Maintaining a swimming pool or spa is a major investment, both in time and money, particularly in areas like Austin, Texas, where pools and spas are likely to be used year-round. A pool or spa also adds value to your home, but even more so when they’re well maintained. A poorly maintained pool might even become an eyesore or health risk, diminishing the value of your home — and be a disappointment to your family, friends and visitors. Here a few things to consider when trying to decide between being your own “pool boy”, or hiring a locally owned and certified pool service like BlueLine to clean and maintain your pool or spa.
TIME
If you find yourself spending more time cleaning and maintaining your pool than you do swimming in it, then you probably already understand this aspect. Cleaning out filters, vacuuming, brushing and skimming, testing chemical levels and adding chemicals, and troubleshooting pump problems on top of your nine-to-five (or more) day job can really suck the enjoyment out of owning a pool. More time is consumed when you have to wait to jump in after adding chemicals, or need to run to the store to get the one chemical you just ran out of — just as the kids are clamoring to take a swim.
By hiring a locally owned and certified pool and spa service like BlueLine, you can rest assured that your pool will be serviced at regular intervals so that it will always be ready when you are. Plus, you’ll have more time to enjoy it!
MONEY
Sure it costs money to hire professional pool services. But some of the cost is offset by not needing to buy the chemicals and equipment needed yourself. It’s also more cost effective — even if you use a certain chemical only once in a while, you would still need to buy a whole jug of it and then store it for who-knows-how-long between uses. It’s similar for equipment, specialty tools with plastic parts that break easily, and need to be stored out of sight and out of reach of children. Filters and other consumables cost money, too, and nibble away at your wallet over time. Professional pool services provide all the chemicals, tools, and testing apparatus needed to maintain your pool or spa, so you don’t need to keep them on hand.
So, instead of paying for your pool maintenance in potentially wasteful dribs and drabs, a professional service will provide all the chemicals, tools, and testing apparatus needed to maintain your pool or spa with regular, accountable, payments.
SAFETY
Many of the chemicals needed for maintaining pool chemistry are toxic or corrosive in concentrated form. They need to be stored safely, and kept away from pets and children. Some chemicals can produce noxious gases when mixed inadvertently, so spills need to be handled in a safe manner. Spills are also not good for lawns, plants, electrical equipment and the environment in general. Gloves and goggles should be used when when handling chemicals, and care needs to be taken to make sure the right amounts are measured for use.
Trained and certified pool operators have specific training in handling pool chemicals, and know how to keep themselves and your property safe. There’s no need for you to store chemicals at your home, which means no worries about what your kids or pets might get in to. There’s also less of a chance of over-treating or under-treating your pool, either of which could lead to hazardous conditions for your family’s health. Too much of certain chemicals can burn eyes, hair or skin — too little can lead to bacteria blooms or slippery algal growth.
By hiring a professional pool and spa service, you’re removing a whole slew of risks and hazards from your home and property.
EFFORT
Taking proper care of a pool can require a lot of planning and effort. Regular chemical tests need to be run, and a close eye kept on changing conditions. If an imbalance occurs, more frequent checks might be needed, and records should be kept to document changes. In a busy life, with too many time commitments as it is, pool maintenance is too easy pass off for another day. It takes energy and effort to keep to a schedule.
Pool cleaning requires physical effort as well — scrubbing, bending over, handling long brushes and hoses can be hard on your back. Many people find that swimming helps to ease back pain, but it seems silly to do something that’s hard on your back just so you can enjoy a swim to ease the pain it caused.
Let a trained and properly equipped pool cleaning professional do the labor, so you can maximize the benefits of owning a pool.
SANITY
A locally owned and operated business, such as BlueLine Pool & Spa Services, is more reliable and responsive than a large national chain or franchise. National chains have higher rates of personnel turnover, and less control over the quality of their technicians.
Chris Beetham, the owner of BlueLine Pool & Spa Services, LLC, takes pride in providing consistent, on-time and on-budget services. As a Certified Pool Operator, he’s been trained to spot problems when they’re small, and to treat them early to prevent them from becoming big expensive problems. And if a big problem does crop up unexpectedly, you can count on Chris’s training and experience to help you find the best solution.
Hire BlueLine to maintain your pool or spa! You’ll never regret it.