Owning a pool can be a lot of work, especially if you are not aware of the basic requirements that need to be met in order to have a safe swimming environment. There is a lot more involved than most people may realize. The internet is full of ‘resources’ but many only want you to use their ‘free’ system only to have to purchase their chemicals in order to fully take advantage of their technology. Beware of these and any other ‘proprietary’ systems as the basic pool chemicals needed are not patented and are readily available in their pure form at most retailers.
If you’re reading this, then you’ve probably pondered the question “Why should I consider weekly pool service?” A large part of paying for regular pool service is having your pool cleaned thoroughly each week. While any pool service provider may agree that 1x per week is not ideal, its the most common form of residential pool service. Every other week is often requested by customers that are interested in DIY pool maintenance and for some this works just fine. Once per week is the standard but twice per week, if affordable, is ideal. Having a pool cleaning service is like having a house keeper but for your pool. Basically, if you have housekeeping services, and you have a pool, chances are you will want a professional cleaning your pool also. But you may also want someone that can teach you the basics so eventually you can do it yourself. This is the perfect pool owner in our eyes. SwimScapes always wants to teach a pool owner to become their own technician, but this is rare in our experience.
Another benefit of having a trained professional check on your pool each week is because small issues can turn into major problems quickly, especially when water temperatures are 90F+ during July and August. For example, if your pump isn’t working properly or if something else in your system stops performing its job, it could take a week or two to get a technician onsite, but if you have a regular service provider, usually its easier to get on their schedule for maintenance items such as a new pump, filter or chlorinator. While many folks are perfectly capable of performing the basic tasks of checking chlorine levels or making sure the pressure on the filter is still good, knowing the nuances of any system can prevent costly damages when caught in time.
Why are you more capable than me to take care of my pool? True professionals that enjoy helping pool owners will often offer a training session, like our Pool School, to help the pool owner develop better skills and knowledge for taking care of the pool water (LSI), equipment, and pool surfaces (tile, plaster, coping, etc). Many times after Pool School, our services may no longer be needed or they are needed much less often if the pool owner has the time and the desire to step in and become their own Pool Technician. We love seeing this even though this may be seen by some as a terrible business model.
Once a pool owner understands proper water management using LSI and the tools we teach, they are instantly a better pool owner and will undoubtedly save thousands in long-term costs (replaster costs over $15k on most pools in our region). Improperly balanced water is the #1 reason a gunite pool will need a replaster during its lifetime. We have worked on pools in the past that had plaster that was over 30 years old. These pools were professionally maintained for years and the owners took over and did a great job managing LSI and the overall environment. This is what we strive to do for each of our customers. We want to save you the headache of ever having to replaster your pool, but eventually all plastered pools will need a new interior surface and we can also help with that.
