Pool Care in Dubai: A Year-Round Guide to Crystal-Clear Water, Compliance & Safety
Meta Description: Keep your pool sparkling in Dubai’s heat and dust. This year-round pool maintenance guide covers chemistry, DE/sand filters, safety, and compliance—so villas and facilities stay crystal clear and guest-ready all year.
Why Dubai Pools Need a Different Playbook
Between high heat, sandstorms, and hard water, Dubai pools demand proactive care. With the right schedule and a few smart upgrades, you’ll cut chemicals, reduce downtime, and keep water hotel-grade.
The Gold Standards (Targets You Should Hit)
- pH: 7.2–7.6
- Free Chlorine: 1–3 ppm (residential), 2–4 ppm (heavy use)
- Total Alkalinity: 80–120 ppm
- Calcium Hardness: 200–400 ppm
- Cyanuric Acid: 30–50 ppm
- Salt (SWG): per OEM (≈ 3,000–3,500 ppm)
Pro tip: Log every reading. Trends tell you what a single test can’t.
Your Year-Round Pool Schedule (Dubai Edition)
Weekly (non-negotiables)
- Test & balance pH, chlorine, alkalinity; adjust same day
- Skim, brush, vacuum; clean skimmer and pump baskets
- Top up water to mid-skimmer; check for visible leaks
- Quick visual: tiles, grout, coping, handrails, lights
After Sandstorms
- Shock to 10 ppm free chlorine; brush entire pool; run pump 24–48h
- Backwash filter; clean baskets twice in first 24h
Fortnightly
- Backwash sand/DE filter when pressure rises 8–10 psi from clean baseline
- Clean cartridge (if used); hose from inside out
Monthly
- DE grids: remove & hose clean; recharge with new DE powder
- Inspect seals & unions; lube O-rings; check air relief valves
- Check calcium hardness and CYA; top-up as required
Quarterly
- Deep tile clean (scale line removal)
- Inspect lights & cables; verify RCD/GFCI operation
- Audit chemical storage: lids tight, ventilation clear, labels intact
Pre-Summer (Apr/May)
- Service pump & motor (bearings/noise, shaft seal)
- Check heater/chiller operation; clean condenser coils
- Confirm auto-fill & overflow working (evaporation spikes)
Post-Season (Oct/Nov)
- Lower run-times; review chemical usage; service solar cover/rollers
- Full filter media audit
Filter Mastery: Sand vs DE vs Cartridge
Sand Filters
- Backwash at +8–10 psi; rinse 20–30 seconds
- Replace media every 3–5 years (Dubai dust accelerates wear)
- Use clarifier sparingly; overuse can gum the sand
DE (Diatomaceous Earth) Filters
- Best for polish-level clarity
- After backwash, recharge with correct DE dose via skimmer
- Quarterly grid clean; inspect for tears/pinholes
Cartridge Filters
- Rinse monthly; deep clean quarterly
- Replace cartridges every 1–2 years depending on bather load
Plant-room cheat sheet: keep a laminated card with clean baseline PSI, backwash trigger PSI, and last media change date.
Safety & Compliance Essentials
- Anti-vortex drain covers, secured and in-date; dual drains or SVRS where required
- Electrical safety: RCD/GFCI protection on all pool circuits; annual test
- Villas: self-closing, self-latching gates; child-safe hardware
- Commercial: depth markers, “no diving,” emergency contacts
- Water testing logs: digital/hard-copy with date, time, readings, actions
- Chemical storage: ventilated, segregate acids from chlorine; PPE on site
Note: Some commercial pools require periodic third-party water-quality verification. Keep logs audit-ready.
Chemistry Playbook (Faster Fixes)
- High pH > 7.6: add muriatic acid gradually; re-test in 30 mins
- Low pH < 7.2: add soda ash
- Low chlorine + strong sun: verify CYA 30–50 ppm; consider SWG
- Cloudy water: check filter PSI; backwash/clean; floc if needed, then vacuum to waste
- Scale on tiles: lower pH to 7.2–7.3; use descaler; review calcium & TA
- Algae bloom: shock, brush daily; maintain high FC until overnight loss < 1 ppm
Energy-Smart Pool Ops
- Variable-speed pump (VSP): longer runtimes at lower RPM = clarity with fewer kWh
- Schedule runtimes off-peak; increase after storms/parties
- LED lighting (80–90% less energy)
- Solar cover: reduces evaporation and chemical loss
- Chiller/heater: clean coils; verify setpoints before peak season
Why Hammer Facility?
- In-house pool technicians trained for Dubai conditions
- Plant-room audits with clear PSI baselines & service tags
- Digital logs: chemistry, photos, corrective actions
- One vendor for pool + MEP + HVAC—fewer delays, faster fixes
Ready for resort-grade clarity—every month of the year?
Let’s set up a year-round pool plan (chemistry + filtration + safety + energy). Contact Hammer Facility for a site visit and a customized schedule.