Pool Care Blog
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Renting a House With a Pool: Who's Responsible for Maintenance?
There's no universal rule for who maintains a rental pool, only what the lease says. Here's what's typically split between landlord and tenant, and what to ask before you sign.
Free Chlorine vs. Combined Chlorine: What's the Difference?
Free chlorine is what's actually sanitizing your pool; combined chlorine is used-up chlorine that needs to be shocked away. Here's how to test for both and what the difference means for your water.
Pool Fencing Requirements: What to Know Before You Assume Yours Is Compliant
Pool fencing rules vary widely by city and state, and a fence that looks fine can still fail an inspection. Here's what most codes actually check for, and how to verify yours.
Calcium Hardness Too Low: Why It Matters and How to Fix It
Low calcium hardness doesn't turn water green or cloudy, but it can slowly etch a plaster pool's surface. Here's how to spot it and correct it with calcium chloride.
Pool Alarm Types Explained: Gate, Surface, and Sub-Surface
A plain-language breakdown of how gate, surface wave, and sub-surface pressure pool alarms actually detect an entry, so you can figure out which combination makes sense for your pool.
Calcium Hardness Too High: Scaling Signs and Fixes
High calcium hardness shows up as scale on tile and rough, cloudy water long before a test confirms it. Here's how to read the number correctly and the two real ways to bring it back down.
Drowning Prevention Basics Every Pool Owner Should Know
A calm, practical rundown of layered pool safety: how barriers, supervision, alarms, and swim lessons work together, and where each one falls short on its own.
Best Time of Day to Test Pool Water
Sunlight and swimmers can shift a reading within hours. Here's the testing window that gives you the most trustworthy, comparable results.
Pool Electrical Safety: GFCI, Bonding, and What to Have Inspected
A plain-language guide to the electrical safety basics around a home pool: what GFCI protection and bonding actually do, and when to call a licensed electrician instead of guessing.
How to Test Pool Water Without a Smart Monitor
You don't need a floating sensor to know what's in your water. Here's how test strips and liquid kits, paired with a consistent logging habit, cover the same ground.
A Brief History of Smart Pool Monitors (and Why So Many Have Shut Down)
Automated pool sensors keep promising to test your water for you, and several have already shut down. Here's the business pattern behind those closures, and what to check before you buy one.
Keeping Pets Safe Around Your Pool
A calm, practical guide to pool safety for dogs and cats: why exit ramps matter more than chemistry, what water balance means for pets, and how to supervise without stressing about it.
The Best Pool Water Test Kits: Strips vs. Liquid
A cost-and-accuracy comparison of test strips, liquid drop kits, and digital photometers for pool owners testing water by hand, including what each method typically costs over a season and when upgrading is actually worth it.
10 Questions to Ask a Pool Inspector Before You Buy
The right questions turn a pool inspection from a pass/fail glance into a report you can actually negotiate with. Here's what to ask before, during, and after the walkthrough.
Essential Tools Every Pool Owner Needs
A short, honest checklist of the pool tools that actually earn their place in your garage, what each one costs, and what you can safely skip until later.
Red Flags to Watch for When Buying a House With a Pool
A calm, practical walkthrough of the pool-specific red flags a general home inspection often misses, from hairline plaster cracks to equipment nobody can date.
The Best Pool Maintenance Apps, Compared
An honest look at the pool apps people actually use in 2026, what each one is really built for, where the free ones make their money, and how to pick the right one for your pool.
Tips for Selling a House With a Pool
Selling with a pool comes down to three things buyers actually respond to: documentation, disclosure, and how the water looks the day they walk through. Here's how to handle all three without the last-minute scramble.
Understanding Your Pool Equipment Pad: What Everything Does
A labeled walkthrough of what's actually on your pool equipment pad, so you can look at the pump, filter, heater, and valves and know what each one is doing.
What to Disclose When Selling a Home With a Pool
A calm rundown of the pool-specific items sellers typically disclose, the records that back them up, and why being upfront tends to smooth out the sale rather than complicate it.
How Much Does It Cost to Maintain a Pool Per Month?
Realistic monthly and annual cost ranges for pool maintenance by pool type, DIY versus professional service, and the factors that push your number up or down.
A Glossary of Pool Terms Every New Owner Should Know
A plain-English rundown of the pool vocabulary that shows up on test strips, equipment tags, and pool-tech conversations, grouped by chemistry, equipment, and troubleshooting so you can find the term you actually need.
Should You Resurface Your Pool Before Selling?
A practical breakdown of what pool resurfacing actually costs by surface type, and when it's worth doing before a sale versus when a cheaper fix (or nothing at all) makes more financial sense.
Your First 30 Days as a Pool Owner
A week-by-week checklist for your first month owning a pool: what to check immediately, when to test the water, and how to build a maintenance routine that actually sticks.