DIY or Pool Maintenance Pro? Caring for Your Pool Takes a Little of Both

When it comes to taking care of your home or your car, there are certain maintenance jobs you can do yourself and other jobs for which you’d be better off hiring a pro. Also, there are regular maintenance tasks that you might choose to outsource because you feel your time is better spent doing other things. For example, you might choose to keep up with regular house cleaning but bring in the pros for window and gutter cleaning. And while you can keep your car clean and filled with gas, you’ll probably need a maintenance pro when your car’s engine needs work. The same is true when it comes to your pool.

Inground pool owners know that proper pool maintenance is key to the longevity of their pools. They should also know that bringing in some help from a qualified pool maintenance pro near them is a smart way to go, whether it’s for regular weekly pool maintenance or bigger jobs, like annual openings and closings or pool equipment repair.

Whether you’re a do-it-yourself type or a big believer in delegation, as a pool owner YOU are ultimately responsible for the care of your fiberglass pool and no one will care more about your investment than you. Here are some things to think about when you’re considering whether to do it yourself or bring a pool maintenance pro on board.

1. Read and learn. Be sure to take the time to read your pool manufacturer’s owner’s manual along with any equipment manuals that may come along with your pool project.  Many pool service companies offer “pool schools” and other opportunities for education. Take advantage of every opportunity you can to learn more about pool maintenance until it becomes second nature. Become as much of an expert as you can be on your pool and water chemistry. It can save you time and money down the line.
2. Get real. Quick dip test strips are fine to get a big picture result on your water balance, but you need a real test kit for ongoing water chemistry testing and you need to understand how to use it. Get yourself a real water testing kit, such as Taylor 2000 Complete and learn how to interpret your water testing results.
3. Get on a schedule. As a pool owner, you should be ready to spend just a little bit of time on the maintenance of your pool daily. Yes. That says daily. The water in your pool is changing constantly with heat, rain, evaporation and use. Even if you’ve brought on the services of a pool maintenance pro, you’ll need to keep on top of your water chemistry daily to ensure your water quality doesn’t sway too far from acceptable levels between regular weekly services.
4. Keep it clean. As a pool owner, you should be willing to become knowledgeable enough to take on routine maintenance such as removing debris from skimmer baskets, cleaning the scum line, preparing your pool for closing, performing water chemistry testing and adjusting chemicals to achieve a balanced pool. Tasks like vacuuming the pool can be made easier with a robotic pool cleaner. If you’re comfortable with these regular “housekeeping” chores, your pool maintenance pro can keep an eye on bigger picture items with weekly service and alert you to any issues they might anticipate.
5. Bring in the pros. Even veteran pool owners know that there are times, other than regular weekly service, when they need to bring in pool maintenance pros. Pool openings and winterizations need to be done properly to ensure your pool starts the season off right and finishes in good shape for next year. Also, electrical issues, missing, broken or cracked drain covers, equipment malfunctions and automatic pool cover system installations and repairs are best left to those who are experienced in working on them and have the proper tools to service them to keep the warranties in force.

 

Failure to properly care for your pool, in particular, failing to maintain good water chemistry, can result in damage any pool’s surface, whether it’s fiberglass, vinyl or gunite, and shorten the life expectancy of equipment. The best way to ensure that your pool will be in great shape for years to come is to take a two-pronged approach of learning as much as you can about pool maintenance and enlisting the help of a pool maintenance pro near you to bridge the gap between what you can and can’t do yourself. Then, the only thing left to do is sit back, enjoy your crystal clear water and take a swim!