Pool Service – Expected Cost and What to Look For

A swimming pool is a wonderful escape during hot summer days for you and your family, but your backyard oasis requires a bit of work. There are pH levels to consider, chemicals to add and filters to be emptied. While some are willing to spend the time to perfect this balancing act of maintenance, many opt to hire a pool service to handle chemicals and skim leaves. Before hiring a service, however, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

But what exactly does a pool service do?

Some pool owners opt for a do it yourself methodology in pool care, but some find it worth it to hire someone. Knowing what services the pool company provides is important in deciding how to handle the maintenance of your pool.

The majority of pool services cover a similar range of maintenance duties, many on a weekly basis. Some of these duties may include maintaining the pool's appearance by scrubbing walls and steps and skimming debris off of the water's surface, keeping equipment in working order and balancing the chemicals in the pool. Some services even offer pool installation. You should check out whether your pool installers do pool service too, because if they do, this is the best quality you can get. This people already know your pool and thus, they know how to take care of it in the best possible way.

Additionally, if you don't keep your pool open year round, a pool service can also open and close your pool for an added fee. Opening a pool involves the removal of the cover, a chlorine treatment, re-installing the pump and filter, as well as the ladders and diving board. Closing the pool requires draining the water below freezing level, clearing the water out of the pump, removing the ladder and diving board and finally covering the pool.

Many companies offer basic services for around $100 a month with pool openings and closings from $100 to $150 each time, but some pool owners quote up to $400 for monthly service. The cost of pool service is highly variable, with many contributing factors. Here are some questions to ask yourself when calculating the cost:

• How big is your pool? The size of your pool affects how many gallons of water have to be treated with chemicals and how long the pool guys will have to brush off walls and steps, so if you have a large pool, you may be charged more for chemicals and man hours.

• What are the usage and conditions of your pool? Elements like the frequency of usage and how much debris falls into your pool may mean more or less visits from your pool service in a month.

• Where do you live? The area in which you live can have a huge influence on the cost of pool maintenance. A lot of pool services in your area can produce more competitive prices, thus lowering the cost. Gas and chemical prices also influence service costs, as the pool service will factor that into their rate.

• What kind of equipment does your pool have? Pools have different filters, skimmers and vacuums that affect the frequency of maintenance the pool will need. Extra devices like heaters and lighting might mean more repair calls to the service.

Hiring the wrong service can be a costly mistake. While there are many excellent services out there, pool maintenance can be a transient business. Before hiring, be sure that the service is insured and experienced. How long has the company been around? Are they a part of an ethical business association? Do a little research before hiring.

Interviewing the company is also important to be sure that they have capable technicians. Are they knowledgeable about your pool's equipment? If you have a heated pool, does the service know how to fix the heater if it breaks? Do they know the required maintenance for your particular filter? These are questions to consider.

Finally, it's important to look around. Compare rates and services of different companies. Ask neighbors what service they use. Choosing to hire a service can take away the burden of taking care of the health of your pool, but hiring the wrong one can turn out to be even more of a burden. Consider all of the facts and make your decision carefully.

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