Weekly Maintenance: Brush the entire surface of the pool, including any tiled areas. Manually vacuum or brush any dirt and debris, which has not already been removed by your cleaning system, toward the main drains. Net any debris off the surface of the pool water. Clean out the skimmer and pump baskets. Check the filter pressure to determine if backwashing or cartridge cleaning is necessary. Test the levels of chlorine, pH and alkalinity. If the pool has a chlorinator, check the level of chlorine and add as needed. Filter Maintenance: Cartridge Filters: When the pressure gauge increases 10 psi, tear down the filter bt removing the cartridge element. Clean thoroughly. D.E. Filters: Every 6 months, or whenever pressure gauge reads "dirty", tear down the filter by removing the grids. Clean thoroughly. Beyond Weekly Maintenance: Every month, if the pool has a salt chlorinator, check the salt content level. When necessary, "super chlorinate" or "shock" the pool water after heavy usage or a heavy rainstorm. Brushing Your Pool Brushing is an important part of the initial new pool cleaning process buy, even after your pool is clean, (and even if you own an automatic cleaning system), it is important to occasionally brush your pool to remove the dirt that adheres to the wall and floor. When brushing your pool, start at the top of the walls on the tile line and work your way down to the bottom of your pool or spa. Please be careful while brushing because allowing plastic edges of the brush to scrape the surface may cause marking of the plaster. Using steady, firm strokes, always brush the dirt toward the recirculating drain, overlapping your brush strokes. Using Your Vacuum Cleaner Many pools may not require a vacuum cleaner when an automatic leaning system is installed, however, there are always those special times with heavy use of the pool, wind storms, or children throwing dirt or debris int the pool may overtax the cleaning system. The vacuum works as part of the filter system and is attached through the skimmer. The pool water, along with dirt and leaves, are drawn through the vacuum and flow through the normal filter system. Leaves, and other large objects, are caught in the strainer basket and smaller particles are removed in the filter.