How Often Should You Get Maintenance Done For Your In-Ground Pool?

Having a swimming pool at your home can make your house the favored place for parties, fun times with family and friends, or the right place to unwind and relax. When you add a swimming pool to your backyard, you open up a world of enjoyable possibilities that will completely transform the way that you spend time hanging out at home.

An in-ground pool that is properly installed will last for years into the future, but you will need to take care of it. In some cases, people don’t understand what a swimming pool actually requires when it comes to upkeep, and they can fall behind on various aspects of the care of their pool, leading to frustration that can be avoided. Keep reading to find out more about how often your swimming pool will need maintenance so that you are prepared to take care of it correctly.

How Often Does an In-Ground Swimming Pool Need Maintenance?

There are various kinds of maintenance functions that you might need to handle for your in-ground pool. These different kinds of care happen on different schedules. You will need to tackle all of these various maintenance items throughout the lifespan of your swimming pool.

1.     Chemical Maintenance and Testing

When it comes to keeping your pool clean and smelling great, you will need to make sure that the water is properly balanced. The right pH for a swimming pool will be between 7.2 and 7.8. You will need to test water chemistry at least weekly and respond to changes in the water’s tested pH, chlorine, and alkalinity each time you test.

Skipping over even a few tests can lead to murky water that smells bad, algae in your pool, and other problems. This is one of the main maintenance items that you will need to perform for your swimming pool each week, and it cannot be overlooked, even if your pool has a cover protecting it from things like pool debris, UV rays, and other contaminants.

2.     Vacuum and Clean

You will almost certainly need to empty the pump and skimmer baskets each week, and you will want to vacuum the bottom of the pool to pick up debris each week as well. Brushing the walls and steps can be a good idea as well to make sure that scale and algae can’t take up residence in your pool.

These simple maintenance items don’t take that long to perform, and you will be surprised at what a big difference it will make to tackle them regularly, rather than waiting for your pool to get quite dirty before you do anything about cleaning processes.

3.     Filter Care and Shock

Filter care and shocking the water can often be done bi-weekly. If you don’t swim in your pool very often, you might be able to do these processes just once a month. Filter cleanup includes backwashing or chemically cleaning out the filter. Shocking the pool is done with a specific shock chemical that will help eliminate organic compounds and keep bacteria at bay.

This is another set of maintenance items that cannot be skipped. They don’t take that long, and they ensure that your swimming pool is always ready to be enjoyed.

4.     Opening and Closing Your Pool

If you don’t have nice enough weather to use your pool year-round, you will likely need to winterize it and then reverse this process in the summer when the weather is nice again. You will want to be sure that you follow the recommended winterization process for your specific kind of swimming pool setup so that your pool, the pump and filter, and all of the other components make it through the winter months without issue.

This is typically done at the changing of the seasons and will be something that is tackled twice a year. Many pool owners pay a pool maintenance company to handle this process to make sure that no steps are missed. Pipes that have frozen and burst, debris in the pool, or issues with the surfaces due to ice and cold can all be avoided with correct winterization planning.

5.     Inspections or Repairs

Inspections and resulting repairs should be on your radar at least once a year. You should be sure that you are not neglecting this part of the upkeep of your swimming pool solely because you haven’t noticed anything interesting going on that sends up a red flag. A pool maintenance expert will likely notice things that you do not, and they can help you stay on top of issues that might otherwise become major repairs without attention.

Having a qualified pool maintenance expert take a look at your swimming pool and the various components that heat it and keep the water clean at least once a year is a very good idea. The team that comes out to take a look can usually handle repairs right away once they are aware of a problem, meaning that your pool will be back to 100% before you know it.

Caring for a Swimming Pool Requires Routine Upkeep Throughout the Year

Even if you spent a lot of money on a quality filtration system and pump, and you have a cover for your swimming pool, you will still need to be sure that you are handling all of the items in this guide on a regular basis. You cannot skip over pool maintenance, or you will end up with costly water fixes or repairs that you will almost certainly want to avoid.

Swimming pools are quite easy to maintain if you keep up with the needs of the water and the various components of the pool’s systems. Be sure that you are not afraid to work with a skilled pool care and maintenance company if the thought of managing the items in this guide is overwhelming. A pool expert can handle all of your swimming pool’s upkeep needs with ease, giving you peace of mind and ensuring that you can enjoy your swimming pool whenever you want.