DIY pool cleaning & maintenance has many benefits over hiring a professional pool cleaner.
Firstly, you will save the cost of hiring labor which is the most expensive component of pool servicing. The cost of pool chemicals and accessories when purchased online is minor compared to hiring a professional person to perform a task.
There are many other reasons to DIY pool cleaning & maintenance. Many people enjoy looking after their own pool and pride themselves on knowing how to do it. If you are a handy person it is very easy to clean and maintain your own pool and spa. And some people just don’t want trades persons coming to their home.
Don’t be afraid to do-it-yourself and clean your own swimming pool. There is a wealth of free pool maintenance information available on the internet. Our website contains over 200 detailed instructional articles and videos to make cleaning and maintaining your pool and spa easy. We explain every chemical, accessory, item of equipment and all the tips and tricks you need to know.
Even the most experienced pool service person cannot answer every possible question or provide a solution to every problem.
Table of Contents
What is a Professional Pool Service?
Before you hire a professional pool cleaning and maintenance business you should be asking the right questions. Otherwise you may find that your pool won’t be serviced as well as you would like.
Ask for a detailed schedule of maintenance outlining:
- Frequency of visits
- Method of cleaning – manual or automated?
- Scrubbing pool surfaces?
- Checking pool chemistry
- Balancing the chemistry
- Cleaning the filters
- Shocking the pool
Ask whether the price includes:
- All necessary pool chemicals
- Replacement filter cartridge
- Minor repairs to equipment
- All labor costs
Factors Influencing the Cost of a Pool Service
Size of the Pool
The larger the swimming pool the more expensive the pool service. All pool service contracts will state a price based on the size of the pool.
Type of Pool
An inground pool with a free-form shape and water features will be more expensive to clean and maintain than a simple round above-ground pool.
Pool Chemistry
The costs of maintenance will vary between pools with different methods of sanitation – freshwater, saltwater, chlorine, non-chlorine, ozone, etc. Generally, saltwater pools are the least expensive to operate requiring the least amount of chemicals.
Pool Filter & Equipment
The type of filter will affect the cost of service. Additional equipment like heaters, chlorinators, spa pools, etc. will add to the cost of the service.
Usage
Pools with high usage will require more frequent cleaning and maintenance than a pool that has occasional usage on weekends.
Climate
Pools used year-round in a tropical or sub-tropical climate will require continuous cleaning and service. Pools located in a cold climate will require winterization and opening in the spring.
Pool Stores Have Gone Out of Business
You may have noticed in the past few years that many pool stores have gone out of business.
Purchasing pool chemicals, accessories, equipment, replacement parts and other items is much less expensive from an online pool store than from a physical store.
Many physical pool stores have been forced out of business unable to compete with the lower cost structure of operating an online store.
Also, many large, national hardware stores stock pool accessories and chemicals at reasonable prices.
Professional Pool Services are Expensive
Professional Pool Services are expensive for two reasons.
Firstly, you are paying for labor which is always the major component of any form of maintenance. The cost of the materials is usually the minor cost component.
Whether you hire someone to service your car, paint your house, cut your lawn or wash your dog the major component of the price is labor.
When you choose to do-it-yourself you can save a lot of money.
We live in a world where it is more economical to scrap an item of equipment rather than try to repair it. The cost of repair can be more than 50% of the cost of replacement. So it makes more economical sense to replace broken equipment rather than repair it. Also, as technology is rapidly changing it is becoming more difficult to source parts to repair out-dated equipment. When an item of equipment fails it is now the opportunity to upgrade to new technology.
Secondly, professional pool service people will try to sell you chemicals, equipment and accessories with a high mark-up. They are trying to make good profit margins. However, you will be able to purchase products online or from a major hardware supply store for less money than from a professional pool service.
These are the reasons why many low skill service-based businesses have gone out of business.
How to Maintain a Swimming Pool
Just like purchasing a motor vehicle, a swimming pool or hot tub requires ongoing cleaning and maintenance. Whether you do-it-yourself or hire a professional is matter of personal choice.
However, many of the basic pool cleaning and maintenance tasks are just too easy to waste money and time hiring a professional pool cleaner. Do it yourself to save money, get some exercise and take pride in your backyard pool.
Spend your money on something more constructive like some new deck furniture, pool cover or a fire pit!
Things you can easily do yourself:
Top up the pool
Top up the pool with additional water from the garden hose. Water evaporates from every pool and occasionally you will need to top up the level back the midway mark on the skimmer box. Do this task first so that when you have finished the other tasks you can take the hose out of the pool.
Clean the skimmer box basket
This literally takes 30 seconds of your time twice a week. I recommend using a skimmer basket filter sock to capture finer particles of dirt and debris which keeps your filter cleaner for longer. Now you don’t have to clean the filter as much.
Test the Pool Water
Test the water chemistry with a chemical test strip. Dip a test strip in the pool once a week and check the reading. This simple task takes one minute of your time. Usually the pool chemistry is perfect and there is nothing more to do.
Balance the Pool Water
If the water chemistry needs adjustment add some chemicals to fix the issue. Sometimes the pH may be slightly too high or low and you can mix some chemical in a bucket of water and pour into the pool. For other imbalances read the helpful content and watch the videos on our website.
Clean the Pool
Clean the pool once a week. If you have an automatic cleaner drop it in the pool and let it do its work for a few hours. Otherwise, manually vacuum the pool which usually takes 20 minutes.
Shock the Pool
In the summer season add a packet of pool shock the pool once a week. Mix the shock in a bucket of water and pour around the pool. Leave the pump running for a few hours.
That really covers most of what you need to do to maintain your own pool.
Teach Yourself to Pool Maintenance
Read through the following articles to learn everything you need to know about DIY pool cleaning & maintenance. It won’t take long before you’ll know as much as any professional pool cleaner!
1. Common Pool Maintenance Mistakes
2. How to Maintain an Above Ground Pool
3. How to Shock Treatment Swimming Pools
4. How to Balance Swimming Pool Water
5. Pool Chemistry – The Ultimate Guide
6. How rain affects swimming pool water
7. How Many Hours to Run the Pool Pump
8. How Does a Skimmer Box Work
9. How to Clean a Swimming Pool
10. How to Maintain a Suction Pool Cleaner
11. How to Prevent Pool Water Evaporation
12. How to Clean the Pool Filter
13. How to Clean a Pool Cartridge Filter
14. How to Clean Sand Pool Filters
15. Pool Filter Pressure Gauge
16. How to Clean a Saltwater Chlorinator Cell
17. How to Clean Calcium Scale from a Pool
18. How to Clean a Pool after a Storm
20. Understanding Your Pool Filter Valves
Conclusion
If you are new to operating a swimming pool or hot tub, you may wish to hire a professional service and observe what they do. When you feel confident that you can take care of the cleaning and maintenance yourself develop a maintenance schedule, purchase the cleaning supplies and take action.
Once you have a few weeks experience at DIY pool cleaning & maintenance you will realize how easy it is to clean and maintain your own pool. Looking after your own pool is a rewarding experience.
If you have any problems, you will find the answers to all your concerns on PoolCareExpert.com