Do You Have the Best Weekly Pool Service?
Do You Have the Best Weekly Pool Service?
Hiring a weekly pool service company may seem like a waste of money, until you learn what is involved. The first step is making sure that your pool service is offering full service. There are two types of pool maintenance companies. The first is a professional company who hires pro cleaners and pool technicians. The second hires temps, gets them to watch a video, then sends them out to clean pools. Weekly Pool Service
Pool cleaning is a very transient business. Many people who find themselves unemployed decide to put a ‘pool cleaning’ sign on their truck, and they are in business. As a result, hiring the cheapest serviceman can be dangerous. In Florida, a pool that is improperly drained can lift out of the ground. This problem is two-sided as a pool service company needs separate insurance to cover pools bulging out of the ground.
Homeowners need to be careful, especially as the maintenance services vary between companies. Also, needs vary between pools so having well-trained, educated, and experienced experts in pool maintenance is key to customizing regular service and being prepared for the occasional special service.
All pools have basic maintenance requirements, like:
- Testing
- Balancing the water chemistry
- Vacumming
- Brushing
- Emptying the skimmer baskets
- Filter cleaning
- Adding water to pool if needed
Fees can vary from $100 - $150 per week. Most homeowners expect they will receive 100% maintenance. They sign a long term contract before realizing that many of the tasks are ‘extras’ or are not offered by some companies. Weekly Pool Service
Other services include:
- Stain cleaning
- Deck cleaning
- Draining the pool
- Checking and testing equipment
- Checking the water level
- Algae prevention
- Servicing a salt chlorine generator
- Yearly filter cleaning
- Deck maintenance
- Skimming floating leaves that won’t be caught in the filter.
- Acid washing of swimming pool or spa
- Cleaning pools that are green, brown, or black
- Re-grouting tile
- Replace pool filter cartridge
- Phosphate treatment
Questions You need to ask before hiring a pool service:
- What weekly services do you perform?
- Is testing equipment part of your service?
- Do you alert home owners of potential problems, like algae, or low water level?
- Do you offer a guarantee?
- What happens if you are unable to visit one week?
- Do you let me know if I need extras? Is this an important part of your service that I can rely on?
- What parts of pool care am I responsible for?
Waiting till something breaks, or is damaged by neglect, is a costly way to learn that your service doesn’t offer enough service.
What Risks Are Associated With Hiring An Unlicensed Company?
- The homeowner is responsible for insurance and workman’s compensation.
- If the employees are being paid ‘under the table’ the homeowner can be liable for deductibles.
- The home owner may be responsible for fines associated with unlicensed work.
- No contract is valid under DBPR rules, so the homeowner has no legal recourse.
- Manufacturer’s warranties on equipment are void.
The RPC or CPC license is the only validation that allows a company to legally clean, chemically treat, repair, re-plumb, add and change equipment, and/or remodel a pool in Florida. Licenses under the DPBR website is limited to county or State wide Licenses.
Pool Doctor of the Palm Beaches has been maintaining and servicing private and public swimming pools since the late 1980's. Their passion is to provide pool owners with the information and services they need to maintain their pools in near perfect condition. You can visit their website at https://www.poolspalmbeaches.com/ for more pool tips and suggestions or to contact them specifically about your pool.