Swimming pools are a lot of work. The swimming pool contractors and service professionals from Tipton Pools in Knoxville, TN understand that. They work with new, and longtime pool owners and have put together tips for new swimming pool owners that are also a great refresher for pool owners who do their own maintenance and upkeep.
Taking care of, cleaning and balancing swimming pool chemicals is a sometimes tricky undertaking. In fact, many swimming pool owners find it costs them less money to hire a swimming pool service contractor than it does to care for the pool on their own. The reason for that is that if you don’t understand pool chemistry you tend to add too much of one chemical, too little of another, then you need to add more of one to balance out the first uneven chemical balance — whew! It takes a lot of time and can take a lot of money to keep replacing chemicals.
Also, if you have limited free time would you rather swim or clean the pool?
Tips for new swimming pool owners
- Ask a pool contractor to write down the recommended pressure for your swimming pool pump. If you’re doing your own service and maintenance you will want to check the pressure to assure it’s where it belongs. If it’s too high or too low you can run into major problems with your pool. Call a pool contractor if you notice higher or lower readings.
- How often does the pool filter need to be changed? How will I know when it needs to be changed? If you’re DIYing your pool maintenance you need to understand the nuances of needing to change the pool filter. You will also need to understand the particular type of filter you have: DE, cartridge or sand and its unique challenges.
- Don’t lose track of any of the warranty information, pool and pool equipment manuals and contact information for a local swimming pool contractor. You don’t want to be scrambling if your pool runs into an issue.
- Your pool water test kit is your lifeline to swimmable, bacteria-free water. Buy a pool water test kit and ask a pool pro how to understand the readings. You can even take water from your pool to a local pool contractor and ask them for help interpreting the readings. The water should be tested regularly so you can keep up with chemical balancing.
- Buy and more importantly, use a pool cover. When you’re diligent in using a pool cover you can help reduce maintenance time, reduce evaporation and protect your children and pets from falling in.
- If you work with a pool contractor you will still want to skim the water between service visits. Note: if you use a pool cover you can eliminate skimming. Ask your pool contractor how often the pool needs to be vacuumed and if you need to vacuum between service visits. You may want to invest in a robotic vacuum device.
Give us a call, whether you’re a new pool owner or a long-time pool owner. We can help you with maintenance and we can teach you how to maintain your own pool if DIY is your thing!