Living in a house with a pool is a great privilege. It’s priceless to come home after a tiring day at work, take a dip in crystal clear water and have fun with friends and family.

However, to take advantage of these moments, it is necessary to bear the work and maintenance costs throughout the year. One of the biggest complaints of those who have the equipment at home is the fall of leaves in the pool. They not only influence the visual aspect, but also damage the quality of the water, and can even make it cloudy.

That doesn’t mean you need to cut down all the trees in your house or give up having a garden. You just need to know how to handle the leaves and clean them properly. To help you in this task, we prepared this post to explain the consequences of keeping them in the water and give tips on how to remove or avoid them. Check out!

What are the problems that leaves bring to the water?

As with any organic component or object that comes into contact with water, leaves in the pool also interfere with chemical balance, causing pH and alkalinity changes, preventing chlorine from acting with maximum efficiency and, consequently, contributing to the proliferation of algae. and bacteria.

The reason for this disorder is that the leaves produce organic matter. In addition, they are exposed to rain, sunlight, birds and insects. Therefore, when they come into contact with the pool water, the chlorine will have a lot to fight and will stop performing other functions, causing a chemical imbalance in the water.

At the same time, as the leaves do not have a neutral pH and each species has a specific index, the pH of the water will be changed by each leaf that comes in contact. Imagine the consequence of dozens of leaves! The water may become cloudy. That is, if exposed for a long period of time, it is likely that the pool will have to undergo shock treatment.

Another fact worth mentioning is equipment clogging, as most of them are caused by waste such as leaves. In some cases, the magnitude of the disorder requires hiring the services of a plumbing company.

Finally, for those who have a fiberglass pool, it is necessary to warn that some sheets contain properties that can cause stains in the material.

How to deal with leaves in the pool?

Now that you know all the harm that leaves can cause to pool water, check out 5 tips to keep them away without having to give up your plants.

1. Constantly clean the pool surface

Trust me, it’s much easier to clean the surface of the pool daily than to ignore the debris and then have to get it out of the pool when it’s already changing the color of the water.

Remove all leaves, insects and other dirt with a special sieve for swimming pools, especially in autumn, when the incidence of winds is higher. In addition to preventing the reaction with chemicals, you will prevent clogging of drains and other equipment.

2. Filter pool water

To prevent leaves and other natural residues, such as insects, from being attacked by chlorine, causing product waste, it is necessary to remove them from the water as soon as possible.

Therefore, it is essential to always filter the water using the skimmer. If you don’t already have the equipment, you can purchase a portable version. Just remember to always carry out its maintenance and cleaning.

3. Check water quality

When leaves and other organic materials fall into the pool, they soon decompose from the moisture. This fact makes the chemicals present in the water come into action to fight them. However, as the amount of chlorine and other agents is calculated according to the size of the pool, they will not be able to do their job.

The consequence will be a contaminated environment that is conducive to the creation of bacteria and algae, and can even make the water cloudy. Therefore, always check the water conditions, such as pH, and adjust if necessary.

Want a tip? When pruning the garden, for example, increase the amount of chlorine placed in the pool. So, even if it is consumed quickly to fight debris, it will still be enough to maintain water quality.

4. Use protective covers

You know the saying “prevention is better than cure”, don’t you? It also fits perfectly when it comes to leaves in the pool. Therefore, a suggestion is to cover it while it is not being used to prevent waste from reaching the water.

Even if you don’t want to camouflage the beauty of the pool, this can be a very useful option on pruning days. This tip also applies to those who don’t have a garden at home. After all, leaves can come from the street and neighboring houses through the wind.

You can opt for a tarp or a deck. While tarps are significantly cheaper, decks are an excellent option for anyone who would like to use the pool area for other activities. That is, the decision on the type of coverage is personal.

5. Can the plants

To prevent leaves from reaching the pool, take care of the surroundings. Prefer species that show less leaf and flower fall and give priority to those that contain these elements with greater dimension. You’ll find that it’s easy to pull out larger sheets than several small ones.

Keep the pruning of the plants up to date to prevent the leaves from loosening on their own. A tip is also to collect the ones that fall to the ground to prevent them from reaching the pool through winds.

Last but not least

Remember that water maintenance must be done in all seasons of the year and, unlike other care that must be intensified in summer, attention to leaves must be redoubled in autumn. That’s because, this is the time when we find more leaves in the pool.

If you don’t have time to work on conservation, invest in high-quality equipment, such as filters that suck up as much waste as possible, and enlist the help of a professional.