What Are the 3 C’s of Pool Cleaning?

What Are the 3 C’s of Pool Cleaning?

A Happy Frog Pools Guide for Houston & Spring, TX Homeowners

Keeping a Texas pool clear comes down to one simple formula: Circulation, Cleaning, Chemistry.
These three C’s work together, and if one of them slips, algae wins — especially in our Houston heat.

Here’s exactly what they mean in real-world, backyard terms.

1. Circulation — the Most Important C in Houston

Circulation is how well your pool moves every gallon of water through the filter.
Nothing should sit still long enough to grow algae.

Why it matters here:
Houston brings extreme UV, high heat, humidity, pollen waves, oak leaves, pine needles, and constant thunderstorms dumping debris. That combination creates dead spots where algae thrives.

Most common mistake:
Homeowners running pumps only 4–6 hours/day.
In Texas, that’s never enough.

Pro tip from Happy Frog Pools:
I angle returns slightly upward and away from the skimmers to create a slow clockwise rotation. It increases surface pull and breaks up dead zones almost instantly.

2. Cleaning — What the Filter Can’t Catch

“Cleaning” is physical maintenance — the hands-on part.

Every week, I cover:

• Skimming the surface

• Vacuuming the floor

• Brushing walls, steps, and the tile line

• Emptying skimmer/pump baskets

• Checking filter pressure

• Cleaning/backwashing when needed

Local debris we see constantly:
Oak leaves, pine needles, pollen blankets, seed pods, mulch, and worms after storms.

Most common homeowner mistake:
Never brushing.
Vacuuming alone won’t stop algae from rooting into walls and steps. Brushing removes the “film” algae loves to cling to.

3. Chemistry — Letting the Water Fight Back

Chemistry keeps your sanitizer strong and your water balanced.

My Houston targets:

• FC: 3–6 ppm (higher in summer)

• CYA: 30–50 ppm for chlorine pools; 60–70 for salt systems

• pH: 7.4–7.8

• TA: 70–90

• Salt: 3,000–3,400 ppm

My CYA philosophy:
Keep it low–moderate.
CYA protects chlorine from the sun, but too much makes your chlorine almost useless — the #1 reason DIY pools “won’t clear.”

Chemistry myth to forget:
“More chlorine fixes everything.”
If circulation is weak or CYA is too high, chlorine stops working.

A Real Example From the Field

A Spring homeowner complained their pool turned cloudy every 2 weeks. Chemistry looked fine, but the pump only ran 5 hours/day and the returns pointed straight down.

I adjusted return angles + increased runtime to 10–12 hours.

Within 48 hours: crystal clear.
That’s the power of the 3 C’s working together.

The 3 C’s, Explained in One Minute

• Move the water.

• Clean what your filter can’t.

• Keep the balance strong enough so algae can’t win.

If you handle those three, your pool stays clear.

And if you want it handled without touching a net, Happy Frog Pools cleans your pool and removes your dog waste in the same weekly visit — your backyard stays clean, easy, and stress-free.