How to Keep Pool Water Clean Without Filter

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A personal pool gives you all the time you need to enjoy unlimited swimming moments. Keeping it clean is paramount for safe swimming free from viruses and other infections. But how can you keep pool water clean without filter?

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Reasons For Keeping Your Pool Clean

1. It helps circulate the water: Water circulation is important, especially for a small pool that does not have filters. It lowers the chances of debris accumulation.

2. It makes your pool lasts longer: Good pool maintenance makes your pool last longer, thus saving you money in the long run.

3. It saves you money: Well-maintained pools have fewer problems and tend to require fewer repairs. Frequently removing debris, treating and testing your water using test strips minimizes the probability of damage.

4. It provides a safe swimming environment: Cleaning pools helps keep water clear and is vital for your family’s health. Untreated water can lead to serious recreational illnesses such as skin irritation, throat infections, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.

How Do You Keep a Pool Clean Without a Filter and Pump?

Pumps and filters make pool maintenance easier and clean without much struggle. However, you do not stop cleaning pools because you don’t have a filter and a pump. Who does not enjoy swimming in cool, crystal clear water free from germs and viruses during summer? No one, right?

These simple tips will help keep your pool clean and free from dirt. They are suitable for both in-ground and above-ground pools.

1. Remove Debris

Debris and other organic materials will start getting into your pool after some time, and leaving them unremoved may cause staining on the pool’s surface. Use a net skimmer, brush, or a pool vacuum to remove them from the pool as early as possible.

2. Sanitize

You can use a proper level of chlorine to sanitize your pool and keep it safe and clear. Too much of something is dangerous, so you need to put just the required amount depending on the size of your pool.

The free available chlorine level is usually between 1and 3 parts per million; thus, you should maintain it at 3 to 4 parts per million to prevent algae and other debris from developing in your pool.

3. Prevent Algae

Use anti-algae agents such as Algaecide to prevent algae from developing in your pool.

4. Agitate and Circulate

Stagnant water is a breeding ground for gunk, and keeping your water in motion and circulation helps with cleanliness maintenance in your pool. Use a robotic pool cleaner or a pool brush to keep your water circulating and in motion.

How Can I Maintain Kiddie Pools Without a Pump

i) Testing pool water: Use test kits to test your pool water regularly, monitor its chemical stability, and adjust them appropriately to obtain the right balance. Imbalanced pool water tends to get cloudy faster and becomes a breeding space for bacteria and algae.

Cyanuric acid establishes the level of free chlorine and helps protect chlorine against direct sunlight. Free chlorine helps sanitize the pool and maintain the pool’s safety.

Acidity should be maintained at a level of 7.5 and 7.8 to prevent skin irritation and pool erosion, while Alkalinity should be at optimum levels ranging between 60-120.

Calcium Hardness should be maintained at optimum levels ranging between 220 to 350 to prevent damage to the plaster.

ii) Brush it: Brushing your pool helps remove algae build-up to keep your water moving.

iii) Skimming: Skimming your pool regularly helps get rid of the debris blown into the pool by the wind. Slowly skim through the surface to remove all the dirt from the pool

iv) Shocking: Shocking helps raise chlorine levels to enable killing bacteria and germs. Dilute about 3 to 5 times the level of sanitizer and pour it into the entire pool. Refill the pool with water.

v) Flossing the pool: Flocculants make microscopic particles clog together and sink into the pool, which can later be vacuumed easily.

vi) Checking the level of water: Make sure the level of water in your pool water does not go down or up beyond the recommended level. If the water level falls, use a hosepipe to add the levels back to normal and drain the excess water using a garden hose.

How to Circulate Pool Water Without a Pump

1. Use a Siphoning Hose

A siphoning hose helps to circulate the pool when draining and refilling, thus keeping the water clean and clear. Steps for siphoning are as follows;

Step 1: Hook the siphoning tube to the garden until you achieve the desired length. Put the open end of the siphoning hose into the pool and the other end to a faucet.

Step 2: Turn on the faucet to fill the hose with water to create suction to drain the water from the pool. Close the faucet immediately after the hose is filled.

Step 3: Put the open end of the hose outside lower than your kiddie pool to a place where you want to drain the pool.

Step 4: Let the water drain completely from the pool, and if there is some water left, use a scooping device to remove it.

Step 5: Use a pool brush to scrub all the surfaces to remove slippery residue and stains. Once the pool is clean, rinse with clean water.

Step 6: Leave it in the direct sunlight to dry and fill it with fresh water. Add the chemicals that you require.

2. Use a Vacuum

Wet vacuums are the best option for cleaning pools and circulating the pool water.

Step 1: Insert the vacuum hose into the pool to drain the water. You can also keep your pool water as you circulate it if you choose to.

Step 2: Set the vacuum near the pool because it will act as your pump and filter. If the vacuum is short, attach it to a hose to make the vacuum hose longer.

Step 3: Use the vacuum’s outlet to insert a hose and put it on your kiddie pool above the water. Make sure you can see the water flowing in.

Step 4: Turn the vacuum on and leave for about a day to clean and fully circulate water.

How Long Can I Leave Water In a Pool Without a Filter?

A filter basically helps remove bacteria and debris from your pool water to keep it clean.

There is no amount of time that water stays in a pool without a pump or filter. It depends on factors such as water circulation, the last time you treated the water with a disinfectant, water temperature, among many others. Below are the major factors;

1. Without Chemicals

How long can you leave a kiddie pool water without a filter if you choose not to use chemicals? Without chemicals to keep the water sanitized, pool water should be drained immediately after the kids finish using it and then refilled, typically within 24 hours. This should be done daily to prevent algae and other bacteria from growing in stagnant water, thus causing infections to your family.

2. With Chemicals

You can let the water stay much longer if you use chlorine and borax in your kiddie pools. But if your family uses the pool daily, you can change the water every two to four weeks. If you don’t use the pool daily, you can change the water every six to eight weeks.

3. When Accidents Occur

If your kid gets an accident from the kiddie pool, vomiting or urinating, you need to change the pool water immediately. Pour three cups of bleach and use a pool brush to scrub all the surfaces of the inflatable pool before rinsing. Refill and add pool chlorine and other chemicals appropriately.

How Do You Clean a Non-Filtered Pool?

It is not a must to have a filter to enjoy crystal clear water. You can effectively use these guidelines and cleaning products that facilitate the maintenance of the pool.

1. Cleaning

Cleaning helps keep debris and bacteria from your small pool. That is why you should be well equipped with the following cleaning techniques for kiddie pool maintenance.

I) Draining and Refilling: Drain and refill your kiddie pool water daily after every use to keep bacteria and viruses away. Make sure you use a pool brush to scrub all the surfaces properly, leave it in the sun to completely dry. This will help kill all the bacteria that might have built upon the pool over time. Refill it with fresh water.

II) Cover Your Pool Using a Pool Cover: If you cover your kiddie pool, you can protect it from airborne debris when it is not in use. You can use a special kiddie pool cover or tarp, such as a camping-style tarp, to protect it from bugs, leaves, and other debris. Remember to use bricks to weigh the tarp down to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.

Better still, you can set your kiddie pool under a protected area that is covered to protect it from debris. You can use an appropriate size of a screen canopy to provide shade for the kids when playing and keep the kiddie pool clean. Covering reduces your frequency of cleaning.

III) Use Skimmer Nets: Debris such as leaves and grass are fond of blowing into the pool. You can use a skimmer regularly to get rid of this stuff. Milliard is a pool leaf skimmer net with a replaceable inner mesh that helps increase its durability. It is good for nabbing leaves and other debris from the pool’s surface.

IV) Vacuum the Bottom of the Pool: Use a vacuum cleaner to eliminate sand and debris from the inflatable small pools. You can also use an Aqua Broom to vacuum the bottom of your kiddie pool for cleanliness maintenance. Its compartment should be sealed tightly after replacement to prevent corrosion.

V) Soak Sunscreen, Shampoo, and Soap: Use a soap sponge or a Scumbug oil-sucking sponge that soaks up to 40 times its weight.

Dip it near the sunscreen oils at least 15 times to help keep the water in your kiddie pool clean and clear. Don’t forget to rinse the sponge as you use it to suck the bubbles out of the pool.

VI) Keep Children’s feet clean before entering the pool: Kids enter and leave the pools many times. Their feet should be clean every time they enter the pool, set a cleaner just outside the pool for them to step through. This keeps debris out of the pool and reduces the spread of viruses.

2. Use of Household Materials

Household items contain substances that can clean the pool water by killing microorganisms. Here are some of the products used to clean a swimming pool without a filter.

I) White Vinegar: Add white vinegar into your pool to disinfect the pool and eliminate excess calcium buildup. This prevents the pool from appearing whiter.

Add a ¼ of water of white vinegar with ¼ water in a 2-gallon bucket, dip a sponge in the solution formed and use it to scrub until it is sparkling clean, then rinse.

II) Baking Soda: Baking soda is a natural non-abrasive cleaning agent that contains sodium bicarbonate. It is alkaline with a ph of 8 and can be used to raise the pool’s alkalinity and pH to improve its stability and clarity.

Mix half a teaspoon of baking soda in a 26 gallon to form a paste, and apply the paste on your pool’s liner using a scrubbing brush. Leave it to dry up, then rinse.

III) Use Borax: Borax is used for laundry supplies and is cheaper than pool vacuum cleaners. The borax paste can be made using water and used to remove sticky substances, slippery residue, and stains.

IV) Rubbing Alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol): Isopropyl Alcohol effectively removes sticky stains and can also be used in case of wounds caused by accidents. It should be diluted to 60% alcohol.

V) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid): Ascorbic acid is great for stain removal and won’t cause any damage to the body.

3. Use Chemicals

The following are some chemicals that can be used to keep your pool clean.

I) Use Stable Chlorine: Use stable chlorine with an active strength of 55% to sanitize your pool. This chlorine is in granules and can be used in a pool with up to 100 gallons of water.

II) Use Borax: Borax paste is a nontoxic chemical used to remove slippery remains, stains, and sticky substances from the pool. It also raises the pH of pool water and can be found in supermarkets as well as groceries.

Add half a teaspoon of borax paste in 26 gallons and use the paste to clean your pool.

III) Use Algaecide: Since the small pool is mostly around the plants, they have a high possibility of algae growth. You need to use algaecide with an active strength of 60% to kill them. Algaecides also help to kill some bacteria that are resistant to chlorine.

IV) Shock: It should be used after rains or when a lot of people than usual have used to pool. It is recommended to use a packet shock even with sanitizer added to the pool.

To decide which chemical is required, water analysis should be done frequently to test for pH, Chlorine concentration, and alkalinity. This test will help you decide which chemicals to add.

Can You Put Chemicals in a Pool Without a Filter?

Yes, you can add chlorine tablets into your small pools without a filter. It will help kill viruses and bacteria, thus keeping you and your family safer when swimming. You should use chlorine with a flocculant chemical, a product that groups all the impurities that float in the water by making them fall to the bottom of the pool so that you can easily remove them with a cleaner later.

The chlorine concentration in your pool should be between 1 and 3 parts per million. This is the safest range to balance protection against contaminants caused by excess chlorine in the water.

Use test strips or test kits to test your pool water regularly to ensure that it has the right amount of disinfectants such as chlorine and other chemicals. A three-inch chlorine tablet is recommended because it is easy to handle and can provide sanitation for up to 500 gallons of water per tablet.

The following are four ways you can use to add chlorine tablets to your pool;

1. Floating Chlorine Dispenser

Chlorine dispensers are convenient and require low maintenance. They travel around your pool, dispersing sanitizers while the chlorine tablets dissolve.

2. Automatic Chlorinator

The automatic chlorinator is the best choice if you want to have control over your pool’s chlorination levels. It is efficient and convenient. Load it with tablets, then set it for 1 to 3 parts per million chlorine level. Verify the level until you get a setting that works depending on your pool use.

3. Chlorine Granule

You can also sprinkle the pulverized version of chlorine tablets directly into your pool.

Steps For Adding Chlorine to a Kiddie Pool

Step 1: Begin by testing the pool water chlorine levels using test strips. The recommended pH level is between 7.4 and 7.6, and the free chlorine level of between 1 and 3 per million. Determine what chemicals to add to get the desired levels using results.

Step 2: Calculate the volume of water in the pool.

Step 3: Then, adjust the pH levels before adding chlorine. For kiddie pools, you don’t need to worry about ph levels.

Step 4: Add between 1 to 3 parts per million of chlorine in your kiddie pool. This is around 0.00013 ounces of chlorine per gallon of water.

Keep in mind, excess chlorine can make pool water cloudy. Chlorine is a chemical, and any imbalance in the pool water chemicals can cause pool water to turn cloudy. When a high amount of chlorine is added to the pool water, calcium can solidify into calcium carbonate, which can cause the water to cloud.

It may be safe to swim in cloudy water, but swimmers may experience irritation, rashes, and red eyes if the chemicals are not balanced.

Generally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swimming in cloudy pool water poses a serious risk, and you are advised not to swim in it. Cloudy pools are breeding sites for bacteria and pathogens.

Causes of Pool Cloudiness

1. Poor Filtration: If your pool doesn’t have a filter or the filter’s performance is compromised, it will likely be cloudy and dirty because the water is stagnant.

2. Imbalanced chlorine or Ph levels: A pool with imbalanced chlorine and pH level makes the free available chlorine less effective by reducing its levels. A low level of free chlorine forms chloramine that combines with chlorine to form a cloudy appearance on your pool. The combined chlorine level should be below 0.5 parts per million(ppm)

A pH above 7.8 makes the chlorine less effective and will not kill bacteria and other organs.

3. Too high total alkalinity: If the total alkalinity is higher than 200ppm, it can cause an imbalance in the ph, thus leading to calcium scaling. This poses a risk of a cloudy pool, thus rendering chlorine less effective.

4. Too high Calcium Hardness: This is the sum of all calcium dissolved in the water. If the calcium hardness is above 400ppm, it causes calcium scaling and pool cloudiness because it will be unstable.

5. Excess particles from swimmers: Excess sunscreens, make-up, and body oils reflect the light, thus making the pool appear cloudy.

6. Environmental Debris: Leaves and flowers affect the clarity and quality of water, especially stagnant water, without a pump or filter.

How to Lower Chlorine in Your Pool

i) Stop adding chlorine: If your chlorine is a little over 3parts per million, just stop adding more chlorine to the water. Turn off a chlorinator or a chlorine feeder. If you use a chlorine tablet, remove it as well as a chlorine floater.

When you stop adding more chlorine, it will automatically de-chlorinate with time.

ii) Don’t cover Your Pool: Ultraviolet from sunlight will destroy chlorine. Leave the pool uncovered and allow sunlight to do its work. Frequently monitor the pool and resume chlorination if it drops to 2 ppm.

iii) Add a Chlorine Neutralising Chemical: You can also add Sodium Thiosulfate or Sodium Sulfite to reduce chlorine if you want to fix the mess quickly.

iv) Replace the existing pool water: You can drain and refill the water using freshwater for a natural dilution for kiddie pools.

Shocking a Pool Without a Pump or Filter

Shocking small pools is an effective way of killing algae and helps break up chlorine and contaminants. If the free available chlorine level is below 1 part per million, it will not effectively disinfect the pool.

Test the Ph of the pool water. Add muriatic acid to lower if it is too high. Chlorine should have a pH of between 7.2 to 7.8, and it loses its effectiveness when above this.

Find out the cyanuric acid level in the pool water to determine if it ranges between 20 to 50 parts per million. Add stabilizer if it is too low to raise the concentration.

Measure your pool’s volume to determine the amount of bleach you need to add.

Add bleach and mix thoroughly by circulating the water, preferably in the evening or late afternoon.

i. Frequency of Pool Shocking

A pool should be shocked once per week even if you don’t think it needs it to maintain the pool chemicals and water balance. If you use the pool daily, then you should regularly shock your pool.

Use about two pounds of shock for every 10,000 gallons of water in your pool. This ensures that your pool gets the right amount of chemicals to treat it.

ii. When to Shock Your Pool

Here are some instances when you should certainly shock your pool:

a) Shock your pool when you open it for the season to kill any bacteria or algae.

b) Shock your pool after heavy use or a party.

c) Shock your pool when it’s hot. Bacteria grow when the weather is too hot, and sunlight may lower chlorine levels.

d) Shock your pool after heavy rain because too much rain can increase pH levels and send contaminants into your pool.

e) Shock your pool if you smell chlorine because this could mean that chloramines have build-up in pool water.

f) Shock your pool anytime the pH level is between 7.2 and 7.4

Can Pool Water Kill My Flowers?

You are draining your pool, but you don’t want to waste the whole water? Are you worried that it may kill your flowers in the backyard? Well, this will depend on the amount of chlorine concentration. It is, however, not advisable to drain freshwater into your flower garden because the chemical used can be toxic and kill them.

Unless you have tested and confirmed that the level of chlorine concentration is lower and cannot harm them.

When you use white vinegar to clean your swimming pool, draining the water into your backyard flowers may kill or turn them yellow since vinegar is a weed killer.

Salt for Pool Treatment

Yes, you can clean the pool using salt to help you get rid of stains, viruses, scum buildup, and bacteria in your pool.

Below are some steps to guide you when cleaning your pool using salt.

1. Clean the walls and surfaces: Use a pool scrub to clean the pool liner and surfaces to eliminate algae and any other microorganisms. Let the pool dry in the sun.

2. Refill and Add salt: Refill the pool with clean water and add salt appropriately, depending on the size of your pool.

3. Keep the pool open: Do not cover the pool until the salt is completely dissolved in the water. This will help the water stay fresh. Covered pools can trigger the development of some algae and other organisms.

i. What are the Benefits of Using Salt to Clean Your Pool?

i) Salt is affordable and harmless in nature: Compared to other expensive chemicals, salt is very affordable and effective. You can always go with salt treatment for your kiddie pool.

ii) Salt treatment makes water softer: The salt is used as a water softener, thus has a similar effect on the pool water. Use salt if you do not want your kid to end up with dry skin.

iii) Salt treatment does not smell in water: Treating your pool water with salt does not make the pool smell like chlorine, making it favorable for kids. You can get rid of the harsh chlorine smell simply by changing it to saltwater.

ii. When to Add Salt to Your Pool

There is no specific time to add salt to your pool since salt does not dissipate from your water. However, it is advisable to add salt to your pool after heavy rain has diluted the salinity levels or after adding clean water.

First, add the freshwater, then measure your salinity levels to determine how much to be added to your pool. After the freshwater has been added, test your water by reading your salt chlorine generator’s control box.

After taking note of the salt levels, determine how much salt is needed to raise your pool’s water levels. It’s recommended to wait for about 20 minutes before you go back swimming after adding salt to your pool.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I swim in a pool without a pump?

Yes, you can swim in a pool that does not have a pump as long as you continue to maintain chlorine and other chemicals balanced.

2. How can I keep my water clear naturally?

You can use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), which is naturally alkaline, with a pH level of 8. Adding baking soda to your pool water raises both the pH and the alkalinity, improving stability and clarity.

You can also use white vinegar. For every 100 gallons of water in a pool, add 1//2 a cup of White Vinegar.

3. How do I make the water in my swimming pool water crystal clear?

Check the pH levels to know the pool chemicals you need to add and the amount to keep the water balanced.

Check water levels. Having the right amount of water gives the pool skimmer an easy time removing dirt from the top of the water.

Clean debris promptly. Always ensure that any debris that enters the pool is cleaned immediately.

4. How long can you leave a pool pump off?

There is no problem in keeping your swimming pool running for a few days without a pump. However, a standard pool needs pool water running at least once in 24 hours to prevent algae growth. It is best to have your pump ready as soon as possible.

5. Which equipment can I use to clean my pool?

You can use a vacuum hose. Connect it to the vacuum head, and when lowered into the pool, it will fill with water. Unplug the other end of the skimmer suction hole to pull out water and debris through the hose.

Use leaf trap. A leaf trap has a basket inside the canister to trap leaves and debris. Attach one end to the vacuum hose and the other to the skimmer.

Use Skim Net. It attaches to a telescopic pole and helps remove any floating debris effectively.

Use a pool brush. You can either use stainless steel brushes for concrete pools and plastic for vinyl-lined pools to help remove the film, slippery spots, and algae from the pool liner.

6. What happens if you don’t clean your swimming pool?

Not cleaning your swimming pool means calling for water recreational illnesses such as diarrhea and respiratory infections.

Conclusion

If you follow the above methods appropriately, you will have a clean swimming pool sooner than you expected without worrying about not having a filter or pump.

You just need the right alternative equipment and know-how to use them to maintain your pool and keep the water clear.