This article covers many of the basic aspects of swimming pool care all in one long lesson. I think you will find helpful if you know nothing about your pool. I did this in one shot where I go over the basics of the pool water itself, equipment, testing, cleaning tools and much more. All of this information can be found in my eBook also and you will see pages from my book drop down during the course of this video.

 

 

My friend Ben who currently runs a landscaping company wants to possibly expand into pool service in his area. Since he knows next to nothing about pools I agreed to give him a crash course. So I recorded my conversation with him and created this video. I think you will find it extremely helpful.

 

The first point I make and one that is very crucial is to know that a pool is a very unnatural way to keep a body of water. The natural state of water is more in line with a lake or a pond. But for the pool to be maintained so that it is safe to swim in you need to do these three things:

 

Balance the pool water
Circulate the pool water
Clean and maintain your pool

 

 

If any of these three elements is off the pool can turn on you very quickly. Let the chlorine zero out and algae will form. Go long enough and the pool will turn green. Or even if you add tons of chlorine to the pool but the water is not circulating, the pool will overtime turn green. And if you don't remove the dirt and leaves from the pool the water quality will also suffer. It is not hard to do but you need to be diligent and on top of these three things to be successful in your pool care. 

 

Knowing your basic pool equipment is also essential. The pump is the heart of your system. If it is not running long enough or not running well, the pool can turn on you quickly in the Summer. Same with the filter. If it is not cleaned on a regular basis the water will not circulate properly. Knowing how the water flows into the pool and how the pool valves operate is also essential.

 

Testing the pool water weekly is a key part in keeping everything looking good. You should invest in a good test kit, one that does the basic four:

 

Free Chlorine or Bromine
pH
Alkalinity
Calcium Hardness

It is also a good idea to invest in a more advanced test kit so that you can 
 

also, test for:

Combined Chlorine
Acid Demand
Base Demand
Cyanuric Acid (CYA) 

 

 

If you don't keep your pool water in balance all kinds of bad things can happen. It is actually quite easy once you get the hang of it so don't be scared if all of the terminology makes it sound like you need to be a scientist to get it right. You don't and it is easy.

 

 

One area that is often overlooked is cleaning your pool on a regular basis. If you don't have time investing in a good automatic cleaner can be a lifesaver. I have reviewed a good percentage of the cleaners on the market today and have an extensive video library on automatic cleaners. It is an investment but it will pay off in time saved and a clean pool each week.

 

 

If you don't have time or are physically unable to maintain your pool, hiring a good pool service company is the way to go. Each week your pool will be clean and balanced. In the long run it is worth every penny to avoid he headache of a pool that has turned bad on you. And if you are like my friend Ben and are thinking about doing pool service keep watching my videos or join my group on Patreon where I can give you one on one real time help.

Again, the eBook I created is a great resource that pulls everything together for you in one place. I can't stress enough that it is a great investment for you if you are a homeowner maintaining your own pool or new to the service industry.