Should you Maintain your Own Pool or Hire a Pool Service Company?
If you purchased a home recently with a
swimming pool or had one constructed you are often faced with the
question – should I try to maintain my own pool or should I hire a
pool service company? This is probably something you don't think
about until after the fact and the answer is not as cut and dry as it
may seem. Doing the pool yourself and becoming a DIY Homeowner or
hiring a pool service company is something to thoughtfully consider.
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If you plan on taking care of your pool on your own there are a few things to make sure you have. The first element is time. It may sound basic to mention this but in reality taking care of your own pool requires that you to set aside a block of time each week to check the chemicals and balance the water as well as clean the pool and maintain the equipment. If you work 5 days a week and leave your house at 7 am and return at 6 pm that leaves you with Saturday and Sunday to squeeze in your pool care. So I suggest scheduling at least 45 minutes every Saturday morning to work on your pool. This takes a level of dedication during the Summer season and if you miss one week the pool can turn ugly pretty fast. Also if your pool is left open all season you will need to deal with debris from the winds and rain which can consume a large block of time.
You will also need a very basic
knowledge of pool chemistry to balance the pool water. Keeping the
water balanced is important for several reasons. If the water is out
of balance it may be unsafe to swim in and you can actually become
very ill from viruses and bacteria in the water. Out of balance water
can also irritate your skin and eyes, causing burning eyes and itchy
skin. It can also damage the pool surface and even the pool deck
depending on how out of balance the water can get. But relax, it is
pretty easy to do once you start and if you run into trouble your
local pool store has counter staff that can check your water and
offer you suggestions. Investing in a good test kit is something I
suggest and you can find some helpful videos on my YouTube Channel
and in my eBook on water balancing.
Cleaning your pool can be easy if you
have the basic equipment on hand. A pool pole, a leaf rake, a brush,
a vacuum hose and a manual vacuum head are all you really need to get
the job done week to week. I have several videos covering the basic
equipment you will need and how to clean your pool. To save time I
suggest investing in a good automatic cleaner. This will clean your
pool for you all week long and all you will need to do is spot
cleaning each week. So expect to spend some time each week cleaning
your pool to prevent staining and to reduce chemical use each season.
One factor that is often overlooked in
servicing your own pool is the pool equipment. You will need to check
your equipment each week and keep everything running well or you will
struggle with maintaining your pool. If your equipment is old and out
of date it might be a wise investment to upgrade your equipment to a
new energy efficient pump and filter. This will not only save you
money each month on your energy costs but also make servicing your
pool much easier. Cleaning the filter when it is dirty is half the
battle in pool care so allow for some time to work on the pool
equipment each week and when needed.
Here are some of the basic reasons
where hiring a pool service company would be a wise choice. If you
just purchased a home with a pool I suggest hiring a pool service
company for at least the first year. You will have a lot of other
things occupying your time and the pool and yard should be the last
on your worry list. If you work more than 40 hours a week or have so
many activities outside of the house, hiring a pool service company
would be wise. The time spent doing your own pool can actually cost
you more in the long run and if you can apply that time to your
current profession verses towards pool care you might even be better
off.
.
If you are physically unable to service
your own pool you should hire someone to do it for you. And last if
it looks just too overwhelming for you and you feel you can't set the
time aside each week then hiring a pool service company is logical.
It can be a lot of work week to week keeping the pool balanced and
clean so passing this on to a local service company is not a bad
thing.
Here are some things to look for in a
pool service company. They should be licensed and also have a general
liability insurance policy. They should show up for the appointment
on time and look professional. A list of some current clients for
references should be provided upon request. Check out their Yelp!
Reviews or other online sites like their company website. If it is a
Commercial service account they should be CPO Certified – this is
an independent certification letting you know they have passed an
exam and are qualified to maintain a swimming pool to Health Code
standards. You don't want to just hire a guy with a truck and a pool
pole so do your do diligence when you hire a company.
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