Straight answers about pools, hot tubs and keeping them running
A typical week of pool maintenance is about 30–60 minutes: testing the water two or three times, brushing and skimming, emptying baskets, checking the filter pressure gauge, and adding what the test results call for. Heavier jobs like backwashing, shocking or vacuuming come around less often, and time goes up sharply in hot, busy weeks … Read more
Most pools never need a full drain and refill. Water itself doesn’t “wear out” the way a filter or a liner does — what changes is what’s dissolved in it. A full replacement is usually only needed every several years, driven by rising calcium, cyanuric acid or total dissolved solids that chemical adjustment can no … Read more
Stains on pool surfaces are almost always caused by one of three things: dissolved metals like iron or copper that oxidize on the surface, organic debris such as leaves and algae that leave behind pigment, or water chemistry that’s out of balance and letting minerals settle out. Identifying which one is at work is the … Read more
The safest way to deal with leaves is to remove them before they sink or break apart, not after. Skim the surface daily during heavy drop, empty baskets often, and let a robotic or pressure cleaner handle what’s already on the bottom — running everything through the main pump and cartridge filter is what actually … Read more
A ring at the waterline forms because oils from skin, sunscreen, lotion, hair products and airborne dust don’t dissolve in water. They float, collect at the surface where the water meets the tile or liner, and stick there as the water level rises and falls slightly. Over time this thin film darkens and hardens into … Read more
Suction cleaners plug into the skimmer or a dedicated suction line and rely on the pool’s own pump to create the pull that moves them. Pressure cleaners use water pushed out from the return side, often with a booster pump, to drive themselves and collect debris in a bag. Robotic cleaners are self-contained units with … Read more
A robotic pool cleaner drives itself around the pool on a set cycle, scrubbing the floor and walls with brushes while vacuuming debris into an internal filter bag or basket. It runs independently of the main pump and filter system, and it does not test, balance or sanitize the water in any way. What does … Read more
Most residential pools should be brushed at least once a week, and more often during hot weather, heavy use, or when algae risk is higher. Brushing loosens material that filters can’t pull off surfaces on their own, so it works alongside circulation and chemistry rather than instead of them. How often should a pool actually … Read more
About what you read here. Everything on Pools Shop is general information and our own editorial opinion. We research carefully and we say when the evidence is unclear, but we can be wrong, things change, and no article can know your particular situation. Please do your own research and make your own judgement rather than treating anything here as the final word. Prices, products and specifications around pools, hot tubs and their upkeep change constantly, and what suits one person will not suit another. Check current details yourself, and where a decision involves real money, safety or something you cannot undo, it is worth confirming with a qualified pool or electrical professional before you act.