decent circulation system. It is all about the flow! Circulation is the key to a low maintenance swimming pool.

Don’t forget replace broken or missing drains or suction sources. This a real and dangerous hazard.

So, you might want to think about a pool cover and advice in general so the folks to visit are ConstruPisci in Almuñécar, where you can obtain just about any pool appliance and material in general.

ConstruPisci, Av. Don Juan Carlos I, 27, Tel 958 631 111, email: construpiscis@hotmail.com