Pool maintenance: a practical guide

by Multi-Prêts Mortgages

What you’ll learn

• Setup
• Salt-based system
• Security

Our summers may be short, but they sure can get hot. A swimming pool is an ideal way to beat the heat, but proper maintenance is the key to truly enjoying it.

Here are a few tips to keep your pool clean without breaking the bank.

Buying a pool

Before diving in, consult our practical guide to buying a pool.

If choosing chlorine for your pool

Chlorine is cheaper, and should cost you around one hundred dollars a year, depending on the amount of water. Although it doesn’t require any special equipment, you will have to store and handle chemicals.

Filtration accounts for half of your water quality. Change the sand in the filter every five years.

You’ll want to keep your chlorine between 3 ppm and 5 ppm. One shock treatment each week should do the trick.

Your pH level should range between 7,2 and 7,8. Hardness should be between 200 ppm and 300 ppm, while alkalinity should be between 80 ppm and 120 ppm. A good balance will reduce the need for chlorine.

Whether your pool is inground or above ground, a pool pump that’s running all summer will cost you 200$ to 400$ in electricity. A timer can easily help you cut this amount by half. You can also get a programmable two-speed pump; your savings won’t be as impressive, but your water quality will be better.

If choosing salt for your pool

A minimum investment of around $700 is required to equip an above ground pool with a salt system. If you’re handy, you can cut down on costs by installing it yourself. The cell will need to be replaced after five years, for about $500. A salt system is easier on the skin and reduces your contact with chemicals, but does require the water to be constantly balanced.

Note that, unlike chlorine, no timer is used with a salt system.

Solar blanket and and pool heater

Solar blankets not only keep the water warm, but reduce the need for products. For heated pools, regardless of whether they are inground or above ground, you’re looking at energy savings of nearly 50%.

Pool security

Maintenance is important, but safety should always be a priority. The Perfect Swimming website lists all the tips to follow and actions to take to avoid accidents. According to the website, « Almost all of the 300,000 residential pools in Quebec do not fully meet the safety measures recommended by the Lifesaving Society. »

To resolve this situation, they offer to send an expert to your home to rate your installation’s security level.

On another note, the warm weather is a great excuse to get started on some cleaning. Check out our tips and tricks for spring cleaning.

If you’re in the process of selling your home, don’t neglect your pool maintenance. It’s an important part of showing off your home at its best. Read our article to find out more about home staging.