In modern culture, recreation is more of a necessity rather than a luxury, and herein, the swimming pool slides in comfortably. Swimming is one of the exercises that helps build muscles, build your cardio-respiratory fitness and burn calories, all without putting much pressure on your joints. Additionally, the presence of a water feature in a compound gives the environment a calming and soothing touch, and one of the most common domestic water features that serves this purpose is the swimming pool.

Swimming pools come in various sizes and shapes, the shapes vary from rectangular, oval, geometric, square, the list goes on and on. One can easily custom make their pool as per their preference and style appeal. Some of the upcoming trends in swimming pool design include having built-in ledges and bars that give the pool a different aesthetic touch. The ledges and bars can be converted into actual bars, to hold drinks as you enjoy your swim.

In Kenya, two types of pools are commonly available, namely the duck level/overflow pool and freeboard pool. A duck level pool as the name implies has water filled right to near the brim, such that any disturbance or turbulence cause the water to overflow. For freeboard pools, the water level ranges from 4 to 6 inches from the top. Horizon and Infinity pools are part of freeboard pool family, they are however designed to have water flowing over one or more edges, which gives an illusion that the pool has no boundary. The design makes the edge appear to merge with an even larger water body like an ocean or in most cases, the sky.

To retain the pool’s aesthetic features and user-friendliness, maintenance is a necessity. Your pool water needs to be of the right pH, calcium hardness, right levels of chlorine and free from dirt. Cleaning your pool is the most basic maintenance process. Clean water and correct chemical composition are key.

Despite efforts to ensure that the water is free of any microbes, achieving the right chemical mix is just as important. The chemicals if not mixed properly, will negatively affect the users of the pool. A chemical imbalance can cause skin and eye problems and the chemicals can be fatal if ingested. Ensure correct pool chemicals amounts are used and the instructions that come with the pool chemicals should be strictly adhered to. The chemicals used should be kept out of reach of children, and the packages properly disposed of.

Establish a weekly routine on how to clean your pool, you can come up with a checklist for the same to ensure no item or area is neglected. The frequency of cleaning can be tied to the frequency of use or the number of people who use the pool on a weekly or daily basis. A pool that attracts high traffic requires even more attention in terms of cleaning and treatment than that with less traffic say one that serves a nuclear family. However, to maintain the aesthetic quality of the pool, it’s advisable to have your pool cleaned twice or thrice a week.

As you pay attention to the chemical treatment of your pool, the maintenance of the other equipment and facilities within and around the pool should not be forgotten. You need to have the correct tile surrounding your pool. Some of the best tiles to use around your pool include the Titanium anti-slip tiles, Kauri Secura tiles, Santarem anti-slip tiles amongst others. This will ensure as one steps out of the pool, they don’t slide and hurt themselves. Check your gates and any protective barriers to keep children safe. Gates should swing out away from the pool, not in. The guardrails should also be maintained in correct condition as they come in handy to learners and anyone needing support while in the pool. They should not be broken or have any sharp edges protruding.

The balancing tanks and the circulation pumps are also of equal importance. The pump is the nerve of the circulation system. The pump takes the water from the pool and sends it to through filters to remove any dirt and debris and sends it back to the pool. The frequency with which you need to keep the water pump running depends on the size of the pool and the frequency of use. However, standard practice is to have your pump operate for a minimum of 6 to 8 hours a day. This prevents the water becoming stagnant and consequently a breeding ground for mosquitoes and waterborne parasites.

It’s also important to occasionally shock your pool, in order to curb the growth of algae before they even start. This is more efficient than using an algaecide to eradicate already growing algae. This can be done once every quarter.

 For the modern-day working individual, being able to maintain your pool might be a hectic activity, unless you are a professional or have some knowledge about pool maintenance. In case all the maintenance particulars seem a bit too daunting a pool professional/ pool attendant can always be engaged to lessen the burden and offer advice and professional help so that your pool remains sparkling clean and in good condition to be enjoyed by generations to come.

Keep in mind clean water and balanced water chemistry prevents a majority of pool problems.