• Swimming pools take a lot of work to look this beautiful.swimming pool 2 image by superkiss from Fotolia.com
  
  Swimming pools are fun to play in and difficult to keep up. Nature wants to take the swimming pool and turn it into a bog and debris seems to come from everywhere. Keeping up the swimming pool requires not only simple debris skimming but also requires that pool owners put the right amount of complicated chemicals into the pool. Swimming pools must have a proper balance of minerals to ensure the water is of the highest quality
  
  

What Do I Do About Debris?

• Some debris floats to the top of the pool where it must be removed with a skimmer.swimming pool image by apeschi from Fotolia.com
  
  Swimming pools must be continually cleaned of dirt, debris, insect bodies, leaves and other debris that somehow end up in the pool, according to Pool Wizard. Pool skimmers have been created for pool owners to help them remove debris efficiently. The filter sand at the bottom of the swimming pool should be changed every three to five years, according to Deep Blue Pool. The pool pump should be run for 24 hours, though pumps can be run for eight hours at a minimum.
  
  

How Do I Balance My Chlorine?

• Excessive chlorine can get in the eyes and burn.boy in swimming-pool image by Marzanna Syncerz from Fotolia.com
  
  Swimming pools must use a variety of chemicals to prevent algae from growing in the pool. Chlorine is added to swimming pools to eliminate unwanted life forms. However, too much chlorine can burn the skin. To ensure there is the right amount of chlorine in the pool, pH strips can be used to test the pH of the pool, according to Pool Wizard. The pool pH range should be kept between 7 and 7.6. Pools that are too acidic will encourage algae growth, will burn the skin and corrode the outside walls of the pool. If the pH is above this range, the pool will become cloudy and the filter will have a difficult time filtering out debris. The chlorine will kill all of the bacteria in the pool.
  
  

Do I Need Any Other Chemicals?

• Other chemicals are needed besides chlorine to keep swimming pools sparkling.Swimming pool image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
  
  Another chemical to be added is Shock. Algae is killed by shock, a chlorine compound applied every two weeks. One pound of shock should be applied for every 10,000 gallons of water, according to Pool Boy Services. Stabilizers must be added to prevent the sunlight from degrading the chlorine. Floc can be added to swimming pools to increase clarity by encouraging particles to float to the bottom of the pool, according to Deep Blue Pool. Dead algae will float to the bottom where they are easier to vacuum up.