Swimming Pool Maintenance Guide
You did it. You just got your family their dream pool and now you get to sit back and unwind… Until you remember how much maintenance goes into taking care of it. Pools require many tasks that need to be done weekly, sometimes more frequently, and although proper maintenance increases the lifespan of your pool, trying to remember everything you need to do is no easy feat.
But we’re here to help. We’ve created a pool maintenance checklist that separates what tasks need to be done multiple times a week, once a week and even on a monthly basis to keep your pool as beautiful as it is now for years to come. You can even share it with your family, so they can help to keep up with the pool, as well, leaving you more time to relax in it.
Checkout these Maintenance Schedules
Maintenance 2-3 Times Per Week
- Clean out the skimmer and pump basket
- Turn off the pump when you clean either basket
- Close the skimmer and main drain valves when you clean the pump basket
- Always check for any damage and replace the baskets when needed
- May need to be cleaned more frequently than 2-3 times a week
- Use a leaf scoop to remove litter
Weekly Maintenance
- Vacuum the bottom and sides
- Even if you have an automatic pool cleaner, you should still brush off the sides and bottom of the pool to loosen dirt and other particles to make it easier to clean.
- Test and adjust
- Sanitizer Level
- Free Chlorine levels should be between 1-3 parts per million (ppm)
- Free Bromine levels should be between 3-5 ppm
- pH Level
- Levels for pools should range from 7.4 to 7.7*
- When levels are too high or low, use pH balancer products accordingly
- Don’t correct pH levels more than once a week
- Alkalinity Level
- Total Alkalinity (TA) levels can should stay between 100-150 ppm*
- Calcium Hardness (CH) Levels
- CH levels should be between 250-350 ppm
- Salt levels (only in salt water pools)
- Salt levels should be between 2700-3400 ppm, the ideal level at 3200 ppm
- You can also calculate what your pool’s exact salinity level should be with a salinity calculator
- Apple and Android both offer calculator apps to help you determine these chemistry levels specifically for your pool.
- Check the water level and adjust as needed
- The standard rate for adjusting is 1 inch (25 millimeters) per hour
- Clean coping around the water surface
- Use algae removal products as needed
- Shock the pool as instructed on the product label
- Shocking the pool destroys bacteria and also puts sparkle back in the water. Shock oxidizers can be used once every 2 weeks.
Monthly Maintenance
- Continue checking levels listed in the “Weekly Maintenance” section
- Even if you have an automatic pool cleaner, you should still brush off the sides and bottom of the pool to loosen dirt and other particles to make it easier to clean.
- Test for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
- Acceptable levels of TDS are 1,000-2,000 ppm, the ideal level being under 1,500 ppm
- Conduct a Langelier Saturation Index evaluation
- A Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) evaluation assesses water quality to determine if it has a tendency to form a chemical scale or corrosion.
- Information needed for LSI evaluation: pH level, TDS level, TA level and CH levels (or Total Hardness [TH] level if available)
- You can use an LSI calculator for quick results
- Chemically clean the filter
- Check for holes and tears in the liner
- Check the seals in the pool’s motor and pump
- Check that safety equipment (railings, steps, etc.) is still working properly
We understand that maintaining a pool can be difficult enough, let alone the process of opening and closing it or having it repaired. That’s why we offer these pool services for your convenience, so you don’t have to worry about if your pool was opened, closed or repaired incorrectly. Now maintaining your pool can be just as stress free as swimming in it.