How can i ensure that my swimming pool is built to last?

How long should you run your pool pump? Ideally, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, since that's not feasible for everyone's budget or equipment, we recommend running the filter for at least 10 to 12 hours a day. This will move the water several times and help keep the pool clean and safe. If you're not sure how to clean a pool filter, it's imperative that you learn and make it part of your regular pool care routine.

Rather than considering pool resurfacing as an unrecoverable cost, homeowners should consider pool resurfacing as part of a long-term investment that adds real and intrinsic value to the property. In fact, when you know how your pool works, understand the care it needs, and plan ahead, you might be proud of your skill in caring for the pool. It's also a good idea to fully inspect a fiberglass pool after buying a home, especially if information about the pool is limited. To ensure that your pool stays clean even when the disinfectant is at maximum, add Pool Shock on a regular basis.

A solar blanket not only protects pool water from rain and debris, but it also helps to heat it with solar energy and reduce evaporation. Write down your pool's maintenance program and tape it to the wall, refrigerator, or even somewhere near the pool. Add in the risks of bacterial contamination, and cleaning your pool becomes an absolutely essential part of safe swimming. Do a good final cleaning; balance chemicals; add special winter products to the water; clean, remove and store pool pipes; remove and store the skimmer; remove and store the skimmer (or protect it with a skimmer cover); pack the pool filter, pump and accessories, such as ladders; lower the water level if you don't remove the skimmer; and cover the pool with a pillow and pool air cover.

If you know that a fiberglass pool has been repaved in the past decade, you're probably safe for now, although it's still a good idea to evaluate the pool for signs of damage. But even for pool owners who are used to the “do it yourself” approach, extreme caution is recommended before attempting to repave the pool on your own. It may surprise you, but pool professionals recommend that elevated pools not be drained before winter. While it's an essential part of effective pool maintenance and water care, basic pool chemistry is surprisingly simple.

Elevated pools don't have these drains, but you can get the same boost of cleaning the water with a manual pool vacuum.