Text size:

Dive into pool maintenance, and do it by the book

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

August 4, 2005

It probably has been 25 years since my sister rented a house with an in-ground swimming pool. For some reason, I was selected to be the person responsible for maintenance, aka the pool boy.

In return, I was granted unlimited access to the pool. But I never realized maintenance could be so time-consuming. Between testing the water, adding chemicals, vacuuming the pool floor and backwashing the filter, I barely had time to dip my big toe.

How things have changed.

Today, I have my own in-ground pool. I test the water every couple of days, add chemicals sparingly and run a little robotic pool cleaner a few hours each day. That's it. Since that stint as my sister's pool servant, my time working on the pool has been replaced by time swimming in the pool.

House Doctor Recent columns

More leisure time for pool owners is exactly what manufacturers and suppliers have been shooting for in the past decade or so, said Alan Sanderfoot, a Wisconsin-based pool-maintenance expert and author of "What Color Is Your Swimming Pool? A Homeowner's Guide to Trouble-Free Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Maintenance" (Storey Books, $19.95). It's my pool bible, covering everything from opening and closing to keeping water crystal clear and making all kinds of repairs.

"Companies have come out with all types of products," said Sanderfoot, who edited Aqua, a pool and spa trade magazine, for 10 years. "The idea is to make taking care of your own pool a fail-safe proposition."

And do-it-yourself maintenance is a lot cheaper than hiring it out. A weekly service, which can include vacuuming, water testing and filter backwashing, ranges from $40 to $60 a visit, according to an informal survey of Long Island companies. In most cases, the cost includes chemicals.

The most significant technological advancements have been automatic cleaners and water-purification systems. Although these maintenance-saving devices can add to the pool's construction price - about $500 to $750 apiece - they save time and money, Sanderfoot said.

"Automatic cleaners come in a few styles," he said, "but all accomplish the same things; They automatically sweep and vacuum the pool floor and sidewalls."

I purchased a Polaris 360 automatic cleaner with my pool four summers ago. It hooks up to a water-return line and vacuums debris into a nylon bag. In a three-hour span, my pool floor and walls are swept clean. And while my Polaris vacuums, I can be doing other things - such as writing this column. Other automatic cleaners can connect like a pool vacuum or even use a garden hose.

"If you are building new, I would suggest an automatic cleaner," Sanderfoot said. "It doesn't add that much to the cost of the pool, and they offer great relief down the road."

If your pool does not have an automatic cleaner, he said to consider a retrofit device, which either plugs into a low-voltage electrical outlet or runs on a garden hose.

Water-purification systems have become more desirable because they reduce chlorine usage, Sanderfoot said. "I remember being at a trade show years ago, and how people were so amazed at the technology. Today, it is a common part of a pool's makeup."

Purification systems run filtered water through mineral-filled cartridges. The water picks up tiny amounts of metallic minerals such as copper, which is a natural algicide, and silver, a natural sanitizing agent, and returns to the pool requiring fewer additives, especially chlorine.

"By introducing enough amounts of metallic ions, these natural sanitizers and purifiers work as chlorine would," he said. Using less chlorine means a longer life for some accessories, especially vinyl liners.

Because automatic cleaners and purification systems are so thorough, Sanderfoot is not a proponent of chemical programs. Similar to lawn-maintenance programs, the pool versions call for regularly adding chemicals, regardless of the pool's condition.

"You just add the required amount at the required time; it takes out all the guesswork. But I liken it to taking more medicine than I need. If I have a cough, I want something to treat just the cough. With these all- encompassing chemical programs, you are treating the pool for everything. I'd rather treat as it is needed."

Sanderfoot said homeowners who maintain their own pools should test water daily, precisely following the instructions on the test kits to get accurate readings.

"A lot of the work is preventative maintenance," he said. "Adding the proper amount of chemicals at the proper time almost allows the pool to take care of itself."

WRITE TO: Gary Dymski, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747-4250 or e-mail Gary.Dymski@newsday.com