Pools boost their value in the summertime, but what about on those cold, winter days? Even in the summer, the tediousness of proper maintenance can make a pool seem more like a curse than a blessing. However, there are serious benefits to keeping your pool sparkling! Check out how a well-maintained pool can build your home’s equity.

Pools Add Value to Your Home

If all external factors fit together just right, a swimming pool can add incredible value to your home. These factors include living in a warm climate, residing in a neighborhood where most homes have pools, and having a pool that doesn’t take up the whole backyard but has a style that fits with your home and neighborhood. If you can check “yes” on these requirements, studies show a swimming pool could increase the value of your home by as much as seven percent.

Proper Maintenance Provides Long-term Benefits

Because your swimming pool has the potential to significantly increase your property value, it’s crucial to keep it properly maintained. In addition to building equity, there are several long-term benefits that come from keeping your pool sparkling:

• Longevity – Proper swimming pool maintenance is essential in increasing the longevity of your pool. With proper cleaning and water treatment, you can prevent corrosion of pool liner, ladders, and handrails.

• Equipment preservation – In addition to increasing the longevity of the pool itself, proper maintenance preserves your expensive pool equipment, including the vacuum and pump.

• Safety – When the pH levels in your pool water are not balanced, chlorine and other disinfectants that you add will not work effectively to kill germs and bacteria. The safest pH levels are between 7.2 and 7.8, and anything outside of this range could be harmful to your body and pool.

• Comfort – While it’s important to protect your investment, it’s also important to enjoy your investment too! If your pool’s pH is too acidic or basic, swimming can be hard on your skin and eyes. Also, who wants to swim in a pool full of leaves, bugs, or anything else that finds its way into your backyard lagoon? A balanced, clean pool ensures a comfortable swimming experience for your family.

• Beauty – You’ve put a lot of money into your pool, so it should be flaunting its best face! Keeping a pool well maintained is key to achieving that clear, blue look. After all, you’re putting in the hard work – you deserve a beautiful pool at the end of it all!

How to Keep Your Pool Sparkling

Proper pool maintenance can seem like a daunting task, but never fear! Use this quick reference guide to help you identify the most important steps for maintaining your pool.

• Balance – To keep your family safe and your equipment intact, it’s important to keep your pool water balanced. Purchase a test kit that measures free available chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and cyanuric acid. Test strips are faster and easier than traditional “dip” test kits but typically aren’t as accurate. Be sure that your test results fall in the appropriate range. (If they don’t, you can adjust accordingly!)

• Chlorinate – Chlorine sanitizes and disinfects your pool water so bacteria and algae stay far, far away! Chlorine comes in many different forms, including tabs, liquid, and granules. Add chlorine as suggested by your test kit results.

• Shock – When you chlorinate your pool, chlorine molecules attach to bacteria to make chloramine, which is a fancy way to say “dead chlorine.” Shocking your pool destroys those chloramines using oxidizing compounds. This should be done every one or two weeks.

• Clean – Once your pool water is chemically balanced, it’s time to get the junk out! Skim the surface for the easily accessible debris, and let your trusty pool vacuum get to the bottom of the pool. Don’t forget to clean out the skimmers!

With these maintenance tips, you’re well on your way to making your pool more sparkling than it’s ever been. For more home tips and tricks, check out our other Neighborly blogs!