Who loves to swim? Who loves being in a swimming pool? Who loves to care for and maintain a pool? We know — we had you for the first two questions and lost you on the third, right? Swimming pools can help alleviate your stress and help you relax and get in shape BUT a swimming pool can be a lot of work and can be stressful. Did I add the chemicals? Did I run the pump and filter long enough? Is the equipment working the way it should? Whew! It can take a lot out of a person!
We want to help you find ways to take the stress out of pool ownership. Okay, you knew we were going there, but your life and your free time will be more lively and free if you hire a swimming pool service contractor to take on the maintenance of your pool. He will come pay a service visit on the schedule you’ve set up. She will inspect the equipment during the service visit. The pool contractor will bring all the chemicals on the service visit so you don’t have to find a way to store them safely.
Swimming pool service contractors alleviate a lot of stress and give you back your free time.
Swimming pools mean that your home is now party central. With that title hanging over your head you definitely want the pool to always be ready when the party is getting ready to happen. Because your pool provides endless hours of fun and is an ideal place to host pool parties for the children and the adults you want to be able to enjoy it and not stress about it.
Okay, if you’re on the fence about becoming a pool owner because you remember how much your parents did not enjoy caring for one here are reasons to get a pool:
- It’s a place to cool off
- Everyone loves pool games
- Everyone loves swimming
- Where better to build family memories?
- Get in shape — without it feeling like work!
- While away the coronavirus pandemic isolation
How To Take Away The Stress Of Pool Ownership
Countless hours will be spent in and around the swimming pool. Because of that, it needs to be attended to regularly. A pool requires almost constant upkeep and maintenance, but the good news is the pool contractor can do the heavy lifting and all you will have to do is test the water and skim off floating debris. Easy peasy!
Consider these “pool rules”
Even though there is a “p” in pool there shouldn’t be pee in the pool! We’d hope that adults would know enough to get out of the pool for bathroom breaks. Need we say more?
Children are another matter. They could get so involved in the fun they are having that they just can’t bring themselves to get out of the pool and go potty. As the adult, you need to make sure they go to the bathroom before they get in the pool and then ask them to get out and try to go to the bathroom every 45 minutes to an hour.
Put younger children in diapers specifically designed for swimming.
If you have a pool house with a restroom facility that may make the “no peeing in the pool rule” easier to enforce.
Health concerns.
Here are reasons to not pee in the pool — share these with the adults who come to swim!
- The water is tested for chemicals like trichloramine and cyanogen chloride. These chemicals form in chlorinated water and when mixed with human urine it reacts with the chemicals and can morph into cyanogen.
- Cyanogen is an odorless, colorless chemical used in chemical warfare and can affect the nervous system, lungs and the heart.
Water chemistry needs to be tested regularly. Your pool contractor tests when he or she pays a service visit. You can invest in a water test kit and ask your contractor to teach you what the readings mean. It’s always best to be an educated pool owner. If you notice a swing in the pool chemical levels, call your pool contractor; you may need a separate service visit.
Here is what your pool contractor tests for when testing water chemistry:
- Cyanuric acid
- free chlorine
- pH levels
- Alkalinity, and
- Calcium
Proper pool water chemistry keeps bacteria out of the water, helps keep eyes from getting red and skin from getting dry and itchy. Water chemistry that is out of balance can also negatively impact the pool equipment.
Don’t let the debris fall into the water. When you skim off debris as soon as you see it, you’re preventing it from getting into the filter and skimmer basket or from falling to the bottom of the pool. Organic matter, like leaves, can stain the pool – that’s why you need to skim them out ASAP.
Clean up the debris that gathers around the pool pump and filter. Don’t let the air circulation be compromised.
The pool filter is the heart of the swimming pool. It does so much of the heavy lifting to keep the pool water clean and always swimmable. If it wasn’t for a properly functioning pool filter, the water quality will be compromised and the water can quickly become a home for algae.
Check for leaks this is not as easy as it sounds. Unless you see standing water around the swimming pool or the equipment, a leak could be insidious and happening in an area you just can’t see.
If you think the pool is leaking but aren’t certain if it’s a leak or a loss of water from evaporation, you can do the bucket test. It’s a simple, low-tech way to check for a potential leak.
- Grab a bucket
- Draw a line inside the bucket where you fill the water level and on the outside of the bucket where the pool water level is
- Drop a brick in it
- Place it on a step inside the pool such that the water level in the bucket is exactly the same as the water level in the pool
- Wait a few days. If there is a significant difference in levels, you have a leak.
Note: If you find a leak you need to address the leak. If you can’t see it, call a swimming pool contractor as that is his area of expertise.