Pool Maintenance is all about testing and balancing the chemical components of your pool water. This is the first and most important part to your pool maintenance routine.
Clearing the skimmer basket and adjusting the pool water level is the next most important pool maintenance activity.
Finally, cleaning the pool surfaces and the filter cannot be forgotten or you will have a dirty pool.
Follow my pool maintenance guide below and always have a beautifully clean pool that you can be proud of.
Use the Search Box at the top right of this site to find the answer to any pool maintenance issue.
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Table of Contents
Swimming Pool Maintenance
Test the Pool Water
Testing pool water is the most important component to your pool maintenance routine.
Test the pool water weekly.
Test for pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids, copper, iron and salinity (salt water pools).
Purchase pool test strips as they are the easiest and quickest to use.
Balance the Pool Water
The following are the basic chemical indicators and desired levels for a backyard freshwater or saltwater pool. If your pool water is maintained within these parameters your pool will always be clear and safe for swimming.
pH Level 7.2 – 7.6
Free Chlorine 1.0 – 3.0 ppm
Cyanuric Acid (Pool Stabilizer) 30 – 80 ppm
Salinity 2700 – 4500 ppm
Total Alkalinity 80 – 120 ppm
Calcium Hardness 200 – 400 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 3000 – 6000 ppm
Read more about Balance Swimming Pool Water
Clean the Skimmer box
When the pump is operating the weir flap is open and pool water flows into the skimmer box.
The skimmer box contains a removable plastic filter basket that traps larger items of debris such as leaves, flowers and insects that are floating on the surface.
Empty the skimmer basket frequently to ensure free flowing water to the filter.
Read more about How a Pool Skimmer Box Works
Maintain the Correct Water Level
Swimming pool skimmers function properly when the water level is halfway up the weir flap.
If the water is too high floating debris is not drawn into the skimmer box.
If the water is too low the skimmer box may run dry damaging the pump motor.
Add water to the pool if necessary.
Run the Pump for 8 Hours per Day
The pump and filter must run long enough (normally 8 hours) to process all the pool water each day. That is, the pump must turnover all the water in the pool on a daily basis to ensure the pool water is clean.
One of the most frequent causes of unsanitary pools is the pump does not run long enough each day.
Your decision as to when you set the timer to operate your pump will determine how much your power will cost. If you run the pump at off-peak times you will save on your electricity bills.
Run the pump from 9am to 3pm (6 hours) and 8pm to 10pm (2 hours). These 8 hours will not only save you money, ensure the pool is adequately filtered and sanitized but also not annoy your neighbors with pump noise in the middle of the night!
If everybody works together to reduce peak power usage, we don’t need so many polluting power stations on our planet! These power stations are one of the main causes of air pollution which contributes to climate change problems. When you run your pump at the daylight off-peak times (9am to 4pm) the electricity can be generated from solar and wind energy (not carbon-based fuel sources such as coal, oil & gas).
Shock the Pool
Shocking the pool is a basic pool maintenance routine that boosts the normal level of chlorine to ensure you have killed bacteria and contaminants in the pool.
Dissolve the shock chemical in a bucket of water.
Pour the bucket of water around the whole pool to ensure the shock reaches all parts of the pool.
Run the pump for several hours.
The best time of day to add shock to your pool is in the evening after you have finished using the pool for the day and just before the pump is due to operate.
You cannot swim in a pool that has been shocked until the chlorine level returns to normal.
Adding the shock after the sun has gone down will ensure it works all night as there is no ultraviolet light to reduce its effectiveness.
At night the cooler water reduces chlorine evaporation from the water.
Make sure the pump is going to run for at least 4 hours to thoroughly mix in the shock chemical.
The next day your pool is ready for swimming again.
Cover the Swimming Pool
Pool covers keep out dirt, leaves, flowers, pollen, insects, algae, birds, ducks, frogs and anything else that can invade your pool.
When all these contaminants enter your pool, you need more chemicals and filtering to remove them.
Install a pool cover.
It will be the best investment you ever made for your home. It will easily reduce your chemical, filtering and water requirements saving you the cost of the cover in no time.
Swimming Pool Cleaning
Brush Your Pool Surfaces
Brush the pool surfaces as part of your pool maintenance routine.
Automatic pool cleaners and vacuum heads don’t clean well around steps, ladders and in corners. A little bit of effort will reward you with a cleaner pool that is not likely to be invaded by algae or other contaminants.
Clean the Pool Filter
The filter has a pressure gauge indicating the water pressure inside the filter when the pump is operating.
When the pressure increases above a threshold (usually indicated on the gauge) the filter has become dirty and needs cleaning.
Pool filter cartridges are simply removed from the filter housing and pressure washed with a garden hose. Remember to turn off the pump before opening the filter housing and turn it back on again when the task is complete.
Sand filters are backwashed into the drain by operating the multiport valve located on the side of the filter.
If the water pressure is still high after cleaning your filter then you need to replace the cartridge (or sand) in the filter.
Recommendation: I recommend having two filter cartridges. When the filter needs cleaning swap out the filter cartridge element with the clean one so your filtration system can operate immediately. Clean the dirty cartridge, dry and store.
Vacuum Your Pool to the Drain
The skimmer box only removes dirt and debris floating on the surface of the pool. Once dirt and other contaminants sink to the bottom you need to vacuum the pool. And the longer dirt is in your pool the slimier and grimier it becomes. It attaches itself to every surface and is more difficult to remove. Even vacuuming doesn’t remove all of it.
Regularly vacuum your pool (especially the bottom and steps) to prevent the build-up of grime and lessen the chance of algae growth.
Vacuum the bottom to waste so the dirt is deposited in the drain not your filter.
This saves you constantly cleaning your filter and prolongs its life span.
It’s a simple matter of turning a valve on your filter to waste and afterwards back to the filter position.
You will need to top up the pool from the garden hose for the water lost to the drain.
Above Ground Pool Maintenance
Smooth Out Vinyl Liner Wrinkles
Vinyl pool liners are the least expensive option when it comes to the containment of water in your pool but they can stretch to form wrinkles and have a shorter lifespan than other options. Small wrinkles can usually be worked out of the liner by pushing the wrinkle to the sides and up the walls. Larger wrinkles require the pool to be emptied and the whole liner re-installed with a wet and dry vacuum to remove the problem.
Please read How to Remove Pool Liner Wrinkles
Cover the Pool
Covering a Swimming pool has the following benefits:
- Protect your pool from leaves, dust and debris
- Reduce the pump hours required for filtration
- Prevent ducks & other birds entering the pool
- Stop frogs, toads and lizards living in the pool area
- Reduce the amount of water evaporation
- Reduce loss of chemicals
- Prevent the sun from reducing chlorine effectiveness
- Keep the pool water warmer
Please read How to Choose the Best Swimming Pool Cover
In Ground Pool Maintenance
Test for Pool Leaks
All swimming pools lose water to evaporation especially in summer. However, if your pool water is dropping more than usual and you are having to add water all the time you probably have a leak that needs to be investigated and fixed.
Measure the rate of decrease of your pool water against the rate of evaporation to determine if your pool really has a leakage problem. If the pool water decreases faster than the normal rate of evaporation you have a leak and you will need to investigate where the pool is losing the water.
The way to test this is with the simple bucket method.
Place a bucket in the pool on the first step (or maybe the second step is better depending on your pool) and fill with pool water to equal the pool surface.
Make the waterline inside the bucket equal to the waterline of the pool outside the bucket.
You may need to place an object under the bucket to make the level right so the bucket is partially submerged with the top part of the bucket above the waterline.
Mark the waterline on the inside and outside of the bucket with a marker pen or some colored water-proof tape so you can easily see if the waterline has dropped.
Turn off the filtration system pump for 24 hours.
Compare the Levels
Next day compare the water level in the bucket to the pool water level. Normally, both levels will have slightly dropped the same amount due to evaporation. When the level in the pool is lower than the level in the bucket then you probably have a pool leak.
If you suspect there is a leak, repeat the test the next day but with the pump operating as normal.
When the amount of water lost is the same as when the pump is off, the leak will probably be in the pool wall, liner or skimmer box.
If the amount of water lost is more when the pump is on then the leak will probably be in the hydrostatic valve, skimmer box or plumbing.
For further information please read How to Fix a Pool Leak
Replace the Hydrostatic Valve
The hydrostatic valve is a one-way pressure relief valve that is installed at the deepest point of an in-ground swimming pool.
A hydrostatic valve prevents the build-up of ground water under the swimming pool exerting upward pressure on the shell. The hydrostatic valve opens inwards allowing ground water to flow into the bottom of the swimming pool to relief the pressure. When this happens, you will notice dirty water at the bottom of your pool which is evidence the valve is working.
There is a hidden danger when an inground pool without a hydrostatic valve is emptied of water. When the weight of the water is removed the pressure underneath exerts an upwards pressure on the bottom of the pool.
Without a hydrostatic valve to relieve the pressure, the pool can be moved or uplifted out of the ground damaging the pool structure and plumbing. The movement usually only happens when the pool is empty.
Concrete pools always have a hydrostatic valve built into the lowest point of the pool at the deep end which releases pressure from under the pool.
It’s located in the main drain under the drain lid which sits at the bottom of the pool.
Hydrostatic Valve Leak
One of the most common sources of leaks is the hydrostatic valve. It should be one of the first things to check if you suspect you have a leak in your pool.
The valve is a simple mechanism but it can cause leaks when old and deteriorated. The most common issue is the rubber seals deteriorating causing pool water pressure to leak around the valve’s screw fitting.
Another issue occurs if the valve has ever been pushed open by ground water pressure. The dirty ground water contains small particles of grit or stone that can lodge in the valve’s opening. The valve will not be able to fully close and form a water tight seal causing a leak.
I recommend replacing the hydrostatic valve every time you change your swimming pool water.
All in-ground swimming pools should be drained, cleaned and refilled every 5 or 6 years to resolve the issue of total dissolved solids (TDS) accumulating in the pool water.
Please read Hydrostatic Valve for Swimming Pools
Salt Water Pool Maintenance
Test the Water Salinity
Most people don’t realize that salt water pools are not very salty. The salinity level of a salt water pool is around the same as the salinity of the tears in your eyes and only 10 to 15% of seawater salinity.
The Normal Salinity Level is 3000 to 7000 ppm.
Manufacturers recommend 6000+ ppm in summer.
During the hot summer season, manufacturers recommend a higher level of salinity. This is to ensure maximum chlorine production to counteract the evaporation of chlorine from the pool water.
Purchase pool water salinity test strips and test the water regularly, especially during the summer.
Add Salt to the Pool
Pool water pumps through the salt water chlorinator cell to produce chlorine which sanitizes the pool.
A low salinity level will restrict the capacity of the chlorinator cell to produce an adequate amount of chlorine.
When the salt level is low add one bag of pool salt to the pool.
Spread the salt around the pool and allow the pump to run for several hours.
Test the salinity again.
If the salt level is still low, continue to add one bag of salt to raise the desired salinity level.
Clean the Salt Water Chlorinator Cell
Saltwater chlorinators are low maintenance units however saltwater chlorinator cells require cleaning every 12 to 24 months.
Please read the manufacturer’s instructions for your model of saltwater chlorinator to determine how frequently the cell requires cleaning.
Calcium scale (or lime scale) accumulates on the chlorinator electrolytic cell reducing the effectiveness of the cell’s operation. The accumulation of scale is more common in locations with hard water due to higher calcium levels in the water supply.
If you are finding you need to dial up the chlorine production on the chlorinator control panel it’s time to clean the chlorinator cell.
Please read our article How to Clean a Saltwater Chlorinator Cell
Replace the Salt Water Chlorinator Cell
A correctly installed and maintained saltwater chlorinator cell has a normal life expectancy of at least 3 to 5 years.
Pools in a tropical climate that are in use all year round will have a lower cell life expectancy. Swimming pools in a cooler climate that are only in use during the summer season may achieve a higher cell life span than normal.
Replacing the chlorinator cell is an easy task for a home handyman.
However, each manufacturer will have a slightly different procedure so you will need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Basic Replacement Instructions
Purchase the correct replacement cell.
Turn off all power to the filtration system.
Remove the power plug from the power supply.
Open the chlorinator cell casing and remove the existing cell.
Remove the wiring from the old cell.
Attach the wiring to the new cell.
Install the new cell into the chlorinator casing and screw up the water-tight fitting.
Reconnect the power plug and switch on the unit.
Run the pool pump manually to check for any leaks in the plumbing around the chlorinator unit.
Ensure the chlorinator control unit indicates the cell is generating chlorine.
Switch your pool system to automatic control.
DIY Pool Maintenance
Most pool accessories and parts are relatively inexpensive when purchased online from the major pool product suppliers on eBay or Amazon.
The most expensive component to pool maintenance is the labor component. It is expensive to have a service person visit your home and clean or service your pool.
However, I believe that most competent home owners can easily take care of many pool maintenance issues without professional assistance.
Replacing a failed component or part is relatively easy. However, sometimes it is more economical to replace the whole unit rather than try to repair it.
When to Do Your Own Pool Maintenance
- Replacing a part or unit with instructions.
- Cleaning almost any pool component.
- Upgrading accessories or components.
- Installing an extra fitting with instructions.
- Landscaping around the pool area.
- Fixing a small plaster crack, chip or loose tile.
- Many other tasks around the pool.
When to Call a Pool Maintenance Service Professional
When the job is too difficult for you to effectively and safely complete.
- You don’t have the right tools.
- You simply don’t know how to do it.
- Installing a filtration system for the first time.
- Major pool renovation – resurfacing, tiling, coping, drainage
- Re-plastering the whole pool
- Replacing the whole plumbing system.
- Installing a saltwater chlorinator for the first time.
- Upgrading electrical wiring – only an electrician should do this.
- Installing a water heater for the first time.
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