Having a pool right in your backyard can be one of the most awesome things to happen to you and your home. All those movies have validated that much enough already. What they don’t validate or tell you is what goes behind maintaining that pool, so you can get the best out of it. It’s something no one will you.
1) No maintenance, no longevity
This goes for almost everything we own. But because so much money and effort goes into installing a pool, maintenance becomes all the more important here. Pool maintenance involves the cleanliness, chemical, chlorine and pH balance. Failure to give any extra attention to pool care can lead to vinyl chip, machinery malfunction, algae and fungal growth and basically everything else that can threaten the health and longevity of the pool. So, what could otherwise run smoothly for two years now needs urgent repairs within the first quarter.
2) The pool pump is an energy-hungry beast
The pump is the heart of the pool. The pump is also an energy hungry beast, hogging away about half of the entire home’s energy output. Probably, this is why every pool or home-improvement expert always puts extra focus on the prior and long-term planning and foresight. Luckily for you, they do have energy efficient pumps available of late. So, if you keep an eye and well-placed sources out, you’re sure to find something that won’t be too heavy on the bills. Having a pool is awesome, and can work wonders for your property. But, brace yourselves, escalated electricity bills are coming.
3) The pool guy knows everything
We’re not talking about the high-school punk, nor are we talking about that six-pack abs clad hunk that looks like he’s just walked out of a Calvin Klein shoot. We’re talking professional (this isn’t the movies, remember?) Trust the pool guy to know it all. And we’re not just talking about the best ways to clean your pool. He’s there when you’re not, fishing out trash you won’t and playing party to every neighboring pool owner’s poolside drama. You’re just lucky he’s a hardcore professional.
4) The sun may be a pool party’s best friend, it’s definitely not your pool’s
In case you don’t already know, chlorine is the most prominent element present in the pool. It keeps the bacteria at bay and prevents the pool from turning green. However, when you expose it to direct sunlight, it fritters away within no time. This in turn triggers algae growth which in turn hampers the pool’s health. Now, you can’t stop the sun from shining, but you can obviously stoop the pool from soaking in the sun. There are two ways to deal with this: either keep the pool covered when not in use, or opt for chlorine pills as opposed to liquid chlorine. Cyanuric acid is a good substitute too. They dissipate slower and keep the chlorine running longer.
5) The pool needs to be cleaned at least twice a week…
… as opposed to once in two weeks or whenever you please. Pools are susceptible to at least some measure of reaction or damage in almost every kind of weather. In strong sunlight, the chlorine dissipates, in heavy rains the algae and other bacteria colonize like there’s no tomorrow and in cold the pool’s left open to all kinds of dirt and debris. You cannot leave it ignored for most part of your ownership. At best, every pool needs to be scrubbed and cleaned at least twice a week, whereas in rainy areas, it’s every 48 hours. Remember, you want to leave the pool the way you’d want to find it- safe and welcoming. There’s only one way to do that: clean and cover!
This post was written by Jake Tyler; he is a fun loving person and a dedicated father to two children. By day, he works for one of the most prominent swimming pool companies in CT.
