First Time Owner of an Inground Pool? Here’s What You Need to Know

Owning a pool is an easy way to make your house the most popular one on the block during the summertime, but there’s more to pool owning than floaties and pool toys!

If you’re a first-time owner of an inground pool, summer may still feel far away, but now is the time to start planning. Keeping your pool clean, safe and in great shape all summer long can be a daunting task, especially for a first-time owner, so it’s better to think ahead.

While owning and properly maintaining a pool can feel like a lot of work, it’s absolutely worth it.

Here’s where to start as a first-time owner of an inground pool.

Regular Maintenance is Key

 One of the most important things to know about owning an inground pool is that you must routinely clean it, and this goes beyond occasionally skimming for leaves.

To keep your pool clean (which also means keeping it safe), you’ll need to:

• Clean the pump strainer, skimmer baskets, tile and handrails.
• Check your pool’s filter pressure and clean as needed.
• Fill the chlorine feeder.
• Balance the pool’s water.
• Clean the deck area around the pool.
• Make sure you’re keeping your pool safe from unwanted visitors.

Depending on your pool setup, you may need additional services as well, but just this list alone means you should plan on devoting time either weekly or monthly to your pool’s upkeep and care.

Commit to Practicing Water Safety - Now

We can’t emphasize it enough: water safety practices are necessary in every home with a pool, especially if children or pets will be in or near the water.

Water safety practice starts with checking that every person in your pool knows how to swim. If you have young children who do not know how to, sign them up for swimming lessons as soon as possible. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends swimming lessons for children as young as one year old, but skill levels can differ from age to age. Here’s a great guide on deciding what swim class is right for your child.

Though having young children take swim lessons is not a guarantee for complete safety, the lessons can help children feel more comfortable in the water and teach them how to react if they fall in a pool. 

If any guests of your guests do not know how to swim, they should always be supervised and be wearing a flotation device — like a lifejacket — to help them stay above water. In addition, we recommend always having a phone close by and a first aid kit readily available in case of an emergency.

Speaking of emergencies, one of the most important ways you can prepare for one is to learn CPR. Knowing how to perform CPR may be the difference between life and death in the event of drowning, heart attack or another emergency while in the pool.

Many local organizations offer classes to help you get CPR certified — check out the American Red Cross to find a class near you.

Deck Out Your Pool Deck

One of the best parts of being a pool owner is being able to relax by the poolside, which is hard if you’re not set up with the right accessories. Keeping your pool clean and safe should always be your first priority but after that? You should make sure it’s a comfortable place to hang out!

 Plan ahead to make sure your deck is equipped with everything you might need. For example, one of the best ways to make your patio area convenient is to consider how you can reduce the number of trips you may need to make inside your house (and thus avoiding getting your floors wet).

Easy ways to do this include:

• Keeping towels accessible from the deck.
• Having phone chargers available (be sure to place them far away from the water!)
• Setting up a trash can and having napkins available for poolside snacks.
• Bonus: adding a small fridge and grill to your deck so you can cook and drink without stepping back inside the house. 

Need some more inspiration? Check out how to build your ideal pool patio here.

Plan Ahead

Summer may feel far away, but the time to start making your service plans is now! If you need a hand making sure your pool is ready for summer, contact us at AAA Pool Service for information about pool openings and weekly maintenance.