A swimming pool is a significant investment for homes and businesses. In addition to all the fun outdoor experiences it gives to family members and visitors, including adults and children, it increases your property value. Ideally, you can enjoy your pool for years after construction. However, this comes with a need to properly maintain it to keep it clean and luxurious. Thus, consider pool maintenance when budgeting for a swimming pool for your home.
Pool maintenance entails cleaning the pool, testing its waters for chemical levels, adding chemicals to the water to maintain safe balances, and inspecting the pool and equipment for repair and plumbing issues. Pool maintenance is done by professionals who are trained and experienced in it. Although it comes with an additional cost, it keeps your pool in perfect condition for all the outdoor activities you plan for the entire family. You should speak to a competent pool builder to understand how it is done.
The Benefits of Swimming Pool Maintenance
When building a swimming pool for your home or business, a pool builder will discuss many things with you, including the need for regular maintenance. Regularly maintaining your pool offers numerous benefits, including keeping it clean and functional and increasing its lifespan. Remember that a pool is an expensive investment. Taking good care of it through proper maintenance assures you of a longer time in service; here are some of the benefits you should think of when considering pool maintenance:
It Extends the Lifespan of Your Pool and Its Equipment
Regular swimming pool maintenance is important to keep the pool functional for years. A swimming pool is not a temporary investment that should serve you for a few years. If well cared for, you can use it for many years. Maintaining the pool also entails caring for the pool equipment, like filters, heaters, and pumps. You do this by cleaning, preventing corrosion, handling the wear and tear, and balancing chemicals. Pool maintenance is a proactive approach that will also reduce the need for costly repairs and premature equipment replacement, thereby saving you money.
Pool Maintenance Enhances Its Safety
Maintaining your swimming pool in perfect condition is also an excellent way to keep it safe for all users, including children and adults. The algae and debris that accumulate in the pool after some time can become a safety hazard for your family. For example, they can cause slip and fall accidents, especially if algae grows on the decks and steps. They should be removed from time to time to prevent such accidents.
Proper maintenance also involves maintaining adequate chlorine and PH levels in the water, which protects your skin and eyes from irritation. Ensuring that chemicals are properly balanced in your pool water also eliminates dangerous bacteria and discourages the growth of algae, which can cause skin irritations and infections.
Additionally, you should have your pool alarms, heaters, and gates checked regularly to keep the pool and its environment safe.
Pool Maintenance Improves Water Clarity and Quality
A clean pool should have clear and quality water at all times. Thus, you must clean it regularly and ensure proper filtration for its water to remain clean and sparkling. This is what makes you enjoy dipping into the pool. Additionally, balancing the chemicals in the water protects your pool from harmful bacteria that create an unsafe swimming environment. Your best family moments will be in a clean and safe pool, which you achieve through regular pool maintenance.
Regular Maintenance Saves You Repair Costs
Maintaining your swimming pool also includes addressing any issues in the pool or its equipment. Doing this regularly will capture most of these issues at their onset stage, before they worsen and become extremely expensive to repair. Repairing them at that stage prevents them from escalating and saves you considerable money on costly repairs. For example, you can detect a minor leak during regular maintenance. A small leak is easier and cheaper to repair than a major one. However, if such a small leak is ignored, it compromises the entire structure of your pool, making it very expensive to repair.
What Does Swimming Pool Maintenance Entail?
A properly built swimming pool is an excellent investment that improves the appearance of your home, adds to the list of fun activities you can enjoy in your backyard, and increases your home value. However, a well-maintained pool will give you the most relaxing and enjoyable experience for years in that home. You will enjoy stress-free and the most pleasant experiences in your pool when it is properly maintained. Thus, consider working closely with a swimming pool expert for installation and maintenance to ensure this costly investment will serve your needs for many years.
Swimming pool maintenance entails the following:
Ensuring Safe Chemical Levels in Your Pool Water
Chemicals in your water prevent algae growth and harmful bacteria that could harm your skin and general health if left to thrive. However, balancing these chemicals is crucial for your safety. If the levels are low, the environment in your pool will be conducive to the growth of dangerous bacteria. If the levels are high, the chemicals can harm your skin and irritate your eyes. High concentration levels of these chemicals can also damage your pool or equipment. Thus, you must test these levels regularly to ensure they are well balanced.
The main chemical levels you should maintain in your pool are calcium hardness, chlorine, total alkalinity, and pH.
Cleaning the Swimming Pool
Keeping your pool clean and properly maintained is necessary to ensure you enjoy your swimming and fun moments with family and friends. Pool cleaning ensures that the water and the pool surface are always clean. A good cleaning routine for your pool includes skimming leaves and insects that fall into the water and any debris accumulating in the pool every few days. You can do this frequently during the swimming season to protect your pool from staining, prevent its filter from clogging, and make it easier to clean the hard-to-clean areas.
Additionally, clean the pool vacuums, tops, and filters to keep them functional. Clean vacuums and filters function more effectively and will be less likely to clog. Your pool maintenance expert will recommend replacing your filter after a few years (according to the manufacturer’s instructions) to enjoy better service for your pool.
Scrubbing and Vacuuming the Swimming Pool
This is part of the regular cleaning you should plan for your pool. Set time aside to scrub the sides and surfaces of your pool to remove algae, stuck debris, and other stains that change the general appearance of your pool. When vacuuming, the suction sucks up stubborn debris from the pool walls and floor. Scrubbing and vacuuming also keep your pool hygienic for your overall well-being. Any dirt in your pool will affect the quality of your pool water, putting you at risk of infections and irritations.
Inspecting Plumbing and Pool Equipment
You should regularly check your pool’s plumbing system and the pool equipment’s functionality to ensure they are working as they should. Regular checkups help you spot issues at the developing stage, before they escalate into major problems that take a long time and are expensive to repair. When you notice an issue during regular checkups, you can fix it on time, which takes less time and is inexpensive. With regular maintenance, you are sure that your pool and its equipment are functioning as they should all the time.
Working with a Swimming Pool Maintenance Expert
Swimming pool maintenance is not something that anyone can do. There are trained and expert pool maintenance experts you should engage to ensure efficient performance of your pool. Besides, experts are trained to keep different types of swimming pools functional. They will know exactly what your pool needs, what to check, and how to perform minor and major repairs to keep you enjoying your swimming and fun moments with family and friends.
Since swimming pool maintenance is ongoing, you must sign up with a company that periodically checks and cleans your pool for optimal performance. How frequently you need the service and the amount you pay for pool maintenance depend on the size and type of your pool, the equipment you have invested in, and how regularly you use it. Here are some considerations you should make when hiring a swimming pool maintenance expert:
The Services They Offer
Generally, swimming pool maintenance companies offer various maintenance services at one rate. Some have better rates than others. Before considering the price and going for the most affordable option, it helps to find out what services are included in that price. When it comes to pool maintenance, you want to ensure every bit of your pool is properly maintained for quality long-term service. A company that offers full maintenance for your pool and its equipment should be at the top of your list of priorities. Compare a few companies with the same or similar rates to choose the one that offers exactly what you need at a good rate.
How Often Do They Do Maintenance
Pool cleaning and maintenance should be done as regularly as possible. However, this mainly depends on where you live, the location of your pool, how often you use it, and the frequency with which you perform. You can skim your pool daily to remove leaves, insects, and floating debris. If you use your pool almost daily, cleaning the surfaces and vacuuming the pool can be done weekly. The cleaning and maintenance of your pool equipment, like filters, can be done monthly.
However, your routine largely depends on how much you use the pool. If you cover your pool, daily skimming can be unnecessary. People who use their pools frequently need to clean them more often than those who rarely use them. You should discuss your needs with your maintenance expert to determine your pool’s best cleaning and maintenance routine.
If They Are Licensed and Insured
Remember that a swimming pool is an expensive investment for your home. You should be careful when hiring cleaning and maintenance services and stick to the best service in the industry. A licensed expert means they have the right training and experience to handle the job. Licensing bodies are very particular about the skills and attitude they consider when issuing professional licenses. The maintenance expert should also be insured to protect you against any losses that you could incur during cleaning and maintenance.
Check Reviews and Testimonials
When hiring a pool maintenance expert, it is safe to look for referrals from people who are already using the service. These can be your friends, family members, or colleagues. If anyone is already using such a service, they will give you all the information you need to understand about the kind of service you will expect from the expert.
Today, you can also find a pool maintenance expert online. Individuals and companies offering such services are advertising online. A simple online search for a pool maintenance expert near you will give you several options to consider. However, you have to check out their reviews and testimonials to understand the kinds of services they offer.
Find a Pool Maintenance Expert Near Me
Investing in an expensive modern swimming pool for your home in Jacksonville is not enough. You must consider cleaning and maintenance to enjoy a clean, safe, hygienic pool for a long time. Although you can handle daily cleaning, which mainly entails skimming the pool for debris, leaves, and insects, you need professional cleaning and maintenance services. An expert will ensure your entire pool and its equipment are always clean and functional.
We offer pool building and maintenance services at Oak Wells Aquatics for residential and business needs. Our licensed and insured pool maintenance experts have the skills and experience to keep your pool clean and functional for years. We can also save you a considerable amount by ensuring that repairs are done promptly before they escalate. Call us at 904-619-3281 to learn more about pool maintenance and our services.