What to expect from an every-two-week visit.
Comprehensive maintenance
Our regular visit combines water testing and treatment, a visual equipment check, and cleaning such as skimming, brushing, vacuuming, basket care and filter cleaning as needed within your agreement. You keep up with the pool between those visits.
Chemistry-only maintenance
Our regular visit focuses on water testing, treatment and a visual equipment check. You handle the physical cleaning, baskets and filter care throughout the service period.
After a visit, read your service report for the work performed, observations and any instructions. Routine recorded chemistry readings show the water before treatment unless a later test is specifically recorded. They do not describe the water several days afterward.
Leaves can fall back into a freshly cleaned pool, and heat, storms or heavy use can change its chemical needs. A service visit cannot hold those conditions unchanged until the next one. Your signed agreement sets the included work, materials and schedule; this guide explains the care between visits.
A routine you can follow
Your between-visit checklist.
Each day and before swimming
- Check sanitizer and pH. CDC recommends checking at least twice daily and more often with heavy use. For a chlorine pool, test free chlorine and pH with a suitable kit. Follow its directions and record your results.
- Look at the water. Check for new cloudiness, color changes or algae. You should be able to see the deepest part of the pool clearly. Appearance alone does not tell you the sanitizer level.
- Check water level and circulation. Keep the water at the level established for your pool. Watch for weak returns, air, leaks, unusual sounds or equipment messages, and keep the agreed pump schedule.
- Skim floating debris. Remove leaves and other debris before they accumulate. Check skimmer baskets more often when leaves are falling or after a storm.
- Check access to the pool. Keep gates secured and covers and alarms working as intended. Keep children closely supervised; a maintenance plan does not replace supervision.
During each week—even the week without a visit
- Brush and vacuum. Clean walls, steps and other areas that collect dirt using tools suited to the pool finish. Remove settled debris. Run your automatic cleaner as directed and empty its basket or bag; clean areas it misses.
- Check baskets and filter condition. Empty skimmer and pump baskets and complete the weekly filter care required by your agreement using the safe procedure for your equipment. Note a change from the filter’s usual pressure in PSI or normal water flow. If you have not been shown how to service it, call us first.
- Check your sanitizer supply. If your pool uses a tablet chlorinator, check and replenish the approved product as instructed for that feeder. Do not substitute or mix tablet types. For a salt system, check for alerts and verify chlorine with a water test.
- Keep a short care record. Note readings, products and quantities added, equipment warnings and unusual water loss. These details help us work through a changing condition.
Equipment first: stop and follow the manufacturer’s shutdown and pressure-release procedure before opening equipment. Never open a running or pressurized filter, reach into suction openings or bypass a safety device. If a pump runs without water or loses prime, stop it with its normal control if safe and contact us.
After a storm, party or change in conditions
- Remove new debris, check water level and circulation, and take fresh chemistry readings.
- Let us know about cloudiness, algae, persistent off-target readings, a leak or equipment trouble as soon as you notice it.
- If you will be away, arrange for someone who understands your pool to do the checks, or contact our office ahead of time to discuss service options.
Use today’s readings to guide today’s care.
Keep the test kit and products appropriate for your pool. Ask us to confirm the target readings, feeder care and testing method for your system if you are unsure. Salt level and chlorinator output percentage do not replace a free-chlorine test.
Make chemical adjustments only with current readings and the instructions for the exact product and pool volume. Follow labels, protective-equipment requirements and swimming restrictions. Never mix products together or apply a standard “extra dose” just because it rained. Store chemicals in their original containers, secured from children and pets.
For a closer look at changing results, bring a fresh water sample to our Gloucester store. Bring recent readings and a note of what you added and when. Store testing supports the checks you make at home.
Act before the next visit
When to stop swimming and contact us.
Keep everyone out of the water while these concerns are being assessed. Do not use the last service date or a return of clear water as the only reason to resume swimming.
- You cannot clearly see the bottom at the pool’s deepest point. New cloudiness or poor visibility needs attention.
- A drain or suction cover is loose, damaged or missing. Keep swimmers out and arrange professional repair; do not enter the pool to investigate.
- Sanitizer or pH is outside your pool’s care limits, or the test is unclear. Get help interpreting the result and correcting it, then retest as directed.
- There is feces or vomit in the water. Stop use and get incident-specific cleanup instructions. Do not vacuum feces.
- Circulation has failed, there is a significant leak, or safety equipment is damaged. Report the issue and any displayed message. Do not dismantle equipment or bypass protection.
Help us understand what changed.
Tell our office when it started, what the water looks like, the latest test readings, any equipment message and what you have already added. If we check back about clarity, describe what you see; a visual update does not replace a chemistry test.
For a medical emergency or immediate danger, call 911. Our office line is not an emergency-response service.
Help us make the most of your next visit.
- Keep the agreed service access available and pets away from the work area.
- Have the potable water supply and hose available as required by your agreement, and maintain the pool’s water level.
- Tell the office about changes since the last visit, including recent treatments, equipment trouble or access concerns.
- Read any instructions in the previous service report and ask about anything unclear.
If storms, heavy use or travel make the current routine difficult to maintain, talk with us about a different service schedule or additional help. Ask our office about availability, scope and charges for additional service. Extra work follows the terms of your agreement.
Questions we want you to feel comfortable asking.
Do I still need to clean if I have comprehensive service?
Yes. On an every-two-week schedule, the pool still needs owner care between visits, including debris removal, brushing, vacuuming, baskets, water level and the weekly filter care in your plan. We can explain the tasks for your equipment.
Can I wait until my next visit if the water turns cloudy or green?
Please contact the office when you notice the change. Waiting can allow a problem to develop further. Describe the water, share current readings and tell us what you have already added. Keep swimmers out if visibility or chemistry is in question.
Is extra cleanup or a repair included?
It depends on your agreement and the work needed. Contact the office so we can review the issue and explain the next step, scope and any additional charges. Do not assume an extra visit or repair is included in the regular schedule.
What if I cannot keep up between visits?
Let us know. We can discuss the responsibilities you want help with and available scheduling options. The right routine should match how you use your pool and the time you can give it.
More help with pool care.
This guide is for swimming pools on every-two-week maintenance. Follow your pool’s care instructions, product labels and signed service agreement. For spas, use our hot-tub water-care guide.