What First Time Pool Owners Should Know About Owning a Pool

Last Updated on: May 4, 2022 by ThomasPool Tips, Pool Care

Owning a pool means that you can enjoy the water all year round. There is no better way to relax than to jump into a warm pool on a hot summer day.

Whether you are a first time pool owner or looking to buy a home with a swimming pool. If you never owned a swimming pool before there are things you should know about owning a pool.

What Should I Know About Owning a Pool?

You’ll need more than just chemicals. Even if you have a professional come out to clean your pool regularly. As a homeowner, you should be aware of what goes into owning one before taking the plunge and diving headfirst

Here are a few tips to keep in mind before taking the plunge:

Time Commitment

Owning a swimming pool is a big commitment. It requires a great deal of time and effort to maintain properly. If you’re not ready to make that commitment now, then wait until you are before you buy one.

Costs

The average pool owner spends about $3,000-$4500 a year on pool maintenance.

The costs of pool maintenance can be expensive. Ongoing maintenance — including water testing, maintaining the chemicals that keep the water clean, replacing worn-out parts, and making sure your filtration system is working properly — can be a full-time job. If you don’t want to spend your weekends (and some evenings) maintaining your pool, you may want to consider having an outside company do this work for you.

Safety First

The most important thing in swimming pool safety is constant adult supervision. It’s not enough to watch your children while they’re just in the pool. you need to watch them constantly when they are near the pool. You also need to have a fence around the pool and with gate that locks.

It’s also a good idea to install an alarm on your back door so you’ll know if anyone goes near the pool, even if you’re inside the house.

Insurance Premiums

Homeowners insurance costs will most likely increase when you add a pool. Homeowners insurance companies can raise your insurance premiums because pools increase the risk of injury or death for people on your property. Your premium may go up by as much as 10 percent

Is Owning a Pool Worth It?

A swimming pool is an investment that you can enjoy all year round, not just in the summer. The pool has so many benefits. You can use it as a way to get exercise. It is also great for use during the summer months. Pool parties are also a great way to entertain family and friends.

Four Reasons Why You Should Own a Pool

1. During the summer, families often enjoy pool parties.

It is a gathering place for family and friends.
The parties are memorable.
You can have floaties and toys on hand to make it fun.

2. You can use a pool for family fun and to teach your kids how to swim.

You can have special bonding time teaching the kids to swim.
It’s a great way to spend time together as a family during the summer when everyone has more free time.

3. The pool is a great way to cool off in summer.

It gives you an alternative to going out and spending money on water parks or amusement parks, especially if you have small children who are too young for those types of activities anyway.

4. A staycation at the pool can be a delightful way to enjoy the summer without having to travel far from home or spend a lot of money on vacations and other activities outside the home.

You don’t have to worry about packing up the kids and traveling long distances, so there’s less stress involved with planning your vacation this way!

Is Owning a Pool a Lot Of Work?

Owning a pool is a lot of work, but once you’re used to the routine and occasional maintenance, you’ll be glad you have it

To avoid problems down the road, educate yourself about pool maintenance. The more you know about your pool and its maintenance needs, the more likely it is that you’ll enjoy owning a pool for years to come.

Final Thoughts

It’s relaxing to sit by the edge and enjoy the sunshine. Swimming, playing with your family and friends, these are all wonderful things that you can do when you own a pool.

All in all, owning a pool can be an incredibly rewarding experience., but take the time to educate yourself before you go ahead with the purchase. That way, you can dive into pools headfirst, so to speak.

5 Best Ways to Vacuum Leaves From a Pool

One of the most annoying things about owning a pool is having to vacuum leaves and debris from it. If you use your pool often or have large trees in the area that set of leaves, chances are you know what a pain it can be to clean the leaves out by hand. If you do, there is a way to make the process much smoother, faster, and safer. Best of all, it’s less expensive than some other methods with better results. Five Pool Cleaning Products to Help you Vacuum Leaves from a Pool All of these tools will do a good job, but our top pick is Leaf Master. This tool is easy to use and cleans leaves out of your pool quickly and efficiently. 1) Use a Pool Leaf Vacuum Leaf Master A Leaf Master, also called a leaf vacuum or leaf bagger, is used to quickly clean leaves and other debris out of your swimming pool. When the vacuum connected to a garden hose, water nozzles located on the underside of the vacuum convert into minijets that create suction and lift leaves as well as debris into the bag. This type of tool is much more efficient than using something like a skimmer net or hand rake. If you live in an area where there are large amounts of leaves which fall into the pool, then a Leaf Master would be the perfect leaf vacuum for you! 2) Use a Surface Pool Skimmer The PoolSkim attaches to one of the return jets on the side of the pool — where water flows back into the pool. The power of water returning to your pool creates a venturi suction that draws all floating debris like a magnet and is collected in a sturdy nylon mesh clip-on bag. 3) Use a Solar Pool Skimmer The solar pool skimmer is a device that floats in the pool, powered by solar energy. It collects leaves, dust, pollen, dead insects and other debris from the water’s surface into debris basket. You empty the basket when it is full, and then place it back on the skimmer. The solar pool skimmer automatically cleans floating debris from the surface of the pool, utilizing power from the sun. In summer months, it will collect additional power from a battery. During the winter months, it will need more time to charge and run for less hours. We’ve found that the best way to use a solar skimmer is in conjunction with an automatic pool cleaner, such as a suction-side pool cleaner or pressure-side pool cleaner. The advantage of this device is that the skimmer will reduce the amount of time you will have to run your automatic pool cleaner. Pool cleaners are more effective when they are not working overtime to clean up lots of leaves, since that decreases their ability to clean up algae and other debris from the sides and bottom of your pool. You’ll also save on chemicals, as leaves and debris can cause algae blooms that lead to higher chemical use in your swimming pool. The Instapark Betta Solar Pool Skimmer provides a fast and easy way to vacuum leaves from your pool. Instapark Betta Automatic Pool Cleaner has a unique design that makes it possible to clean the pool by itself. The device is solar powered and uses the sun’s energy to perform its cleaning functions. You don’t have to worry about your power bills, or connecting this unit to an external power source. Instapark Betta Automatic Pool Cleaner uses a solar panel located on top of its body as an external power source. The solar panel collects sunlight and converts it into electricity. The converted energy is stored in the internal battery in readiness for use when the darkness sets in. The built-in battery can store enough energy to ensure that the cleaner will work even at night. The cleaner also comes with a remote controller that you can use to program its cleaning cycles at your convenience 4) Use a Pool Leaf Rake A pool leaf rake is one of the most common tools for removing leaves from a swimming pool. This tool has a long handle with a net at the end for collecting debris. They’re inexpensive and easy to use — all you have to do is scoop up the leaves floating on the surface of your pool’s water and then dump them into a trash bag. 5) Use a Robotic Pool Vacuum A manual vacuum uses suction from the return jets to pull debris into the filter system. This requires you to be “hands on” as you move it around the bottom of your pool and position it over different return jets for suction. Although a pool skimmer is great for picking up large debris, a robotic pool vacuum is ideal for fine debris. These vacuums can be expensive, but if you have the money to invest in one they make cleaning your pool a breeze Robotic pool vacuums will not only pick up the fine dirt and leaves, they also scrub the surface of your pool while they are cleaning it. If you have pets that constantly track dirt into the pool, this is a great way to keep it clean. You simply plug the vacuum into an outdoor electrical outlet and drop it into your pool when you need it cleaned. It will automatically begin to clean your entire pool in just minutes. The Dolphin Premier Is a Robotic Pool Cleaner That Vacuums up All Sort of Debris, Leaves, and Pollen. An ocean of leaves is no match for the Dolphin Premier Robotic Pool Cleaner. It’s equipped with a large leaf bag to handle even the most challenging pools. With intelligent navigation, the robotic cleaner is able to scan your pool and make smart decisions on the best cleaning path. Equipped with a patented swivel cable, it easily navigates around obstacles – including ladders and stairs. With an oversized filter basket, the Dolphin […]
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How To Choose The Right Robotic Pool Cleaner For Your Pool

When you are doing your research to buy a robotic pool cleaner, you will find numerous different types of robotic cleaners on the market. There are many brands and models of robotic pool cleaners, each with a different design, features, and price. By taking time to do research on what type of cleaner you want and important features, it will be easy to find the right robotic pool cleaner for your pool cleaning needs. Choosing a Robotic Pool Cleaner Each manufacturer offers a different collection of features, but all of them will clean your pool. For example, some cleaner models can only clean the floor, while others are able to vacuum the entire pool. Some cleaners have a shorter cable and are designed small inground or above ground pools. And some have basic controls, while others have multiple settings and can be programmed through a mobile app or remote control. Robot Pool Cleaner Basics Robotic pool cleaners work by combining low voltage electricity with water at high pressure. Pool debris is vacuumed into an onboard bag or basket by the suction created by the circulation of water past the spinning brushes. A typical robotic cleaner can clean a swimming pool in less than two hours. Questions to Ask Yourself 1. What Type of Pool Do You Have? Most robotic pool cleaners are made specifically for in-ground pools, but some manufacturers make models for above-ground pools, too.. If you have an aboveground pool, you need to get a robot that can clean this type of pool or else it could damage the vinyl liner. There are some models of robots pool cleaners that can be used for both above-ground and in-ground pools but only a handful. 2. What Type of Pool Surface Does Your Pool Have? Is it a vinyl-lined pool or a concrete/gunite pool? Some robotic cleaners are made for one type and not the other. While some models can do both, others are designed for one type only. Also, if you have a fiberglass pool, we recommend consulting your pool manufacturer or dealer before purchasing any automatic cleaner. 3. How Big Is Your Swimming Pool? When choosing an cleaner for your swimming pool, it is important to know how big it truly is. Measure the length and width and calculate the surface area in order to determine how large your swimming pool truly is. Robotic cleaners come in a range of sizes depending on the manufacturer, so this isn’t as big a deal as it used to be. But if your pool is larger than average — say 35 feet or more — consider getting a model with a longer cable so you won’t have to worry about its range. 4. How Many Gallons Is Your Swimming Pool? The size of a pool is usually determined by its capacity, which is the total amount of water that the pool can hold. Pool capacity can be calculated using the following formula: Multiply the length (L) x width (W) x average depth (D) x 7.5 The result is the total number of gallons of water in your pool. The capacity varies between about 15,000 and 35,000 gallons for most residential pools. Once you know how many gallons your swimming pool holds, look for a robotic pool cleaner that has a cleaning cycle time that will cover your entire pool at least once and as many times as necessary to meet your pool cleaning needs. Generally, 3-hour cycles will clean up to 15,000 gallons, 4-hour cycles will clean up to 25,000 gallons and 6-hour cycles will clean up to 35,000 gallons. 5. What Do You Want It to Clean? Robotic pool cleaners vacuum up dirt and debris from your swimming pool. The debris can include leaves, insects, and pebbles; the robotic pool cleaner sucks it into its filtration bag for later disposal. If your only concern is picking up dirt, then any robotic cleaner will probably do. If you also want a cleaner that scrubs the surface of your pool as it goes, that’s going to narrow down your options considerably. Some pool robots just vacuum your pool’s floor. Others clean floors, walls, and the lower wall. So you want to choose a model that does the jobs you want it to do. To get the best bang for your buck find a model that addresses all your specific needs. What Type of Filter Is Included? There are two types of filter configurations. Cartridge Filtration Filter cartridges traps dirt and dust, making it easy to insert/remove and clean the cartridges. Bag Filtration The filter bag is designed to provide a large surface that enables it to collect large amounts of debris. Filter Capacity Robotic cleaners have filter canister that collect dirt and debris while they’re operating in your pool. The larger the canister’s capacity, the longer you can run your cleaner before emptying it. A large canister also means that it won’t need to be emptied as often as a smaller one would be. When You’re Shopping for a Robotic Cleaner, Consider the Following Features: Swivel Cord A swivel cord can help robotic pool cleaners move around your pool, climb vertical walls, and even handle stairs with less tangling. Scrubbing Brushes Most units have scrubbing brushes, which can help loosen debris that’s stuck to the bottom or sides of your pool. They also aid in removing algae and other contaminants from the pool walls. Waterline Cleaning This is an added feature on higher end models that allows the robotic pool cleaner to scrub off algae, dirt and other debris from the waterline as it cleans your swimming pool. Not all models can scrub waterlines efficiently. Waterline Cleaning vs Wall Climbing The waterline may also be called the tileline, as it’s where debris, algae, and bacteria may accumulate if not cleaned on a regular basis. Some robot cleaners can climb walls, but they may not be able to scrub the line of your pool. You want the cleaner to not only thoroughly […]
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How to Clean a Pool Full of Leaves

We all love to swim, but we don’t like the chore of cleaning a pool full of leaves. Cleaning a pool with leaves is one of the most challenging jobs, especially if you don’t have the right tools. Here are some tricks to make the job easier.
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The Essential Pool Cleaning Equipment List For DIYers

Now that you are a pool owner, the next thing you will need is cleaning equipment. Whether your new swimming pool is standard vinyl-lined or gunite and concrete, your pool needs to be cleaned and maintained regularly to stay in top shape. Basic pool care requires you to clean the surface of the water and the bottom of the pool, remove debris from skimmer baskets and pump baskets, clean the bottom and sides of the pool by brushing them, and vacuum the entire surface area of the pool. Essentials Pool Cleaning Tools There is basic equipment that every pool owner should have on hand for regular maintenance. Below is a list of these essential items: Leaf Rake- A net with a handle that is used to scoop up leaves, bugs, and debris. Pool Brush – A brush attached to a telescopic pole, used to scrub the walls of the pool. Vacuum Head and Hose – Vacuum for cleaning the pool floor. Pole Cleaning Pole – Used to screw the vacuum head to, and also used to attach brushes. Pool Leaf Rakes The pool rake is one of the most essential pieces of equipment that you will need when cleaning your pool. It is a very large, wide net on the end of a long handle. A leaf rake is one of the most useful pieces of equipment for removing floating debris such as leaves, bugs, insects and twigs from the surface of your pool water. Pool Brushes The pool brush is used for brushing algae off of the walls and bottom of your swimming pool. Brushes come in various sizes, shapes, and materials depending on the surfaces you need to clean. Pool Vacuum Head and Hose The vacuum head is attached to the telescopic pole. It has wheels in the bottom part so that it can easily glide across the floor when cleaning. The hose is connected to either the skimmer or the suction port of your pool’s pump system. Telescopic Pole This pole extends from 8 feet all the way up to 18 feet in length. It allows you to clean anywhere in your pool Bucket You’ll need a bucket or two to store your cleaning supplies and tools when scooping leaves and debris from your pool. If you want to make the most of your time while cleaning your pool, it helps to have all the necessary equipment organized. By keeping everything in order, you won’t lose time looking for your brush or test kits. Where to Buy Pool Cleaning Supplies? Pool cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore or awfully expensive. You can save money while you’re DIY You can find all these types of rakes at a local swimming pool supply store or online at one of the many websites dedicated to swimming pools. Pool Vacuums A pool vacuum is another essential tool for cleaning your swimming pool. There are several different types of vacuums available, including hand held and automatic models. The hand held models are generally less expensive but require more work from you, while automatic models cost more but do all the work for you. Automatic Pool Cleaners There are several types of automatic pool vacuums: Robotic cleaner: Robotic pool cleaners are completely self-contained units that run off their own pump and filter system – no need for hoses or booster pumps. They clean all swimming pools, scrubbing the bottom and sides while filtering the water. Pressure side cleaner: Uses water pressure from the pump to propel itself around the pool, picking up debris as it goes. It requires a supplemental booster pump or a dedicated suction line to operate at full efficiency. Suction side cleaner: It connects directly to the skimmer with its own hose. It’s powered by the suction from your existing filter system, so you don’t need an additional pump. Most popular models are low-maintenance, energy-efficient and easy to install and clean out. Handheld cleaner: Handheld pool vacuums are best used when you need a quick spot clean or small area clean up. They do not work as well as other pool cleaners on larger areas because they don’t have the power to pick up heavier debris or large amounts of leaves. Bonus Pool Cleaning Supply Recommendations: After completing the cleaning of your pool, test your water chemistry. Pool Water Testing Kits Water testing strips: For a quick pool water-quality analysis Liquid test kit: For a more detailed and accurate analysis of your pool’s water quality Digital test kit: If you want to get the most accurate analysis of your pool water quality, this is the option for you. Pool Cartridge Filter Cleaning Tool A pool-cleaning tool attachment that transforms your garden hose into a high-pressure water cleaning machine can help make cleaning your pool filter cartridges more convenient and efficient. Purchasing the right equipment is the key to maintaining a clean pool. These are some of the essential pieces of pool cleaning equipment you will need to keep your pool sparkling clean. Final Thoughts Automatic pool cleaners are great investment. They save you time, make things easier, and give you more time to do other things. Hopefully this list has given you some ideas on what you should consider when purchasing pool cleaning equipment. With the right tools, you’ll be able to clean your pool quickly and easily. The more time you spend cleaning out your pool and maintaining water quality, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Keeping your pool clean and the water healthy is not difficult if you have the right equipment.
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