How to Maintain a Pool
So, you’re the proud new owner of a swimming pool. Or, perhaps you’re planning on adding one to your home or business in the near future. That’s great! A swimming pool gives you and your guests a great opportunity to relax and beat the summer heat. However, a pool isn’t all fun and games. It also represents a big responsibility. You’ll need to learn how to maintain a pool if you want it to stay clean and appealing—but what all does this maintenance entail anyway?
At Epic Home Pro, we proudly maintain swimming pools for the Hillsborough County community. We understand the importance of pool maintenance, and we are excited to teach you more about the process below.
An Overview of Pool Maintenance
What makes pool maintenance so important? A swimming pool needs to be clean and functional; otherwise, people won’t want to swim in it. To maintain its condition, you should have two priorities in mind. The first is keeping up with water cleanliness and chemistry. The second is ensuring that all pool components are working correctly.
We highly recommend that you reach out to a professional maintenance company if you don’t want to do this work on your own. We would be happy to help you, for example. However, it’s also very possible to learn how to maintain a pool on your own. Let’s review some of the ways you can DIY below.
Basic Pool Cleaning Tasks
One of the easiest ways to maintain your pool is by skimming it. But what is skimming? It’s the process of using a net to remove unwanted debris from the pool’s surface. This debris includes leaves, dead bugs, and garbage. As you can imagine, swimming is hardly fun when you’re wading around filth the entire time, so aim to skim the pool at least once per week, if not every other day.
We also recommend using a brush to clean the pool’s walls and floors. This is a great way to not only get rid of dirt but also eliminate algae that is beginning to grow. Regular pool brushing is one of the keys to preventing algae blooms.
Balancing Pool Water
One of the most complex parts of pool maintenance is keeping up with water chemistry. There are many different parameters you’ll need to check in on. We’ve included a bulleted list of the big ones below:
- Chlorine. Chlorine is important because it sanitizes your pool by killing microbes and algae. Maintain a chlorine level of 1.0-3.0 ppm for the best results.
- pH. If your pool water is not the correct pH, it can irritate your swimmers’ skin or even damage the pool itself. Aim for a pH level of 7.3 to 7.6.
- Alkalinity. Alkalinity determines the stability of your pool’s pH and needs to be kept within the range of 80 to 120 ppm.
- Calcium Hardness. If your pool’s calcium hardness is too high, it will cause powdery “scale buildup” to appear. The ideal calcium hardness level is 200 to 400 ppm.
There are various chemicals you can add to your swimming pool to adjust its chemistry. We won’t delve into the topic here, but you can read our water chemistry maintenance blog to learn more about the specifics.
Inspecting and Replacing Pool Components
If your pool’s individual components aren’t kept up with, your pool will quickly fall into a state of disrepair. That’s why it’s an important part of learning how to maintain a pool. For example, have you checked on your pool’s pump and filter recently? These components are the circulatory system of your pool, removing impurities and keeping water clean. Make sure your pump is running smoothly and that the filter is cleaned regularly. A clogged or malfunctioning filter won’t remove debris from water efficiently, resulting in a dirty, foggy pool.
What other components should you keep an eye on? Make sure pool lights are working correctly (if your pool has them). You’ll also want to make sure that ladders, slides, and diving boards are secure. If you find any broken parts or loose connections, be sure to correct them to prevent accidents in the future.
Routine Maintenance Schedule
Pool maintenance is a lot to keep up with, so if you are planning to do this work on your own, why not make a schedule? That way, you can more easily keep up with your pool-related responsibilities. We’ve included a sample schedule for your consideration:
- Daily Tasks. Skim debris off the pool’s surface.
- Weekly Tasks. Brush pool walls and floor; test water chemistry.
- Monthly Tasks. Inspect pool components, including filters.
- Seasonal Tasks. Pool deep cleaning and repairs as needed.
With thorough maintenance, you’ll be able to keep your pool in the best possible condition all twelve months of the year. It’s hard work, but being able to take a dip in a clean pool whenever you want is absolutely worth the effort.
Our Professional Pool Maintenance
If learning how to maintain a pool is too difficult for you, there is a convenient alternative. By reaching out to Epic Home Pro, you’ll be able to set up professional pool maintenance with our team of experts. By signing up with us, you’ll get weekly pool inspections, and you won’t have to do any of the work. You don’t even have to be at the property while we work. Our services start at $150 per month, making us an affordable option for residential and commercial clients alike.
Ready to get started? If so, contact us online and let us know about your pool today! We will get back to you as soon as possible so we can set up your first appointment.