Keeping a pool clear is four habits, not forty. Here is the weekly routine, the numbers to aim for, and the seasonal jobs that matter on the Highveld.
The four things you are managing
Circulation
Water that moves gets filtered and sanitised. Run the pump long enough each day, and aim the returns so the whole pool turns over — not just the top 300 mm.
Filtration
The filter removes what circulation brings it. Backwash on pressure rather than on habit, and rinse afterwards so the bed settles.
Cleaning
Skim, brush, vacuum. Most problems people treat as chemical problems are actually dirt problems that chlorine is being asked to solve.
Chemistry
Balanced water protects the surface, the equipment and the swimmers. Test weekly and correct small — correcting late always costs more.
Your weekly routine
Job
How often
What to watch
Empty skimmer and pump baskets
2–3× a week
A blocked basket starves the pump — the most common cause of “weak” circulation.
Skim the surface
As needed
Get leaves out before they sink. Organics on the floor are what stains.
Brush walls and waterline
Weekly
Soft nylon brush on fibreglass. Never a steel brush or an abrasive pad.
Vacuum or run the cleaner
Weekly
More often in windy weeks, or if the pool sits under trees.
Test and correct the water
Weekly
pH first, then sanitiser, then everything else.
Backwash the filter
On pressure
When the pool becomes difficult to keep clean or the pool cleaner starts moving slower.
Check the chlorinator cell
Monthly
Look for scale on the plates and clean it the way the manufacturer specifies.
Full test at a pool shop
Each season
Picks up what test strips miss: calcium hardness, TDS, metals, stabiliser build-up.
The numbers to aim for
ParameterWhy it mattersTarget pHDrives how well your sanitiser works, and how the water feels7.2 – 7.6 Free chlorineThe active sanitiser1 – 3 ppm Total alkalinityStops pH bouncing around every time you dose80 – 120 ppm Stabiliser (CYA)Protects chlorine from being burnt off by UV30 – 50 ppm Calcium hardnessProtects surfaces, fittings and the chlorinator cell150 – 250 ppm Salt (salt pools)Feeds the chlorinator cell3,000 – 4,000 ppm
Correct pH before anything else — sanitiser dosed into badly balanced water is largely wasted. Fibreglass is less fussy about calcium hardness than a marbelite interior, but staying in range still protects your equipment.
Season by season on the Highveld
Spring · Sep–Oct
Open up properly: clean the filter, get pump hours back up and rebalance from scratch. Green water in spring is almost always a filtration and brushing problem, not a chlorine problem.
Summer · Nov–Feb
Peak demand. Run the pump 8–10 hours a day and expect afternoon thunderstorms to dilute your sanitiser and wash dust and organics in. Test the morning after a big storm.
Autumn · Mar–May
Leaf season. Empty baskets more often, keep the surface skimmed, and do not let leaves sit on the floor where they mark the surface.
Winter · Jun–Aug
Dial down, do not switch off. Cut the pump to about 4–6 hours a day and reduce chlorinator output, but keep the water moving and balanced. A neglected winter makes for a very expensive spring.
Five things not to do to a fibreglass pool
Leave these off the list
- Do not acid-wash it. Acid washing is a plaster and marbelite technique. On gelcoat it dulls the finish permanently.
- Do not use abrasive pads, steel brushes or scouring powder. Soft nylon and a pool-safe cleaner do the job without scratching.
- Do not drain the pool without asking us first. An empty shell with groundwater behind it can lift or distort. Draining is a planned job, not a Saturday one.
- Do not tip undissolved granules onto the surface. Dissolve chemicals in a bucket and pour them into the deep end with the pump running.
- Do not let pH sit low. Acidic water is hard on the surface, the fittings and the chlorinator cell all at once.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I run the pump each day?
Long enough to turn the water over — roughly 8–10 hours a day in summer and 4–6 in winter for a typical domestic pool. Split it into two blocks if you are on a time-of-use tariff.
My pool has gone green. Where do I start?
Brush everything, clean and backwash the filter, get pH into range, then sanitise hard and keep the pump running. Chlorine dosed into dirty, unbalanced water is mostly wasted money.
How often should I backwash?
By pressure, not by calendar — when the gauge reads about 30–50 kPa above its clean baseline. Backwashing more often than that wastes water and disturbs the sand bed.
Do fibreglass pools really need less maintenance?
Less, not none. The non-porous gelcoat gives algae nothing to key into, so you brush less and generally use less chemical. Circulation, filtration and weekly testing are the same job on any pool.
Should I cover the pool in winter?
A cover cuts evaporation, debris and heat loss, and makes spring far easier. Keep the water circulating underneath it.
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