You may be wondering, "Is there a different procedure to follow for a pool in the farm?" The answer is yes.

Pool maintenance takes into account multiple factors and one of them is surroundings. In city, you're dealing with air pollution, and smoke and dust from vehicles and industries. When you're in the farm area, you're dealing with fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and other chemicals. When your pool is near the sea, you're dealing with a totally different surrounding.

If your pool is surrounded by farm or agricultural land, then this blog is just for you.

One of the main things that separates a farm pool from other pools is the amount of algae-growing nutrients that fly due to winds. These nutrients comes from fertilizers, and just plants and trees in general. If your pool is turning green in a day or two, even after balancing your chlorine levels in the pool, then your pool is definitely high in nutrients.

We had a client who built a pool in his rest house surrounded by farms. No matter how many times he shocked the pool, the algae kept coming back in a span of 2-3 days. He was suffering from the yo-yo effect of green pool - clear pool - green pool again.

That's when we realized that this pool needs a different approach. We introduced nutrient binders (there are special clarifiers that can also do this), and Spark Pool Conditioner (a proprietary special blend of chemicals for algae control - not algaecide). It's been 12 months now, and the pool has stayed crystal clear. 

Non-negotiable products that we use for farm pools to maintain crystal clear water:

1. Test Kit or Test Strips
2. 90% Chlorine or 70% Chlorine with Cyanuric Acid (You can also use Active Summer Pool Protector)
3. 99% Dry Acid (Powder Form)
4. Clarifier that can bind nutrients
5. Spark Pool Conditioner
6. Filter
7. Pool Pump

Note: Pool Volume is very important to know. We need it to calculate the dosages of all the chemicals. If you don't know the volume of your pool, refer to this calculator here.

Here is a step-by-step swimming pool maintenance procedures:

Step 1: Test water parameters using test kit or test strips every morning and evening. Test particularly for pH and chlorine levels.

Step 2: Check pH. For our clients, we make sure pH is 7.2. If it is higher than that, use this calculator to lower pH down to 7.2. We use 99% Dry Acid only. Make sure to do this every morning and evening after sunset.

Step 3: Check Chlorine. ANSI recommends anywhere between 1.5 - 3ppm. However, we use the table below for our clients: 

If you don't know how to calculate the dosages, use this calculator to compute the right dosage. Make sure to do this every sunset only.

If you're using 70% Chlorine, sunlight will make it evaporate very quickly. To avoid this from happening, you can either use Cyanuric Acid or Active Summer Pool Protector. Added benefit of Active Summer is that it also oxidizes toxic chemical and pharmaceutical waste from the pool using the power of Sun. This makes the pool extremely safe for kids. You can read more about it here.

Step 4: Add Clarifier or Nutrient Binders. There are special clarifiers that bind nutrients in the pool. Many pool shops sell clarifiers but ask for one that binds nutrients. Clear-Up Pool Clarifier is our choice. You can also use Nutrients binders. They are also called phosphate binders. They are usually available in the aquarium shops. We've created one called IwNite Hybrid Algae Preventer. Whatever you may choose to use, you need to dose it once every 2-3 days. We recommend you do this in the evening.

Step 5: Add Spark Pool Conditioner. Spark is a special chemical that prevents algae from ever coming into the pool. It also makes chlorine work very efficiently. One dosage can last for up to 12 months, which is an ultimate stress-reliever. You can read more about it here.

Step 6: Run your pump and filter for at least 8 hours a day. Moving water is  important for any pool. Stagnant pools only invite more problems. Always ensure that the filter is clean before using it. Pump basket should be clear of any leaves or debris stuck in it. We run 4 hours in the morning, and 4 hours in the evening. If you're adding chemicals in the evening, you need to run the pump for proper mixing. Always make sure pump and filter are running when you're swimming in the pool, regardless of the 8 hours rule.

Step 7: Remove leaves and debris from the pool. This requires you skim all the leaves in and on the pool itself. Clean the skimmers too. Make sure this is done every morning. 

Step 8: Vacuum the pool twice every week. Vacuuming the pool removes any debris that is at the bottom of the pool. The binded nutrients also settle at the bottom of the pool. They also need to be vacuumed out.

If you do this diligently, we can say with confidence that you will be able to maintain the pool water clarity and never suffer any algae attacks, regardless of the amount of fertilizers entering your pool.

If you want to share your experience, please comment below. Thank you for your attention.