Pool Service and Maintenance Checklist: Everything You Need to Know

With summer around the corner, it’s easy to imagine all of the excitement that comes with the season: outdoor parties, reading a book by the pool, and of course, time in the water! But, before you think of jumping (or diving) in quite yet, consider the various steps you need to take to make sure your pool is ready to use. 

Aesthetics aside, pool service and maintenance are essential to keeping your swimming pool (and all of the swimmers inside) safe and healthy. Plus, regular care and maintenance ensure that your pool will last well into the future!

At urSwim, we work with Dymond Pool and Spa and Chaiken Ultimate Pools, dedicated teams of pool maintenance and cleaning professionals who ensure the swimming experience is top-quality for our students and their families. But, because we also offer at-home swimming lessons where we come to you and provide lessons in your at-home pool, we thought it would be the perfect time to share some of our pool knowledge with urSwim families. We like to spread the knowledge we have gained over the years–and we know a lot about what it takes to keep pools clean!

Although swimming in your pool is certainly more fun than the service and maintenance part, don’t overlook the importance of what regular maintenance can do. Maintaining a sparkling pool requires dedication, knowledge, and attention to detail. But, with a little help, you can do this! If you master the basics like getting to know your pool, having the right supplies handy, and following a regular pool maintenance schedule, you and your family will be practicing your breaststroke, diving, and playing Marco Polo in no time!

Step One: Understand Why Your Pool Service and Maintenance is Necessary

Anyone who has ever swum in a pool before knows that they contain chemicals. The smell of chlorine might as well be synonymous with summer! The fact that chemicals are used in pool service and maintenance might make it seem like pools are “naturally” clean all of the time. However, don’t be fooled–chlorine and bromine only go so far in cleaning your pool. Just like any appliance or machine that gets regular use needs regular check-ins–from your oven to your car–your pool needs to be serviced and maintained regularly. Pool upkeep is key! You need to especially keep an eye on those nooks and crannies, because that is exactly where the dirt and algae growth build up.

Pool ownership comes with responsibilities, including regular maintenance and cleaning.

Step Two: Get to Know the Parts of Your Pool Equipment

But, we’re jumping ahead. The reality is that one of the most important first steps in caring for your pool is getting to know it. This will ensure you’re informed about what parts need to be checked, maintained, and/or fixed. This will ensure you keep things running smoothly and any issues are easy to resolve! Understanding your pool size can also affect the maintenance requirements and costs, as larger pools may need more frequent cleaning and chemical treatments.

Each pool has four components that need regular maintenance:

Pool Water

If this seems like a no-brainer, we know! But, the pool water is the #1 factor in ensuring your pool is safe and happy. When it is balanced and clean, it will protect you, your family, and any pool visitors from water pollutants and contaminants. And, because the quality and cleanliness of the water also affects the machines that keep your pool top-notch, great pool water is the factor that will ensure your pool lasts a long time (and you avoid costly repairs). Your pool water should be sanitized regularly with chemicals like chlorine and bromine and should also be “shocked” monthly with a powdered form of chlorine. So, keeping a close eye on the quality of your pool water impacts your experience in a number of ways.

Pool Filters

If you think about it, your pool filters are very similar to some of our body’s most important organs, the heart and the liver. Similar to the heart, it has a pump and ensures that water keeps circulating, just like our hearts do with blood. The pool pump is crucial in the circulation system, filtering out dirt, debris, and impurities from the water. From the viewpoint of the liver, your pool filter ensures that all of the good stuff stays in and all of the bad stuff (like dirt and other contaminants) stays out! It’s all too easy to imagine what would happen if the filters stopped working. Instead of a pristine, sparkling pool, you would quickly see a cloudy, polluted mess.

Pool Interior

The walls of your pool come into contact with everything from the water to other materials that enter your pool. That’s why it is important to clean and care for this part very well. Making sure the interior walls are free from algae, mold, debris, and other build-up will ensure your pool is safe and clean for all to enjoy.

Pool Skimmers & Returns

Continuing with our body analogy, if the filter is like the heart and the liver, the skimmers and returns are like your veins and arteries. Your skimmers put chemicals into the pool for cleaning, and the returns put the clean water back into your pool. Just like your veins and arteries work best without substances building up inside of them, your skimmers and returns work best when they are clean, too. It is essential to empty baskets regularly to prevent clogging and keep the equipment running smoothly and efficiently.

Step Three: Get to Know the Three “C’s” of Pool Chemicals

When trying to remember the most important elements of pool service and maintenance, keep the three C’s in mind: circulation, cleaning, and chemistry.

Circulation is the most important part of pool service and maintenance. Here are some insights regarding how to keep that cool pool water circulating well:

• Running your pump and filter system: In an ideal world, this would happen 24 hours a day. But, with electricity bills that can be unrealistic. Experts recommend that you run your pump and filter system 8-12 hours a day in the summer months and 4-6 hours a day in the cooler months (if you keep your pool open all year long). Proper maintenance of your pump and filter system is crucial for ensuring effective circulation.
• Angle your jets: Angle at least some of your jets to the 8:00 position on a clock so that the water is pushed to the bottom of the pool and then is pushed back up.
• Clean your skimmer and pump basket: Check and empty these every single day, which will help with water flow.

Cleaning on a regular basis ensures that your water quality is high, the environment is safe for all to enjoy, and you take care of your pool with its longevity in mind. Routine maintenance plays a key role in keeping the pool clean and safe. We will touch on specific cleaning tips in a bit!

Chemistry is the third important factor in regular pool service and maintenance. Don’t worry, you don’t have to have to reference your periodic table! Basic chemistry involves just three things:

• Alkalinity: The ideal range you want to see in your pool water is 100 to 150 parts per million (ppm). That will help you know that it is working as a pH buffer. Stagnant water can disrupt these levels and lead to imbalanced water chemistry.
  
• pH levels: pH is what helps you measure how acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH) your pool water is. You want to aim for a range of 7.4 to 7.6.
  
• Sanitizer levels: This is the measurement of how much chlorine, bromine, and other sanitizers are in your pool water. There is no ideal level for these, because it depends on which type of sanitizer you choose. Speak with a professional to determine what is right for your pool.

Step Four: Have the Right Supplies Handy for Proper Maintenance

When your pool has the proper circulation, cleaning it will be relatively easy. Having the right supplies for maintaining a swimming pool is crucial. Have the following pool cleaning supplies ready for some of the more basic maintenance tasks:

Telescopic Pole: This helps you get to the bottom depths of the pool and the hard-to-reach areas across the length of the pool, whether you’re vacuuming, brushing, or skimming the surface.

Net Skimmer: This will help you remove leaves, other debris from nature, or even the toys the kids forgot to put away.

Pool Brush: This will help you remove the buildup you find on your pool’s interior walls. Based on the type of pool you have, research the best type of brush bristles for you!

Pool Vacuum: Make cleaning the pool floor an easy and quick process. (Alternately, you can invest in an automatic pool vacuum.

Tennis Balls: Does this seem like a curveball tip? In case you’ve never heard of this idea, by tossing a few tennis balls into your skimmer basket, they will absorb any surface oils that remain on top of the water. These oils usually come from what we put on our bodies, like suntan lotion, hair products, and cosmetics.

Pool Shock: Pool shock is a type of chlorine that comes in powdered form and is used to treat your pool water. It makes the water safe and healthy for swimming and is an important part of pool care, regardless of the type of chlorine you use for daily sanitation (including salt water systems). It is available at most home care and pool supply stores.

Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive–talk to a pool professional about the specific items you should have for your pool’s needs.

Step Five: Get on a Schedule to Perform Pool Cleaning the Right Way

Taking good care of your pool doesn’t have to be complex. To take the guesswork out of how to make your pool really shine, keeping the pool clean is essential. Here are some timing suggestions to make each part of your pool service and maintenance routine a breeze:

• Clean the skimmer baskets (daily)
• Vacuum the floor of the pool (daily)
• Brush the walls of the pool (daily)
• Check the pH levels and adjust the water balance (1-2 times per week) to maintain proper water chemistry
• Check the water levels (2-3 times per week)
• Check your pool chemicals and order replacements, if necessary (2-3 times per week)
• Inspect pool equipment for any signs of wear or damage (monthly)
• Clean the filters (monthly)
• Shock the pool to eliminate the buildup of algae and bacteria (monthly) as this step prevents algae growth

By following the above pool safety and maintenance tips, it will be easy to imagine summertime fun for your family, friends, and even the occasional neighbor! You never know who will drop by for a quick dip – and even if you have a surprise guest every once in a while, you are sure to be ready until summer is over.