Check Filter And Backwash As Needed
The three most popular types of filters – sand, cartridge and vertical grid DE – screen out debris and particles from your pool water. You should clean and maintain your filter according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Check your pool filter weekly, removing any debris that has gathered within.
Backwash the pool filter as needed .
Why Pool Cleaning Is Important
Your swimming pool is a valuable investment, and you want to protect your investment. Proper pool cleaning and maintenance ensures that your swimming pool stays beautiful, runs efficiently, and remains clean and healthy for as long as possible. Routine cleaning and maintenance are absolutely essential to prevent costly repairs, such as:
- plaster disintegration
When pH is too high, the surface of the plaster becomes etched or pitted, meaning that it is no longer smooth. These pits, or indentations, become perfect hiding spots for algae spores to attach and evade chlorine. Once attached, algae takes persistent brushing and additional doses of chemical to control.
When pH is too low, the water becomes corrosive . This deteriorates the metal components in the equipment, such as the motor of the pump or the heat exchanger of the heater.
And dont think that just because its wintertime you can let your pool go maintenance-free! You still need to be cleaning and maintaining your pool during the colder months.
Myth: Cleaning your own pool is quick and easy.
Fact: Very few people have the time or energy to regularly clean their pool. When you do have time to spend on your pool, youd much rather be swimming in it! Your time especially the precious moments you get to relax with family and friends is extremely valuable.
A Beginners Guide To Pool Maintenance
Your swimming pool needs regular upkeep. Thats why it pays to develop a strong basic understanding of pool maintenance essentials.
When you know how your pool works, the best ways to care for it, and how to plan for it, youll be ready to solve just about any potential pool problem that floats your way.
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Pool Maintenance Service Cost
The average pool maintenance service cost ranges between $90 and $270 for three summer months or $60 to $90 per hour. Most professional companies charge a per hour rate or a flat fee weekly, monthly, or annually. This cost is influenced by the size of the pool, type of pool, and material. Materials make up most pool service costs, including the pool parts, chemicals, cleaning equipment, and filters. Labor makes up the remaining percentage.
While pool maintenance is a job that you can do yourself, hiring a professional pool cleaning company has its benefits. Hiring a professional helps save money on long-term repairs and remodeling, gets the work done in less time, and reduces the danger involved with working with chemicals and equipment malfunction.
The type of pool maintenance varies based on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis. Weekly maintenance tasks include checking the chemical levels, cleaning the pool, and emptying the filter basket. Monthly tasks include cleaning pool parts, checking and chemically cleaning the filters, testing the water chemistry of chemicals, looking for leaks or cracks, lubricating fillings, and checking the equipment. Annual tasks include opening and closing procedures and replacing parts.
Pool Dewinterizing / Pool Opening 710
How much does it cost to open /de-winterize a swimming pool?
Average Cost Above-Ground $175-$225 | In-Ground $250-$450 The higher price on the inground pool opening is for including a vacuum service too.
Please call us early to schedule a pool opening service. We provide partial and full de-winterizing /opening services. This page exists to answer questions about this service.
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Avoiding The Spread Of Infections From The Pool
The proper pool chemicals and cleaning are required to prevent infections such as E.coli from spreading. This is an organism that causes people to have mild to severe diarrhea, but can also be fatal in the very young and the very old. It is transmitted by swimming in contaminated pool water. Companies that specialize in pool chemical and cleaning know how to ensure that your swimming pool is cleaned often enough, and thoroughly enough to prevent E. coli from being spread because of your pool water.
Shigellosis is another condition that can be avoided by hiring a company that specializes in pool chemicals and cleaning. This is a bacterial infection with symptoms that include nausea, fever, cramps and vomiting.
How Much Does A Pool Increase Your Water Bill
Having a pool can increase your water bill by about $4 to $20 per month, $45 to $245 per year, or half this if you close it for the winter. Usually, pools see ¼ inch loss of water per day due to evaporation or roughly 2 inches per week.
The average price per gallon of water ranges from $0.002/gallon to $0.011/gallon , so pool water bills can vary considerably. For a normal-sized 14 x 28 pool that is never covered, and depending on how much wind, sun, and humidity your local climate has, your pool will lose about 1,858 gallons per month and approximately 22,298 gallons of water per year.
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Hiring A Pool Cleaning Service
When looking to hire a pool service company, be sure to get at least three detailed bids. Compare online reviews, contracts, services, features, and add-ons before making your final decision. Things to look for are:
- A/A+ rated members with the Better Business Bureau.
- Have been in business for longer than five years.
- Are an insured and bonded professional pool company.
- Rated highly on HomeGuide and Google.
- Has a CMS certification.
Get free home improvement estimates on HomeGuide from trusted pool cleaning companies:
Types Of Swimming Pools We Maintain
We service and maintain all styles of swimming pools Gunite, Vinyl, Fiberglass, Above-Ground, In-Ground, Chlorine, Salt. If we do not ask, please make sure we know if you are not using chlorine when you book an appointment. Thank You!
We do not perform weekly maintenance on pools that use Baquacil or bromine. We will only open or close them!
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Basic Pool Cleaning Services
Just because youre new to all this doesnt mean you cant check if the pool cleaning company is doing all the necessary works. Here are the regular cleaning services that the pool company you hire must do:
- Check the pool equipment and hardware to see if they are all working as expected
- Vacuum the bottom of the pool with a portable service vac
- Brush the side of the pool
- Remove debris from the pools floor
- Clean the skimmer and pump baskets
- Skim the water line and clear it of any blockages
- Test the water chemistry
- Ensure that the pH levels are balanced
- Add chlorine to kill contaminants
Factors That Impact The Cost To Maintain A Pool
Swimming pool maintenance costs can vary based on several factors. For example, “pool size, amount of foliage around the pool, age and condition of pool equipment, and the location of the house can all impact the average monthly rate for services,” explains Debbie Tyer of Humble Bee Pool Service and Repair.
The type of care your pool requires and the frequency of pool maintenance services can also impact costs. And, the type of pool such as above-ground pool, inground pool, freshwater pool or saltwater pool can affect swimming pool maintenance prices as well. Here’s a deeper dive into all of the most common cost factors.
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Skim Off Leaves And Debris
Skimming is the first stage of your weekly maintenance routine, a task that should be done on a daily basis.
To gather leaves, insects and any other debris floating on the pool surface, use a long-handled leaf skimmer.
Before it sinks to the bottom of your pool, try removing debris where it becomes hard to remove and can create stains.
Does your pool have trees around it? To decrease the amount of debris landing on the water, consider trimming them back.
It takes only a few minutes to skim the surface of your pool and keeps the water looking crystal clear. More importantly, there is never a chance for the debris you skim off the top of the water to dirty the bottom of your pool or clog up your filtration system.
Type Of Service Needed
There are many different types of pool cleaning services with the most common falling into the category of regular or one-off cleans.
For regular cleans which may be weekly, you would assume the pool is in a pretty reasonable condition from one clean to the next.
This will mean the time is taken and the number of chemicals needed will be minimal, hence the overall cost for this weekly clean will be as low as possible.
However, for a one-off clean, on a pool that has not been used for months, this will require lots of hours cleaning and a lot more chemicals to get the pool from a dark green colour to a safe and healthy condition. Hence this type of service will cost much more.
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Swimming Pool Maintenance Cost
Weekly pool maintenance starts at just 85.00 a week for In-ground pools and $65.00 for above-ground swimming pools. Our Weekly pool maintenance and cleaning rates above include all chemicals needed , plus filter cleaning.
Pool maintenance is the heart and lifeblood of MGK Pool Service. Our priority is taking care of our loyal weekly and yearly pool service customers. We rarely, if ever, miss a weekly upkeep appointment. Finally, our goal is making sure your swimming pool is always sparkling clean, safe, and ready to use.
Our traditional service area is expanded for yearly swimming pool opening and closing services. During the pool-opening season and closing season, you will find our company working seven days a week. During these times of heavy demand, we do our best to accommodate as many people as possible.
Contact Us Pro Tip: It can be quite a challenge to get us on the phone if you dont reach us when you call, dont leave a voice message. Text us the best number to call you back and why you are contacting us. You might even message us on
Pool Maintenance: Diy Or Hire A Professional
Keeping your swimming pool pristine does take time and energy. It can also sap your finances. While some find cleaning their pool therapeutic, others would much prefer relaxing poolside in the sun over maintaining it! But what is the best way to keep your swimming pool looking clean and operating well?
In this article, we take a look at the benefits of DIY approach or hiring a professional team to keep your pool maintained and ready to just dive in.
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Weekly Pool Cleaning Services To Fit Your Pool Maintenance Needs
A sure way of keeping your pool in pristine condition is to schedule a weekly service plan. At California Pool Care this includes removing debris on the bottom of the pool, complete a chemical balance analysis which may require adding chlorine or other sanitizer to satisfy the pool requirements, test and adjust the chemical sanitizer levels, check the water level to be sure the pump is able to operate properly, skim the surface for floating debris, vacuum, test and adjust the pH, empty the skimmer and pump basket, empty the pool cleaner bag/basket, if necessary check the filter pressure and backwash, and brush the tiles. Not all of these services may be required at any one time. At California Pool Care we offer several services to take the hassle out of keeping your pool properly maintained. We offer 4 different types of service levels to fit your budget and the demands of your pool. Call a California Pool Care technician for additional information.
Chemical Service:
Having proper chemical balance is the backbone to swimming pool maintenance. A weekly chemical service can give you peace of mind knowing that your family is swimming in a safe aquatic environment. Let us take care of the weekly testing and chemical adjustments of your pool/spa.
- Test and adjust the pools water chemistry for Chlorine, pH, Total Alkalinity each visit
- Test for conditioner and calcium hardness quarterly
- Test and monitor Salt levels
Chemical Plus Service:
Chem Select:
Full Service:
Additional Pool Cleaning Services
Its great to have your pool serviced regularly. From time to time, however, you may need more than basic maintenance jobs. Backwashing your pool filters at least once a year helps relieve pressure and restores the flow rate.
Also, you may notice your pool water level dropping faster than usual. This is usually a tell-tale sign of leaking. The source of the leak may be structural or at the pump. In any case, contact a pool technician or service company immediately.
You dont have to wait for the start of the summer season to give your pool some TLC. Schedule weekly maintenance and come home to crystal clear water every day!
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Come On In The Waters Finethanks To You
Owning a swimming pool is one of the most rewarding ways to enjoy fun in the sun at home. Yes, it needs regular care, but that doesnt mean youll spend your life shackled to a vacuum or fiddling with your chemistry set.
In fact, when you know how your pool works, understand the care it needs and plan ahead, you might find yourself taking pride in your pool care prowess. Youll enjoy not just your swim, but the peace of mind that comes with regular and thorough pool maintenance.
Happy Swimming!
Why Use A Service
Would you swim in a dirty pool? No. But we bet you dont want to be the one to clean it up either. Pool cleaning is a pretty big undertaking. Most homeowners know that theres so much more to it than just fishing debris out of the water. Thankfully, pool cleaning companies exist to take this specific burden off your shoulders.
If youre new to owning a pool and unsure of what to do, pool service guys might as well be your new best friends. In case you didnt know this yet, having the right levels of chemicals all the time is essential to the cleanliness of your pool. Put in the wrong amount and you may wake up to murky water one day.
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The Basic Components Of A Swimming Pool
Like most major home improvements, you can get as fancy as you like with your swimming pool. You can add advanced heating and lighting, install high-tech pool covers, and even enjoy music while you swim with underwater pool speakers. But whether you have a basic backyard pool or a massive inground oasis shaped like Elvis, every pool has four components that need regular care to keep the good times rollin.
These include:
- The pools interior wall or liner
- The pools filter system
- The pools system of skimmers and returns
Keep Your Pump Running
Your pool’s circulation system includes the skimmer, pump, pump strainer, drains and filter. The system helps chemicals work effectively and ensures that water is properly filtered.
Run your pump long enough each day to make sure the water is properly filtered and each item in the circulation system is clean and in good condition.
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Cost To Replace Pool Filter
Replacing a pool filter may cost less than a new installation, ranging between $150 and $1,500, depending on the type of filter and replacement being made. You may only need to replace certain parts of the system, such as the filtration gasket, which will cost a lot less than a full replacement. You may also want to upgrade the filter system to a better or newer system, which can be more expensive. It is critical to keep your pool filter running efficiently to keep your pool in a pristine condition at all times and minimize any problems that could arise.
Salt Water Pool Maintenance Cost
Salt water pool maintenance can be taken care of with a professional monthly cleaning maintenance package at $80 to $95 per month , or perform DIY salt water pool maintenance for about $45 per month.
The water still needs to be tested, chlorine levels adjusted, and additional chemicals added as needed. Salt cells also need to be cleaned regularly to wash off buildup, unless you have a self-cleaning salt system in place.
As long as your generator cell is sending the right readings, you only need your pools filter, pump, and the surface kept clean. Saltwater pool maintenance is focused mainly on keeping the proper levels of salt in the water and preventing metal stains and corrosion. Generator cells will need a mild acid wash every 3-4 months to descale corrosion buildup.
- Pool Salt 40 lb. Bag $50
- Salt Water Monthly Maintenance Pack $45
- Salt Water Test Strips $11$25
Salt water chlorine generators can cost about $330. They use cells, costing $200 for a simple one up to $1,400 for a high-tech cell that sends you readouts of your waters salt levels, cleanliness, temp, and flow, saving you testing time. Generator cells chemically change salt into chlorine with an electric charge.
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Create A Maintenance Schedule
As you learn more about your pool and how to care for it, your to-do list might start to seem a little intimidating. Creating a pool maintenance schedule makes it easy to stay organized and make sure important tasks dont slip through the cracks.
Not only will you be able to stay on top of basic upkeep, but youll be able to plan ahead for more advanced pool maintenance tasks like closing your pool, caring for it during the off season, or getting your swimming pool ready to roll when pool season returns.
