Summer is fast approaching!
With the warmer weather finally around the corner, it’s time to start preparing for all the exciting summer activities.
For many homeowners, this means preparing to open their pool and stock up on pool supplies before the first swim of the season.
There’s nothing quite like diving into the refreshing water of a pool on a particularly hot day, but without the right supplies, your pool may not be so welcoming.
From basic water treatment to advanced cleaning systems, investing in the right pool supplies to take care of your swimming pool is vital to your enjoyment throughout the season.
Are you in the process of having your new pool installed and want to be prepared?
Eagerly waiting to open yours and want a quick checklist to ensure you don’t miss anything?
You’ll find everything you need below.
In this article, we’ll be sharing ten of the most important pool supplies you should keep on hand to make treating and caring for your pool a breeze.
Keep reading to discover the pool products that are sure to make a splash in your routine!
10 Must-Have Pool Supplies
To keep your pool in the best condition possible, it’s important to maintain a regular care routine.
This includes investing in pool supplies that make it possible to properly treat your water and maintain your pool to keep it in its best condition.
Here are ten pool supplies to keep on hand.
1. Water Test Kit
This is easily one of the most essential pool supplies in your collection.
While your chemicals are non-negotiable, without a water test kit, you’ll have no idea how much of each treatment product is needed.
Water test kits allow you to gain valuable insights into your water’s health, ensuring it’s safe to jump into.
The three main levels this kit will measure in your water are your:
- pH
- Alkalinity
- Sanitizer
After you’ve tested your water, you can then treat it with the appropriate products to keep it balanced, clean, and clear.
2. Water Treatment Products
Treating your water will take a handful of different products, each with its own role to play in keeping your water clean and safe.
Sanitizer
Sanitizer is responsible for keeping your pool water free from bacteria.
If your water doesn’t have enough sanitizer to combat bacteria, you may find your skin or eyes becoming irritated as you swim.
The most common sanitizer is chlorine, with bromine being a close second.
Chlorine is both effective and one of the most affordable options on the market. While it works quickly to clean your water, it also breaks down faster than alternative options.
The amount of chlorine in your water matters, and when properly maintained, it ensures there’s enough to effectively clean your water but not too much that it’ll cause irritation.
Ideally, your chlorine level should be kept at three ppm (parts per million).
Bromine, on the other hand, is a more expensive sanitizer option but is equally as effective as chlorine.
One of the benefits of bromine is that it breaks down slowly, making it last longer and requiring fewer treatments. However, it’s not as fast acting as chlorine.
If you’re using bromine, you should maintain its levels in your water between three and five ppm.
pH and Alkalinity Products
Your water quality is equally as important as your sanitizer, and this all comes down to your pH and alkalinity levels.
Keeping your water balanced serves multiple purposes.
Not only does it ensure your water is safe to swim in, minimizing irritation, but it also keeps your water from damaging your pool’s liner as well.
Your pool’s pH levels should be kept between 7.2 and 7.8, while your alkalinity is best kept between 100 and 130 ppm.
To balance your water’s pH and alkalinity, you’ll need three essential products:
- pH increaser
- pH decreaser
- Alkalinity increaser
Alternatively, you could use household baking soda to boost your alkalinity for a more natural solution.
Shock
Even though you’re regularly treating your water with sanitizer, it’s important to shock it on a regular basis as well.
Not only will this help keep your water crystal clear, but it can combat algae.
Essentially, shocking your pool is just adding a high dose of chlorine to your water all at one time, and is best done at night, so the sun doesn’t break it down too quickly.
Shock can either be chlorinated or non-chlorinated, so even if you have a chlorine-free pool, you should still be shocking your water at least once a week.
Algaecide
This product is generally only used if you’ve discovered algae beginning to grow in your water.
Algae can spread quickly, and an algaecide works alongside your sanitizer to combat and kill it before it further spreads throughout your pool.
Essentially, the algaecide will stop the spread of the algae so that your sanitizer has time to break it down.
3. Pool Opening Kit
When it comes time to open your pool and prepare it for your first swim of the season, a pool opening kit can make the process effortless.
These kits come stocked with everything you’ll need to bring your pool back to life after being closed for so many months.
Some common things included in a pool opening kit include:
- Test strips
- Shock
- Algaecide
- Clarifier
- Stain prevention
While many of these products you’ll already have on hand, these kits take the work out of opening your pool, providing you with the perfect initial doses to prepare your water.
4. Pool Closing Kit
Much like pool opening kits, closing kits are designed to provide everything you need to close your pool like a pro.
How you close your pool can have a significant impact on what you have to deal with once it’s time to open it again.
With the right mix of products at the proper dosage, both your water and your pool itself will be protected all winter long.
Some common products included in a pool closing kit include:
- Scale and stain prevention
- Enzymes
- Non-chlorine shock
- Algaecide
5. Pool Skimmer
No matter how well you care for your water, it’s bound to end up with bugs, leaves, and general debris getting blown in over the summer.
A pool skimmer makes it simple for you to quickly scoop out anything floating on the surface of your water.
When done regularly (like each morning), you’ll find way less debris building up in your skimmer basket!
6. Pool Brush
The underwater surface of your pool can get pretty grimy over time, becoming slippery to the touch.
A pool brush makes it easy for you to quickly scrub the walls and floor of your pool, removing dirt, algae, and any other debris that may be clinging to them.
Pool brushes come in a variety of textures to match the needs of different types of pools.
If you have a concrete pool, you’ll want to use a brush with stiff bristles.
If you have a vinyl or fiberglass pool, however, you’ll want to stick to softer bristles to avoid damaging its surface.
7. Telescopic Pole
There’s nothing worse than walking endless circles around your pool or stretching out at awkward angles to reach a difficult spot to clean, all while trying not to fall in.
No matter the size of your pool, trying to skim anything out from the center of the pool or scrub the bottom can be a challenge with a standard pole.
Telescopic poles can help you reach those difficult places, making it easier to clean your pool without the acrobatic routine.
8. Pool Thermometer
Likely one of the most basic pool supplies on this list, a pool thermometer shouldn’t go overlooked.
Monitoring the temperature of your pool can save you from some shocking surprises when you step into the water each day.
Furthermore, the temperature of your water will affect your treatment products, so it’s important to have a way to monitor it.
9. Pool Cover
A pool cover is important for three reasons:
- Keeps debris out of the pool whenever you’re not actively using it
- Minimizes the amount of chemical loss from the sun’s UV rays
- Safety for you, your family, your pets, and backyard environment.
No matter where you live, if you have young kids or small animals, or if your backyard is your own private escape, a pool cover is a necessary investment.
While some covers simply roll out to rest upon the surface of the water, many modern covers were designed with safety as a top priority.
The best pool covers to consider are ones that include locking mechanisms, ensuring that there’s an extra layer of protection should anyone (or any animal) accidentally fall in.
10. Pool Vacuum
While scrubbing your pool as mentioned above will help remove any surface buildup, it doesn’t pull it out of your water.
A pool vacuum does, making it the perfect pool supply to pair with your brush.
Pool vacuums come in three different styles:
- Suction-side vacuums
- Pressure-side vacuums
- Robotic vacuums
Which one you use will depend on your budget and how much time you want to dedicate to personally cleaning your pool.
Suction-side vacuums are the most affordable but are the most hands-on.
Robotic vacuums are by far the most expensive, but are incredibly efficient and hands-off, minimizing the time you need to spend maintaining your pool.
Pool Supplies For Sale in Edgewater, MD
Did you see some supplies on this list you need to restock?
Want help discovering new pool supplies that would be better suited for your particular pool?
Make preparing for this summer’s pool season easier than ever, by walking through the doors of Arundel Pool And Spa in Edgewater!
We stock a variety of pool supplies to make caring for your pool a breeze, and our experts are happy to help you find the perfect mix of supplies to meet your individual needs.
Contact us today, or visit us in-store to find all your pool supply essentials!
