GOOD MAINTENANCE OF A POOL

Jesús Sáinz is originally from the Rioja region, but the climate, landscape and opportunities that this island offers were enough to entice him to set up here. In 2003, having trained in Tourism, he set up a dealership for the Desjoyaux brand in Ibiza, which he manages, and since then he has been fully dedicated to the construction of swimming pools. Soon after he was joined by Ibiza-born Cristina Galisteo and Colombian Mauricio Restrepo, who are now the administrative-salesperson and the technician for the company. All three members of this dynamic and wellmatched work team share their appreciation of the wonders this island has to offer: “Its spectacular surroundings, the fabulous climate it basks in for most of the year, the harmony enjoyed by so many people who come from all four corners of the world and live side by side, and the possibilities the island allows to enjoy an incomparable quality of life.” Desjoyaux team Jesús Sáinz Cristina Galisteo Mauricio Restrepo With seven years’ experience behind it, this small company is a leader in its market. It is hard to find a better trained specialist on the island than Jesús, and since the good weather is just beginning we ask him for some advice to help us maintain our pool correctly. Jesús tells us that pool maintenance is based on two basic elements. Firstly, physically cleaning it, which means hoovering the pool floor regularly, cleaning the walls and the surroundings, as well as maintaining the filter in a clean state so that it works well. Secondly, and just as importantly, appropriate chemical treatment of the water must be carried out. As well as keeping the filter going for long enough, which depends on the season and especially on the temperature, it is very important to maintain the correct levels of pH and chlorine in the water. For this a specific tester is used that allows us to know which products (and in what amounts) we need to use in order to restore the ideal balance. The pH level must be between 7 and 7.4 and the chlorine must be between 1 and 1.5.
High temperatures tend to be the most damaging factor to the quality of the water. For this reason, in winter maintaining the pool is quite a lot easier. However, rain and storms cause a lot of dust and leaves to fall into the pool, which is why the best solution is to “hibernate” our pool by covering it with a protective cover that is especially designed to protect it from solar radiation and to stop algae developing in the water. This easy method, combined with a minimum amount of filtering time and a specific product that stops lime and dirt from taking hold, will maintain the pool in perfect condition, which means that getting it ready for our first dips in it will be uncomplicated and quick. The year in which Piscinas Desjoyaux opened its doors in Ibiza happened to also be the international year of water, so this company shares the concern of using water responsibly, especially on an island where H2O is a scarce and precious resource. This is why Jesús recommends maintaining your pool all year round, avoiding having to refill it each summer, which is an unnecessary waste. For this, all you have to do is keep an eye on the pH and the chlorine so that they remain within the right levels, both in summer and winter. Maintaining our pool well results in big water savings, but also less chemical use, so take good note of his advice.
Text: Jordi Canut Martin