30 Jun Summer Is Here! Time to Service & Maintain Your Pool
If you haven’t used your pool for months, it will need some special care and maintenance so it’s ready to use all summer long. You can call a local pool maintenance company to professionally clean, inspect, and repair your pool and its fixtures and accessories. A pool service will also balance the pool’s chemistry so it’s safe and clean. You can also take care of some simple pool service and pool maintenance tasks yourself. Here’s a beginner’s guide to summer pool maintenance in Tucson, AZ.
Inspect Your Pool & Surrounding Areas
Before you begin doing any pool maintenance, and even before you call a local pool company, you should inspect your pool and the surrounding areas. These are the areas you’re going to look at:
- Pool deck and patio – Walk all the way around your pool and patio and make sure the ground is level, there aren’t any cracks or breaks that could pose a tripping hazard, and that everything is in good, safe condition.
- Pool water – If your pool has been covered, the water is more likely to be relatively clean when you inspect your pool for summer. If it isn’t, use your skimmer or pool cleaning tools to fish out debris. Look for signs of algae, or fetid, smelly water.
- Pool interior – If your above ground pool has a liner, inspect it for warps, breaks, cracks, rips, tears, leaks, and discoloration. A pool company can provide professional pool liner repair or replace the lining so your pool is safe to use and you won’t waste any water. If you have an in-ground pool, check the pool’s interior, including the walls, floor, tiles, steps, stairs, ladder, and pool lights. You want to look for damage like cracks, breaks, and chips. You want to make sure the pool lights work and aren’t broken or damaged. You want to make sure the pool steps, benches, and ladders are safe to use and don’t pose any hazards. You can also look for stains, mold and mildew growth, algae, trash, and other debris.
- Pool filter system – The pool’s filter system is what keeps it clean and circulates water so contaminants and dirt don’t affect the condition and safety of the water. Check your pool’s filters and see if they need to be cleaned, repaired, or replaced. If they aren’t functioning properly, your pool will quickly become cloudy, discolored, smelly, and dirty.
- Pool vacuum – Test your pool vacuum to make sure it’s running and functioning properly.
- Pool skimmers and returns – Your pool skimmers and returns pull water into the pool’s filter for cleaning and then push the clean water back into the pool. Make sure they are clean, functioning properly, and are free of obstructions.
- Pool cleaning tools – Make sure all your pool cleaning tools are in good shape and will last throughout the summer.
- Pool chemicals and supplies – Check the levels of your pool chemicals and supplies and make sure none are empty or expired. Replace items as needed.
- Pool toys and accessories – Finally, check your pool tools and accessories and get rid of anything that is damaged, broken, or unsafe.
Balance the Pool’s Water Chemistry
Test the pool water’s chemical levels and add chemicals as needed to balance the chemistry. If that seems overwhelming or you don’t have the time to commit to learning how to do this, a pool service can handle it for you. They can come once at the start of the summer to open your pool, or they can schedule recurring visits every month to test the water chemistry and balance it as needed. They can also shock your pool after it’s gotten a lot of use or if there was a storm that affected the cleanliness of the water.
Make Sure the Water Is Circulating
If your pool water is circulating properly, the water will stay cleaner and safer. Poor water circulation leads to problems like algae, cloudy water, and bacteria. Make sure your pool pump is functioning properly, and set it to run day and night. If you can’t commit to having it running 24/7, you can schedule it to run for 10-12 hours per day. If you live in an area with high winds and frequent storms, you really should run your pump 24/7 to minimize buildup in your pool.
Create a Pool Cleaning & Pool Maintenance Schedule
You can create a pool maintenance schedule for you and your family to follow throughout the summer, until you close the pool in the fall. You can also hire a pool maintenance company and work out a schedule with them. Pool maintenance services usually let you customize the services you need and will work around your schedule. For instance, you and your family could take care of general daily and weekly pool maintenance, and your pool company can handle testing and balancing the pool’s water chemistry, checking pool parts and appliances, deep cleaning, and troubleshooting. If you live in a windy area or if you get summer storms, you should clean your pool daily; otherwise, weekly cleaning is sufficient. You should vacuum the pool and check the filters weekly and test the pool’s water chemistry every week or every two weeks, depending on how much use the pool is getting.
Stay on Top of Safety Checks and Inspections
After your initial inspection of your pool and the surrounding areas, you should continue checking up on it to make sure it’s safe for everyone to use. This is especially important if you have young children, teens who use the pool unsupervised, or friends and neighbors who come by to swim. If an accident occurs, even if it wasn’t your fault, you might be liable since it’s your property. Do everything you can to mitigate risk and reduce the chance of dangerous situations and accidents. If you have young children, or even if the neighbors have young children, you should install a fence around the pool. Make sure that the posts or railings of the fence aren’t wide enough for a child or pet to pass through. The fence should have a locking gate that only an adult can get into. It should also be tall enough that no one will attempt to climb over it to gain access to the pool. Don’t keep chairs, tables, or other items near the fence that someone could use to climb over it. You should never let your children or the neighbor’s children use the pool unsupervised. There should always be an adult present – preferably not a teen. If your kids are going to let their friends come over to swim, have ongoing check-ins and discussions about pool safety, what to do if there is an accident or emergency, and how to safely behave around a pool. You should also have these conversations with their parents so you can make sure everyone is on the same page about pool safety.
Get Your Pool Ready for Summer in Tucson, AZ – Call Us Today!
At Valley Oasis Pools, we’re ready to get your pool open for summer. We offer customizable, comprehensive pool services in Tucson, AZ that include pool cleaning, pool maintenance, and pool repairs. We also offer pool inspections and safety checks to make sure you and your family are safe. We can look for signs of hidden dangers and problems that could harm your family or put you at risk for liability if someone were to get injured in your pool. We also offer pool sitting services to make sure your pool is clean and well-maintained while you’re out of town or on vacation. To schedule an appointment for pool service, call us today. To learn more about our pool services, visit our website or contact us online.
