It’s Finally Pool Season: Summertime Pool Maintenance Tips

June 12, 2025

The Pool Chemist’s Guide to a Stress-Free Swim Season

Summer in the Hudson Valley means long days, warm evenings, and—finally—full pool season. Whether you swim every day or host weekend gatherings, your pool becomes the centerpiece of your outdoor space. But as usage increases, so does the strain on your water quality, filtration system, and chemical balance. Staying ahead of routine maintenance is the key to keeping your pool safe, clear, and stress-free all summer long.

At The Pool Chemist, we specialize in keeping pools balanced and running smoothly through even the busiest swim seasons. Here are our top tips for summer pool maintenance when the bather load, sunlight, and heat are all at their peak.

1. Keep Up With Weekly Water Testing

In summer, more people in the pool means more sunscreen, body oils, and sweat entering the water. Combined with high UV exposure, these elements break down chlorine faster and disrupt the chemical balance more frequently.

Test your pool water at least once a week—or more often if you’re hosting large groups. A proper test will measure:

Chlorine levels (free and total)
pH
Total alkalinity
Calcium hardness
Cyanuric acid (stabilizer)

If you’re unsure what the results mean or how to correct imbalances, that’s where a professional pool service can step in and prevent problems before they escalate.

2. Maintain Proper Chlorine Levels

Chlorine does the heavy lifting of sanitizing your pool, but it works best within a specific range. In summer, sunlight and high usage both consume chlorine faster, leaving your pool vulnerable to bacteria and algae.

Your goal should be to keep free chlorine between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm. Anything lower, and you run the risk of cloudy water and unwanted guests (like algae). Anything higher can irritate skin and eyes. It’s a careful balance—and automatic chlorinators or routine service visits can help maintain that sweet spot.

3. Brush, Skim, and Vacuum Regularly

It’s easy to assume that your filter is handling debris, but mechanical circulation can only do so much. Manually skimming leaves and insects, brushing pool walls, and vacuuming the floor helps prevent algae and keeps water clean. These tasks are especially important after storms, heavy use, or windy days.

Even if your water looks clear, microscopic debris can build up quickly on pool surfaces. A weekly hands-on cleaning (or a reliable service visit) keeps buildup from taking root.

4. Keep an Eye on Your Filter

Your filter is your pool’s hardest-working component during the summer. It’s running daily, catching debris, and helping maintain circulation. Whether you use a sand, cartridge, or DE filter, regular cleaning and monitoring is essential.

Sand filters: Backwash when pressure rises 7–10 psi over clean baseline.
Cartridge filters: Remove and rinse weekly, and replace as needed.
DE filters: Backwash and recharge with fresh DE powder periodically.

If your water stays cloudy even with balanced chemistry, your filter may be the problem—not your chlorine.

5. Monitor Water Level and Refill As Needed

Evaporation increases in the summer heat, and splash-out during heavy pool use adds up quickly. If your water level drops too low, your skimmer may begin pulling in air, which can damage the pump and reduce circulation efficiency.

Keep the water level halfway up the skimmer opening. Refill as needed and adjust chemical levels afterward, since adding water dilutes your treatment.

6. Shock Your Pool as Needed

“Shocking” isn’t just for emergencies. In summer, it’s a smart way to reset your water chemistry after high use or heavy rain. Shocking eliminates chloramines (used-up chlorine), destroys bacteria, and helps keep water crystal clear.

A general rule of thumb: shock every 1–2 weeks during heavy-use months, or after pool parties and rainstorms. Use a quality shock product and follow all instructions carefully—or let a pool pro handle it for you.

Keep It Clean, Keep It Simple

Summertime pool care doesn’t have to be complicated—but it does have to be consistent. Small issues can snowball quickly in the heat, and prevention is always easier (and cheaper) than recovery.

At The Pool Chemist, we offer science-based, hassle-free maintenance that keeps your water clear, your system healthy, and your summer uninterrupted. Whether you need help with balancing, cleaning, or just keeping up with it all—we’re here to take the guesswork out of pool season.

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