With an automated cleaner, the job is done in two to four hours. And while the automatic cleaner is working, you can lounge by the pool instead of sweating over it. Salzer stresses the importance of keeping tabs on chemicals, which protect the pool's surface. Most pool companies provide water chemistry analysis so that customers can maintain a close check on chlorine and pH. Chlorine and pH should be monitored a couple of times each week. Calcium content and alkalinity should be checked every couple of weeks to a month.
Chlorine remains the most popular form of pool sanitation.
In modern pools, a feeder dispenses the chlorine into the pool automatically - sparing the pool owner the trouble of measuring out the appropriate amount daily. But Salzer points out there are now some chlorine alternatives. A new product called Chlor-free, for instance, introduces a type of copper into the pool. Salzer says the product keeps the water so pure that tropical fish could actually live in the pool. The science associated with pool upkeep is constantly changing to keep up with technological advances.