A swimming pool must be cleaned and kept healthy constantly, and one of the most significant aspects of pool maintenance is maintaining a balanced and uncontaminated body of water. But what occurs if you permit a pool to go untreated for a time? You may go for months without using a pool cleaner, pool vacuum, or skimmer to clean your pool. In this blog, we will discuss the duration of going untreated in the pool and what happens if you leave the pool unattended.
Maintaining a Pool Regularly Is Important
A pool cleaner, be it a manual vacuum cleaner for swimming pools or a more advanced cleaning system like an automatic swimming pool robot cleaner is a must-have tool to keep your pool free from dirt and other contaminants. An alternative is a pool robotic pool cleaner or pool cleaner robot, which keeps your pool intact and in the best condition without a lot of manual work. Keeping the water sparkling clear, minimizing your chances of algae growth, and ensuring your pool is safe for swimming are all contributed to with regular cleaning.
But if you don’t have time for regular cleaning or an extended period where you choose not to treat your pool? Is it safe, or does it come with risks?
So, how long can a pool go without treatment?
This little question is not easy to answer because it depends on many things, like the kind of pool you have, the weather, and so on, and the use of the pool. In general, you don’t want to leave your pool untreated for any long period, but let’s explore what would happen if you did.
Water Chemistry Imbalances
The first major problem with not treating your pool is that the water chemistry can quickly get unbalanced. It takes the right chemical balance of pH, chlorine, alkalinity, and calcium hardness to keep water clear and healthy, and swimming pools consume a lot of these products. Failing to Monitor & Adjust These Chemicals Regularly You risk:
Algae Development: Not having enough chlorine means that algae can start to take over your pool within a matter of days. It can be difficult and costly to get rid of algae once it blooms.
Cloudy Water – A lack of routine maintenance will lead you to cloudy water which is not appealing to swim in and makes it more difficult to see the bottom of the pool too.
Bacteria and Contaminants: If water is not treated, it can develop into a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria, causing health risks for swimmers.
More Accumulation of Algae and Dirty Surface
The biggest telltale sign that your pool has been neglected is it will start turning green with algae. Ideally, waste debris will be at the bottom of the pool, and it won’t be picked up without the regular use of a pool cleaning robot or skimmer. This can lead to a murky, unsightly pool that is going to take you much more work to clean up when you resume your maintenance.
And algae can adhere to the walls of the pool, making it harder to scrub off, even with a pool vacuum or a pool robotic pool cleaner. Over time, algae can stain the pool surface which might require professional cleaning and can be expensive.
Pool Equipment Wear and Tear
Not treating your pool can also cause the deterioration of pool equipment. Over time, if grease and dirt accumulate too much; the pool cleaner robots/vacuum cleaner for the pool would be blocked, and their performance would be reduced. Also, if the pool’s filtration system is not regularly inspected and cleaned, it can be overwhelmed and actually malfunction. This can result in expensive repairs and replacements.
Staining and Surface Damage
Without proper treatment, the surface of a pool may stain. Leaves, dirt, and other debris dwelling in the water for too long can leave permanent stains on the pool’s walls and floor. Types of pools like plaster or vinyl liner pools are prone to stains if not adequately maintained.
For instance, robotic pool cleaners scrub away the dirt, keeping the pool’s surface smooth and clean. If the debris lasts for too long, though, it could inflict long-term damage.
Increased Cost of Cleaning
If you plan on leaving your pool untreated, be prepared to pay more when you come back to it. Stagnant water is probably going to need more maintenance than you would have if you kept on top of it. Accumulated debris may require the attention of professional pool cleaners, and water treatment for algae and bacteria can get expensive quickly.
How Long Can You Leave a Pool Untreated?
The timeframe will vary slightly with other conditions like weather and your pool type, but here’s a general timeline:
1 Week: After a week of no maintenance, you should start to see some debris accumulation, especially if you are close to trees or plants. Algae might start to develop in shady places.
2 Weeks: After two weeks, algae growth can become apparent, and the water may start to cloud. This means your pool vacuum or your pool cleaner robot will struggle to get them out.
1 Month: The quality of the pool’s water will likely be low at this point, and you might also see severe algae blooms. The filtration system may also begin to clog, which can result in a decline in efficiency. You might need to call a professional to help get your pool back in shape.
3+ Months – Not maintaining your pool for three months or longer can do serious damage to the surface of your pool and equipment. The growth of harmful bacteria may also make this pool unsafe to swim in.
Can You Wait Longer Between Cleanings?
Although regular cleaning is essential, there are ways to cut down on the amount of time you spend keeping your pool in tip-top condition without jeopardizing its health and safety. Here are some suggestions:
Use a Pool Cover
If you are not going to be using the pool for some time, invest in a high-quality pool cover. A pool cover keeps dirt, leaves, and debris from blowing into the pool, so you don’t have to constantly clean it. It also contributes to water chemistry preservation by reducing evaporation and preventing the introduction of contaminants.
Install a robotic pool cleaner.
A swimming pool robot cleaner such as the Beatbot AquaSense Pro will help you reduce the time spent on cleaning. These robots clean the pool floor and walls automatically, and some models have a skimmer to suck up dirt from the surface, too. This resulted in a clean pool without much though: If you do not have time to manually clean your pool several times a week, this is ideal
Keep Your Filtration System Clean
Keep your pool filtration system working efficiently. A clean, properly functioning filter will help remove dirt, debris, and contaminants, which makes it easier to maintain your pool’s water quality.
Test Water Chemistry Frequently
Even if you aren’t cleaning the pool regularly, monitor the water chemistry. Test the pH, chlorine, and alkalinity levels, either with a test kit or test strips. Adding small amounts every so often helps balance out major imbalances.
Conclusion
How long you can get away with leaving your pool untreated depends on a number of factors, but the general rule of thumb is: that the longer you leave it, the more work it’s going to take to restore it. Even if you do not wish to spend too much time on manual cleaning you can opt for tools such as pool cleaner robots, vacuum cleaners, or pool skimmers to keep your pool clean and in good shape for a longer period of time. But if you wait too long without treating your pool then you may end up with expensive repairs, algae growth, and a really big decline in water quality.
Regular cleaning and checks of the water chemistry around your pool will save you time and money in the long run. Use Beatbot AquaSense Pro, Beatbot AquaSense, and other smart pool cleaning tools to minimize the maintenance effort.
