Hot tub or swimming pool maintenance is definitely the downside of owning a backyard pool or spa. Today’s technological advances are helping make this chore easier, though. Some of the time and/or labor saving devices out there are relatively low cost while others can get pricey, but continuing advances help bring down the overall price. Here are just some of the things you might want to consider to help with pool maintenance:

Automated controls

Home automation isn’t just for the house anymore. Automated control systems can definitely help with swimming pool maintenance.  They can be as simple or as all-encompassing as you like. You might want to start with timers for the pool lights and regulating pumps. From there, you can upgrade to systems that automatically handle not only lighting and pool pumps but heating, valves, cleaning components, alarm systems, and water treatment systems. Both hard-wired and wireless automation is available.

Pool automation costs vary depending on the complexity of the system. Timers for low-voltage lights can be as little as $20-$25. For a master control system (including indoor touchpad panel and a remote control unit) costs start at around $2,500.

Automatic pool cleaners are widely used these days to help with swimming pool maintenance.  Good ones start at about $1,000 and can go up to $4,000. These robotic pool cleaners can be either electricity powered (usually connected to an outdoor outlet by a long extension cord and transformer) or batter-powered. If that sounds too expensive, it’s possible to get a vacuum hose that plugs into the pool skimmer inlet for about $700.

Tired of daily pool or spa chemical balancing? This is something that can also be automated. You can get automatic chemical feeders. Chlorine or ozone generators can sense when the water isn’t balanced, then they add ozone or chlorine to bring it back to optimum range. Ozone generators run about $1,000 and chlorine generators about $1,500.

If you have kids or the neighbors have kids, it’s a very good idea to install some sort of swimming pool alarm system. Alarms are available for both in ground and above ground pools and start for as little as $60. It’s also a good idea to get a pool cover with safety in mind. These pool covers can handle the weight of a few adults walking across them without buckling. Yes, you can automate this, too. For automated pool covers, prices range from about $6,000 to $10,000, depending on the size/shape of your swimming pool.

Keep an eye out for new home automation technology, because the backyard is a popular spot for it. Continuing advances will make swimming pool maintenance easier as time passes.

Not only can swimming pools and spas be an expensive initial investment, but continuing operating costs are noticeable. Here are some tips to help you keep down the costs of heating, cleaning, filtering, and treating your swimming pool water.

To save on heat loss, chemical loss, and water evaporation, use a pool/spa cover. Have it in place whenever the pool is not being used.

To conserve pool or hot tub chemicals, keep an eye on the chemical levels by checking them regularly. Pool pH should be between 7.2 and 7.8.

Help keep your pump and filter operating optimally by regularly removing foreign material from the strainer baskets in the pump and skimmer.

Should teach a clean plant trees, shrubs, and fences to shelter the pool or spa from the wind.

If your pool or spa is not going to be used for a while, shut off the heater. (If your pool primarily sees weekend use, drop the temperature 8-10 degrees during the week, then raise it back for the weekend).

If you have trees or shrubs growing near the pool, keep them trimmed back from the water, and keep the deck clean to reduce chemical and filter cleaning needs.

Does it seem like the sanitizer in your swimming pool or hot tub is being eaten up faster than normal? Here are a few factors that can affect the balance of chlorine or bromine in your water:

Sunlight weakens chlorine, so you will go through it faster in the summer months.

High water temperature (over 85°) shortens the life of many pool chemicals, so you may notice that chlorine does not last as long in your hot tub as it does in your swimming pool.

Bather load largely affects the amount of chlorine in the water. If your swimming pool or hot tub is getting a lot of use, you will have to replenish your sanitizer more often.

Poor weather such as wind and rain can drop unwanted material into your pool or spa which reduces the effectiveness of your sanitizer. Pool and spa covers can help with this problem.

Make sure you monitor pH and total alkalinity daily so you can keep them balanced. High pH slows down the disinfectant effectiveness of many chemicals while at low pH levels, sanitizers are eaten up quicker. Low total alkalinity makes it hard to maintain a balanced pH.

To keep your swimming pool crystal-clear and avoid teary eyes, here is a list of routine maintenance and how often it should be performed:

Daily:

Clean leaves or other debris from the surface of the pool. It’s always easier to skim leaves off the top than swimming for them on the bottom.

Clean the skimmer and the pump baskets.

Check the pH levels and adjust if necessary.

Check the disinfectant levels and adjust if necessary.

Weekly:

Hose off the pool deck.

Vacuum the pool.

Use a brush to clean any scum clinging to the walls at the waterline.

Clean or backwash the pool filter.

Use a large dose of chlorine to “shock” the pool water.

Pool lighting is a necessary part of making a backyard swimming pool a fun and safe place to play. Minimally, lighting should illuminate your pool and pathways after dark, but it can also be used to create the mood of an inviting relaxation area.

Pool lighting can be divided into three main types. There is general lighting which illuminates the pool deck and paths so you can wander safely after dark. Then there is underwater lighting which is useful for swimming after dark as well as creating cool nighttime lighting effects. Finally, there is accent lighting which is generally used to add atmosphere to the poolside setting. Accent lighting can be used to uplight trees and bushes, or highlight any structures or architectural features you might want to draw attention to in your yard.

Exotic Pool Lighting Options

While most lights rely on electricity, you can also find wireless solar lights that store energy during the day and produce light by night. Fiber optic lighting is becoming a popular option for pools. Fiber optic light doesn’t carry electrical current, rather fibers of light move through the cable. It offers a wide range of both colors and styles of light–this variety can be used to create multi-color special effects. Even if you have an older pool, it can probably be retrofitted to support fiber optic lighting.

One of the main qualms people have with aboveground swimming pools is that they can stick it in a backyard like a sore thumb. One way to make your above ground pool look like a natural part of your landscape is to build a deck that provides convenience and easy access while enhancing the aesthetic of your backyard (a.k.a. make it look good).

Decks can really improve the area around an aboveground swimming pool and disguise the walls of the pool itself, making it blend seamlessly into the landscape. Decks can be very practical, too, allowing room for swimmers to lounge in deck chairs. You can even make them large enough for grilling and entertaining.

Some aboveground pool dealers offer prefabricated decking systems, usually made out of aluminum. Generally, these prefabricated decks, because they are mass-produced, all look similar and probably won’t blend your pool into your landscape. And aluminum decks certainly won’t give you that upscale look. Because of this, many homeowners choose to have their decks custom-built (or to do it themselves).

It is easiest to design and build the deck before the swimming pool is installed. Some things to consider are: privacy (if you have a low fence and a tall deck, your neighbors may end up staring at your backside as you wander around your deck), views (you’ll probably want the focal point to be your landscape or a territorial view rather than a fence), deck function (do you just need to get in and out of the swimming pool or do you want to entertain?), and accessibility (both pool and deck should be situated close enough to the house for convenience–you don’t want to have to run far if a thunderstorm breaks out). While it is cheaper to build a deck yourself, a good builder or designer can help you come up with ideas that will really accentuate both your deck and your pool, giving you the most bang for your buck. Some of the things they may come up with could include: a tiered deck system for drama, exotic woods for beauty, built-in benches and planters for interest, and arbors or pergolas to provide shade from the sun. Once you start thinking about features like these, you can see how your aboveground pool and accompanying deck could be mistaken for the real deal (a custom-designed inground swimming pool).

Keeping the Cost Down with Above Ground Pool Decks

One way to save money with your pool deck is to incorporate it into your existing pool or patio. If that is not possible, or you still need to save money, the best way to economize is to grab a couple of handy friends and do the job yourself. There are some deck systems out there that cater to do-it-yourselfers. Look up DekBrands or Dek-Block piers; using this floating deck foundation system means you don’t need to dig post holes.

Aboveground Pool Decks: Best Materials

Wood is the most popular choice among homeowners when it comes to decks, but there are a couple reasons it may not be the best choice for around the swimming pool. The constant splashes from water treated with pool chemicals can take its toll on wood, even old standbys like cedar or redwood. If you really prefer wood and are determined to use it, you want to make sure it is pressure-treated, then painted or stained. Keep in mind, stained wood needs to be reapplied regularly.

Alternative choices for pool decks are composite lumber or plastic. Both materials stand up well to the poolside environment, and both can be made to look quite handsome.

One Last Thing to Keep in Mind

The nice thing about aboveground pools is that most municipalities don’t see them as permanent installations, so the building codes are not as stringent. (You may not need an inspection or building permits.) The decks, however, are generally seen as permanent structures. Before you get started, make sure to check the local regulations.

If you install a swimming pool in your backyard, you absolutely need additional swimming pool insurance. Your homeowner’s insurance alone will NOT BE ENOUGH TO COVER YOU in the event of an accident. I don’t mean to shout there, but most people don’t realize that their regular home insurance isn’t nearly comprehensive enough in case you get sued.

If you’re not properly insured, and someone gets hurt in or around your pool, you are inviting law suits. I know you’re probably thinking your friends and family are the only ones who use the pool, and they would never sue you….

Guess again.

It’s not that people love to sue or even want to sue. They may have to sue. With the high costs of hospitalization and related medical expenses today, someone who suffers a serious injury probably can’t afford not to sue. If someone–god forbid–drowns, you can be their family will come after you. And if a person is injured at your pool in your backyard, guess who’s technically at fault?

You are.

If someone gets hurt, don’t be surprised by a lawsuit: expect it. And don’t think you can watch the pool every moment to make sure nobody gets hurt. Accidents will happen no matter how assiduous you are in trying to prevent them. It’s statistically proven that accidents are very likely to happen around backyard pools and hot tubs.

This isn’t to say you should pour dirt into your pool, plant a sweet safe flower bed, and post “stay out of yard” signs all around your backyard. You just need to make sure you’re adequately covered when it comes to insurance.

Now that you’ve been warned of the dangers, you probably want to know how to make sure you’re covered. Good. Here we go:

If you own a swimming pool or hot tub, you should carry very high liability insurance, i.e. in the range of a million dollars or more.

This can be tricky since many home insurance policies limit the maximum exposure of the insurer to around $100,000. Sometimes you can get this increased to $300,000, but getting more than that, from your homeowner’s plan alone, will surely prove difficult.

This is why you should look into an umbrella plan. An umbrella plan is a separate liability policy that you get in addition to your homeowner’s coverage. It generally picks up where your standard home insurance leaves off. This way, you can get coverage of several million dollars.

The cost for this additional coverage is usually not too bad–in the ballpark of $500 per year. This may seem pricey, but considering the millions of dollars of coverage it affords you, it’s definitely worth the money, especially if you have a hot tub or pool and ever entertain. The additional insurance coverage will give you peace of mind.

One last thing to note is that you may have to buy all your insurance from the same place. This would include home and auto. If you have a pool or spa, it’s probably worth changing insurers to find one who offers an umbrella plan.

If you’re going to have a swimming pool, you’re going to have to deal with the maintenance that comes with it, such as vacuuming it to keep the water and the walls clean.  There are several different kinds of vacuums: suction, pressure, robotic, and in-floor.  Today, we’re going to talk about suction cleaners.

Suction cleaners attach to the suction side of the swimming pool’s circulation system.  Whenever you have the filter pump going, suction is created on the underside of the cleaner, and it randomly moves around the pool, sucking up debris.  The large pieces of gunk are caught in the strainer basket, and smaller stuff gets trapped by the filter.

Suction vacuums are fairly simple to operate, and they are the least expensive kind of swimming pool cleaner.  One downside is that, because the vacuum cleaner runs randomly around the pool, some spots tend to be missed.  Also, if your pool only has one skimmer, these kind of vacuums can be a pain.  That’s because the skimmer action has to be suspended when the cleaner is operating.  You might want to invest in a more expensive pressure cleaner.

Nobody likes the cleaning and maintenance aspect of owning a swimming pool, but it’s a necessity if you don’t like floating around in bottom-hiding, leaf-clogged, algae-sporting, murky green water.  There are four basic kinds of pool cleaners: robotic, pressure, suction, and in-floor.

In-floor cleaning systems are the most expensive, and generally the most efficient, pool cleaners.  These systems consist of multiple jets that are installed when the pool is built.  Those jets are placed on the pool floor, steps, and any other underwater surfaces where dirt and debris are likely to build up.  When you turn on the system, the rotating jets use high-pressure water streams to push dirt and debris along the walls and floors to the main drain, so it can be taken care of by the pool’s filtration system.

Since in-floor systems are custom-designed in order to give the best possible performance for your pool, they can add thousands of dollars to the cost of building a new swimming pool.  In-floor cleaners are definitely worth considering if you can afford them, however, because everything with them is completely automatic.  You don’t have to buy a separate vacuum that you need to put in and out of the water on a regular basis.  By installing an in-floor cleaner when you build your pool, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort down the road.

Heating an outdoor swimming pool can be expensive, especially these days with energy costs so high.  In cooler climates, it’s even worse.  Fortunately, pool-construction companies are tapping into today’s technology to provide new types of insulation.

The Australians, for example, have a therma-foam system that’s built into swimming pool walls to create a more energy efficient pool.  The system uses expanded polystyrene panels covered with a structural reinforcing mesh, which is embedded with two coats of plaster.  This all combines to create an insulated pool shell that is more thermally efficient than average.  It reduces heat loss from your water into the surrounding ground, thus meaning you can spend less to heat your swimming pool to the same temperature.

The therma-foam insulation can also be helpful for pools built in hot climates, where the sun-heated water can get uncomfortably warm for swimmers, during some months of the year.  The insulated walls will help keep the water cooler because less heat is absorbed from the surrounding soil.

The good news is therma-foam is flexible, so it can be incorporated into virtually any size and shape of pool design.  The bad news?  You have to get in on this from the beginning.  There’s really no way to retrofit your pool to have more insulated walls–at least not yet.