A well-maintained swimming pool is one of the great joys of home ownership. A pool that's fallen behind on maintenance is a nightmare of green water, failed equipment, and expensive rebuilds. The gap between those two states is smaller than most owners realise — and closing it doesn't take much once you know what to actually do.
This guide is a year-round maintenance blueprint for Devon pool owners. Whether you've just inherited a pool with a new property, own a holiday let where the pool has to be presentable at all times, or have looked after one for years and want a proper sanity check on your routine, the sections below cover what needs doing, how often, and what's genuinely worth leaving to a professional.
What "regular pool maintenance" actually involves
For most Devon domestic pools, ongoing maintenance breaks down into four cycles:
- Weekly: water testing and balancing, skimmer cleaning, surface skimming, water level check (30–45 minutes)
- Monthly: filter clean or backwash, brushing the pool walls and floor, vacuum (60–90 minutes)
- Quarterly: equipment inspection, deep chemistry check, cover inspection (2 hours)
- Seasonal: closing for winter and reopening for spring — the two biggest jobs of the year
Miss a week and nothing much happens. Miss a month and you'll notice. Miss a quarter and the pool starts to work against you — chemistry drifts, equipment strains, small problems become expensive ones.
The weekly essentials
These are the tasks that need doing every week during the swimming season, and every other week during winter closure.
Water testing and chemistry
The single most important weekly job. A cheap test kit will tell you four numbers that matter:
- pH — should sit between 7.2 and 7.6. Too low and the water becomes corrosive; too high and it becomes cloudy and irritates skin.
- Sanitiser level — chlorine 1–3 ppm, or bromine 3–5 ppm. This is what actually keeps the water safe.
- Total alkalinity — 80–120 ppm. Alkalinity buffers pH and stops it drifting.
- Calcium hardness — 200–400 ppm. Too soft and the water attacks pool surfaces; too hard and you get scale.
Adjust with the appropriate chemicals as needed. Never dose blind — always test first.
Skimmer and surface
Empty the skimmer basket, clear leaves and debris from the water surface, and check the water level is between the middle and top of the skimmer opening. Devon's mix of deciduous trees and coastal winds means most pools accumulate more debris than expected.
Circulation check
Make sure the pump is running properly, the filter pressure is within its normal range, and water is flowing back into the pool at expected pressure. A pump running rough, or a filter pressure gauge reading higher than usual, is often the first sign of a problem worth acting on.
Monthly tasks
Once a month, block out an hour or two for the deeper work.
Filter clean
Sand filters need backwashing when pressure rises 8–10 psi above normal — usually monthly during summer, less often in winter. Cartridge filters need pulling out, hosing down, and occasionally soaking in filter cleaner. DE filters need backwashing and recharging with fresh DE powder.
Brushing walls and floor
Even a well-circulated pool develops a slight film on the walls and floor. Brushing weekly-to-monthly with a proper pool brush prevents algae getting a foothold and keeps surfaces clean. Pay particular attention to shaded areas, steps, and corners where flow is weakest.
Vacuum
Manual, suction, or robotic — whichever system your pool has, running it monthly picks up the debris that's settled beyond what the skimmer catches. Robotic cleaners do this best; they're worth the investment for anyone maintaining their own pool.
Quarterly checkpoints
Every three months, take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
- Full chemistry check: as well as the weekly four numbers, test cyanuric acid (chlorine stabiliser — should be 30–50 ppm), total dissolved solids, and metals if you're on well water or seeing any staining.
- Equipment inspection: pumps, heaters, salt cells (if fitted), control systems. Look for wear, leaks, corrosion, or unusual behaviour.
- Cover inspection: automatic covers need lubrication and mechanism checks. Solar covers need cleaning and edge-integrity checks.
- Coping and surrounds: pool tiles, expansion joints, and the paving around the pool — check for movement, cracking, or grout deterioration. Small issues addressed early are cheap; the same issues in two years' time are not.
Seasonal considerations for Devon
Devon's climate creates specific pool maintenance patterns that don't apply uniformly across the UK.
Autumn: preparing to close (October–November)
Most Devon pools close between mid-October and mid-November. The exact timing depends on whether the pool is heated, whether the household uses it into autumn, and how sheltered the property is. The closing tasks:
- Balance chemistry to the higher end of normal ranges
- Shock the pool with a large sanitiser dose
- Add winter algaecide
- Backwash or clean the filter thoroughly
- Drain water below the skimmer opening
- Blow lines clear of standing water (essential — frozen pipes crack)
- Winterise the equipment (plugs, gizmos)
- Fit the winter cover securely
Devon rarely freezes hard enough for extended periods to be a serious pipe risk, but a single cold snap can crack pipework if lines haven't been blown out. This is the single most consequential seasonal task to get right.
Winter: monitoring (December–February)
Closed pools still need occasional attention:
- Check the cover after every significant storm — Devon's Atlantic weather can rip poorly secured covers
- Clear leaves and debris that build up on the cover surface
- If water accumulates on top of the cover, pump it off before the weight causes damage
- Check the water level once a month — it shouldn't drop noticeably; if it does, there's a leak
Spring: reopening (March–April)
Reopening is easier than closing, but rushed reopening is where a lot of season-ruining problems begin. The tasks in sequence:
- Remove and clean the winter cover, dry and store properly
- Top up water to normal level
- Reconnect equipment and remove winterising plugs
- Run circulation for 24–48 hours before adding chemicals
- Test water thoroughly and rebalance chemistry from scratch
- Shock the water and let sanitiser levels stabilise
- Deep clean surfaces before the season starts properly
Summer: peak season (May–September)
Higher use means faster chemistry drift, more debris, and more testing. Sun cream, sweat, and body oils all add to the load — pools used heavily by families with children need more attention than the calendar suggests. Algae season peaks in late August and early September when water temperatures are highest; increased vigilance during this period pays off.
What to leave to a professional
Some jobs are worth doing yourself. Others are worth paying for. The line is usually about specialist knowledge, specialist equipment, and the cost of getting it wrong.
- Annual full equipment service. Pumps, heaters, salt cells, and control systems benefit from a proper service once a year. This preserves manufacturer warranties and often catches problems 6–12 months before they cause failure.
- Winterisation of older or complex pools. If your pool has multiple zones, spa jets, water features, or unusual plumbing, professional winterisation is money well spent.
- Chemistry rebalancing after a major event. Green water, calcium scale, staining — problems that need aggressive chemical intervention are best done by someone who knows exactly what they're doing. The cost of getting it wrong is usually a full drain and refill.
- Structural inspection. Tile, coping, expansion joints, and pool surrounds should be looked at professionally every few years — renovation work is dramatically cheaper when problems are caught early.
- Filter media replacement. Sand replacement every 5–7 years, DE grid replacement every 8–10 years — jobs that require partial pool draining and know-how.
When a maintenance contract makes sense
Doing your own weekly maintenance is entirely realistic for most Devon pool owners with an hour a week to spare. But there are situations where a maintenance contract genuinely pays for itself:
- New pool owners — the learning curve is steep, and mistakes in the first year can be expensive. A year of professional maintenance while you learn is a solid investment.
- Holiday properties and second homes — if you're not there every week, someone needs to be.
- Rental properties and holiday lets — guest satisfaction, insurance requirements, and documented water quality all become easier with a service contract.
- Commercial and community pools — regulatory compliance requires professional documentation.
- Older pools — pools over 20 years old benefit from experienced eyes on them regularly.
- Owners who travel often — a pool left unattended for two weeks in July will not thank you when you return.
How The Pool & Spa Company can help
Our pool maintenance service covers Torbay, Exeter, and the wider South Devon area. We offer weekly or fortnightly visits covering water testing and rebalancing, filter cleaning, equipment checks, and documented service records — the kind of paperwork that keeps warranties valid and insurance straightforward.
We also carry out seasonal opening and closing, one-off deep cleans for pools that have got away from their owners, and full renovations when maintenance alone won't restore a pool to its best. If your pool is showing signs of longer-term wear, our renovation guide covers when a maintenance approach isn't enough anymore.
Whether you want a full ongoing maintenance contract, or just a professional service once a year alongside your own weekly routine, we can work out the right arrangement for your pool and how you use it. Get in touch through our contact page or call the office to arrange a site visit.