How to Care for a 12' Swimming Pool
- 1). Monitor your 12-foot swimming pool's pH balance. The pH balance of a pool refers to how close your pool's water is to becoming acidic versus registering more on the base side of the scale. A high or low pH level could cause your pool to become uncomfortable to swim in, so try and keep the pH level as close to 7.5 as you possibly can. Add an acid (like muriatic acid) to lower the pH level and add a base (like sodium bicarbonate) to raise the pH level.
- 2). Add chlorine to your 12-foot swimming pool's water regularly. How much chlorine you will add depends on what type of chlorine you are using. For example, if you choose tablets composed of calcium hypochlorite, you would need to use around nine tablets for your approximately 3,000-gallon pool. If you're having a pool party where a lot of swimmers will be in and out of the pool, you may have to increase that number to keep the pool clean.
- 3). Buy a pool filter specifically made for a pool of your size. There are pool filters of all three types (sand, cartridge and DE) available specifically for a pool with around 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water. If you purchase a pool filter that is too small, it may have a hard time filtering obstructions from the water.
- 4). Monitor the water level in your pool and add water regularly. Under normal conditions during the summer, you will lose about one to two inches of water in your pool per week. In a 12-foot diameter circular pool, this equates to between 67 and 135 gallons of water. Add that amount of water back into your pool, being sure to only fill the overall pool to about 90 percent of its capacity (as is recommended by most pool manufacturers).
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