The outdoor fun season comes once a year and can bring with it a huge amount of fun for friends and family alike. Pools are a huge amount of work, but the payoff is easily worth the trouble. If you have kids too, their friends will greatly appreciate the easy fun that pools create from just a bunch of water. The truth is, these water-based fun zones are a great investment for many, but a pain to set up.
What then are the essentials for setting a pool up? You may have some of these or all of these but let us try and find the most obscure essentials that anyone, even the pros, can forget. You may think you are above forgetting these kinds of items, but it can happen to anyone, and the price can be a serious cleanup. As they say, it is best to do it right the first time!
Pool Vacuums
This is a strange thing for many people to grasp since water should be circulated within a pool to avoid stagnation, but there is often dirt at the bottom of pools. Certain compounds are heavier/denser than the water around them and end up just sitting in piles that can build into some true chemical nastiness.
The solution to this issue is, of course, covering the pool properly. But, even Watson’s best pool equipment can struggle to keep out everything that can cause issues. Instead, manually clean the pool bottom using a vacuum and its attached hose. These devices can be a pain to use, at first at least, but use them enough and you will end up loving the shiny bottom of a properly maintained pool.
With a good vacuum comes an array of supporting equipment. The trick for maintaining this equipment is to have a set of common tools readily available for unscrewing, disassembling, and cleaning. Treat them like a normal vacuum, though they can be a bit more dangerous so follow proper safety procedures and the instructions.
Skimmer Nets and Pool Brushes
Skimmer nets are an essential component of keeping debris from the surface of the pool. If seeds, leaves, or other similar plant-based materials end up getting waterlogged it can be a huge pain to get them out all at once. The first step to getting these types of skimmer nets is having something to put them on. Unless you plan to enter it every week, you should use a telescoping pole. You should click here to find some recommendations for poles, brushes, and nets.
Placing your net on the pole and extending it properly means that even in the worst of times you can clean the water’s surface in minutes. You should not be averse to getting wet, especially if your water quality and pH are properly maintained, but it does help to know that if you do not want to take a dip you can still keep the pool clean.
Speaking of cleanliness, using a brush to clean the sides is a necessity, especially for pools not built above ground. These usually attach to the telescoping poles that you already know and love, so with one purchase, you can acquire a seriously useful tool for maintenance.
Even More Basic
Pools are complex chemical projects. Proper pH, chlorine/bromine levels, and water quality are essential to make sure that you do not leave the water with irritated skin. You should shower after swimming anyway, but the world is often more complex than the simple answers and keeping your pool chemically correct is a tough job.
To make sure your pool is fit for human use, try going down this checklist of supplies: https://blog.intheswim.com/pool-opening-checklist-15-pool-supplies-to-have-on-hand/ to make sure you are properly managing the chemical makeup of the water. This is not to say a little breathing room is not there, especially in large pools, but often problems like this can cascade into a serious issue.
Among basics, however, there are some surprisingly forgotten necessities. The biggest one is a cover that you know you can stretch over the entire length of the top. For above-ground variants, this may require clips. A filter is essential, of course, as is a ladder for actually getting in and out. Though the physically fit can probably get in and out without one, there will be times when you will feel lazy.
The biggest aspect of proper maintenance however is consistency. The best pools early in the season can end up the worst if someone is not out there on a weekly/bi-weekly basis making sure it is clean. Do not skip any weeks, though daily the date of cleaning does not, particularly matter. Be consistent, be safe, and test the water before any swimming, and you will be the favorite of the block!
