Having a pool is great, right? Especially now, in the thick of summer, when it feels so good to dive into cool, crystal-blue waters and float on one of those ridiculous unicorn-shaped loungers with a chilly drink in your hand. Heaven! Unfortunately, for every day you spend enjoying your pool, it can feel like you spend three cursing at the chemicals, skimming crap off the surface, and vacuuming. Oh, the humanity! Luckily, pool maintenance doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Here are some basic tips to keep your pool looking great and your stress levels down.
Reserve One Day a Week for Pool Maintenance
First of all, you should designate one day a week as your pool maintenance day and religiously set about to making sure everything gets covered on that one day. According to Realtor.com: “Measure and adjust your pool chemicals, brush out the pool, and break out the net for any big debris. Then, empty the baskets and make sure the pool filter is clean.” This way, you get all the hassle out of the way and leave free time to enjoy the pool. Of course, you can always hire a pool-cleaning service to pick up the maintenance for you, but you’re talking about a couple of hundred dollars a month at least.
Save Monthly for Pool Expenses
Secondly, when you are making your monthly budget, make sure you set aside a modest amount of money regularly for inevitable pool breakdowns. Pools have a lot of finicky parts that, thanks to their constant contact with water, tend to malfunction easily. The pump could stop working, the plumbing could erode, or one of the baskets could break… and these are just some basic examples. Don’t get caught with your proverbial pants down. Make sure you have money set aside for repairs.
Regularly Check Your Water Level
Lastly, keep an eye on the water level in your pool. If it gets too high, you risk the pool overflowing and potentially flooding your yard or even your home. If it gets too low, your filter motor could run dry and burn out. A good way to gage whether your water level is good is to keep an eye on your skimmer - the hole in the side of the pool where the pool pump sucks water in for filtering. Your water level should come right to about the middle of the skimmer hole. If your water level is low, get the hose out and add water. If it’s high, check your owner’s manual on how to drain your pool.
With just some basic care, you can ensure that you have a summer full of fun in your pool!
