5 Pool Maintenance Mistakes That Cost Money and How to Avoid Them
Post by
Adam Aguirre - Pool and Spa Expert in Long Beach
Pool repairs aren’t cheap. In Southern California, fixing pool problems can cost a few hundred to several thousand dollars. It depends on what broke.
Here’s the thing: most expensive repairs start with simple mistakes. Mistakes you make every week without knowing it.
We’ve worked on Long Beach pools for 15 years. We see the same problems over and over. A homeowner skips one small task. Then their equipment fails. Or their pool turns green the day before their kid’s birthday party.
The good news? You can avoid these problems. You just need to know what not to do.
Below, we share the five biggest mistakes we see. These are based on real service calls we get in Naples, Belmont Shore, and neighborhoods across Long Beach.
Table of Contents
What Are Common Pool Maintenance Mistakes?
The most common pool maintenance mistakes are:
Not testing water chemistry every week
Running your pump too few hours each day
Forgetting to clean your filter
Ignoring your skimmer baskets
Adding chemicals at the wrong time or in the wrong amounts
These mistakes cause algae, equipment failure, and water problems. Fixing them can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Here’s how to prevent each one:
✓ Test pool water weekly with a test kit or test strips ✓ Run your pool pump 8-12 hours every day ✓ Clean your pool filter once a month ✓ Empty skimmer baskets 1-2 times per week ✓ Keep pH between 7.2-7.6 and alkalinity at 80-120 ppm ✓ Add shock at night, never during the day
Last month, a homeowner in Belmont Shore called us. His pool was green. Completely green. He hadn’t tested the water in two months.
“It looked fine,” he told me. “I didn’t think I needed to test it.”
By the time water looks bad, it’s already too late. The damage has started.
Here’s what happens when you don’t test weekly:
Your pool water changes every single day. Swimmers add oils and sunscreen. Rain adds minerals. Our Long Beach coastal air carries salt. Even falling leaves change the chemistry.
Without weekly testing, three things go wrong:
pH climbs too high (above 7.8)
Chlorine drops too low (below 1 ppm)
Alkalinity swings all over the place
What This Mistake Costs You
Scale buildup in your heater: When pH stays high for weeks, white crusty scale forms inside your heater. This blocks water flow. Your heater works harder and harder until it dies. Replacing a heater runs between $800 and $1,500. That depends on your model.
Green pool treatment: Low chlorine lets alga take hold. Once algae takes over, treatment often starts around $200. Severe cases can exceed $500. Beyond the cost, poor water chemistry can contribute to recreational water illnesses from improperly maintained pools. You need extra chemicals, lots of scrubbing, and your filter has to run nonstop.
The Simple Fix
Testing takes three minutes. Seriously, we’ve timed it.
Write down your results. Keep a simple log. You’ll start seeing patterns.
LOCAL TIP: Pools near the beach need more attention. Salt air affects chemistry faster. We see this constantly in Naples and along the Peninsula. Test twice weekly if you’re within a mile of the ocean.
In our Pool School sessions, we teach you what these numbers actually mean. Not just “add this much chlorine.” We show you why pH matters and how it connects to everything else.
Always test before adding pool chemicals. Don’t guess. Guessing costs money.
Safety note: Always follow the instructions on chemical containers.
Mistake #2: Running Your Pump Too Few Hours Each Day
We get this question all the time: “Can I run my pump less to save money?”
Short answer: Yes, but you’ll pay for it later.
Here’s what we see: homeowners run their pump 4-6 hours a day. They think they’re saving on electricity. Instead, they’re creating three expensive problems.
Problem 1: Algae loves still water. Without circulation, algae and bacteria multiply fast. You’ll fight cloudy water and green spots constantly.
Problem 2: Your heater works too hard. It keeps heating the same stagnant water instead of fresh, filtered water. This wears out your heater faster.
Problem 3: Chemicals don’t spread. Without circulation, your chlorine sits in one spot. The rest of your pool gets nothing.
How Long Should You Run Your Pump?
Most pools need 8-12 hours of circulation daily. This varies by pool size. Bigger pools need more time.
Here in Southern California, we swim year-round. Unlike places where pools close for winter, ours run constantly. Your pump needs to keep up.
The Better Solution: Variable Speed Pumps
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Variable speed pumps run longer but use less electricity. They adjust speed based on what your pool needs right now.
We install these all over Long Beach. Homeowners see 30-40% lower electricity bills. The pumps typically pay for themselves in 3-4 years.
Then they keep saving you money year after year.
Real example: A customer in Los Altos switched to variable speed last year. Her summer electric bill dropped from $180 to $115 per month. That’s $65 in savings every single month during peak season.
WHY WE’RE DIFFERENT: We’re certified installers for both Jandy and Pentair. These are the two major pump manufacturers. Our certification means we can offer extended warranties. Standard warranties cover 2 years. We often extend that to 5 years on complete system upgrades.
Your filter is your pool’s workhorse. It catches dirt, debris, and alga before water flows back into your pool.
When your filter gets clogged, everything suffers. Especially your pump.
Last week, we got a service call in Bixby Knolls. The homeowner’s pump had died. When we checked, his filter was packed solid. He hadn’t cleaned it in six months.
The pump had been fighting against that clogged filter every single day. It finally gave up.
Warning Signs Your Filter Needs Cleaning
Check your pressure gauge. This is the round dial on top of your filter.
When pressure reads 7-10 PSI higher than normal, your filter needs attention. Write down your clean pressure when you first install or clean your filter. Then watch for that 7-10 PSI jump.
Different Filters Need Different Care
Filter Type
Monthly Task
Replacement Schedule
Sand filter
Backwash
Lasts 5-7 years
Cartridge filter
Remove and rinse
Replace every 1-2 years
DE filter
Backwash and add fresh DE powder
Grids last 3-5 years
Most Long Beach homes have cartridge filters. These are the easiest to maintain. Just pull them out once a month and spray them clean with your garden hose.
What Dirty Filters Cost
When you skip filter cleaning, your pump struggles. It pushes and pushes against blocked filters. This wears it out fast.
Pump repair or replacement can range from $400 to over $1,200. That depends on your model and how bad the damage is.
Meanwhile, your water stays dirty. Even with good chlorine levels, it won’t sparkle. The filter isn’t catching anything anymore.
15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: Filter neglect is the number one cause of pump failure we see. Dozens of times each year, we replace pumps that would still be running fine if the filter had been cleaned monthly.
The fix is easy: Check your filter monthly. Clean or backwash when pressure rises. Replace cartridge filters when they look worn or torn.
Two minutes of work each month saves you hundreds in repairs.
Mistake #4: Ignoring Your Skimmer Baskets
Your skimmer is that rectangular opening on your pool’s side. Water flows into it, through a basket, then to your pump.
That basket catches leaves, bugs, and floating debris. When it’s full, bad things happen.
Here’s a service call we got last summer in Naples: The homeowner heard weird noises from his pump. When we arrived, all three of his skimmer baskets were overflowing with leaves.
Debris had started bypassing the full baskets. It went straight into the pump. The pump’s impeller was jammed with palm fronds and leaves.
Repair cost: $650.
Time it takes to empty a skimmer basket: 2 minutes.
What Happens When Baskets Stay Full
Step 1: The basket fills up with debris.
Step 2: Water flow gets restricted. Your pump runs but doesn’t get enough water.
Step 3: Your pump strains and overheats.
Step 4: Debris starts flowing around the full basket, straight into your pump.
Step 5: Pump impeller gets damaged. Now you need expensive repairs.
Pump repairs or replacement can cost several hundred to nearly a thousand dollars. All because of an ignored basket.
How to Check Your Skimmers
Empty your skimmer baskets 1-2 times per week minimum. More often in fall when leaves drop.
Here in Long Beach, wind patterns matter. Ocean breezes carry extra debris into pools. Properties in Belmont Shore and along the Peninsula get hit hardest.
QUICK CHECKLIST:
Open your skimmer lid
Pull out the basket
Dump debris into trash
Rinse basket if needed
Put it back
Total time: 2 minutes
Important: Most pools have multiple skimmers. Check ALL of them.
We’ve seen this mistake too many times. A homeowner empties one skimmer weekly. They don’t realize they have two or three more that haven’t been touched in months.
Walk around your pool. Count your skimmers. Check them all.
Mistake #5: Wrong Chemical Timing and Balance
Even homeowners who test regularly make chemical mistakes. These waste money and cause problems.
The biggest error? Adding shock during the day.
Never Shock During the Day
Sunlight destroys chlorine in hours. Add shock at 2pm, and it’s mostly gone by 5pm. You just wasted your money and didn’t sanitize anything.
Always shock at night. Let chlorine work overnight when the sun can’t destroy it.
This one timing change saves you money on every shock treatment.
pH and Chlorine Work Together
Here’s something most people don’t know: chlorine doesn’t work well when pH is wrong.
Think of alkalinity as pH’s anchor. When alkalinity sits in the right range (80-120 ppm), pH stays stable.
When alkalinity drifts outside that range, pH swings wildly. You’ll chase pH problems every week.
Simple rule: Fix alkalinity first. Then fix pH. Then everything else falls into place.
COMMON MISTAKE WE SEE: Homeowners dump chemicals without testing. They guess amounts. This wastes money and can damage pool surfaces. Over-chlorinating bleaches plaster and vinyl. Under-chlorinating lets algae grow.
Always test before adding pool chemicals. Don’t guess. Guessing costs money.
Safety note: Follow safe pool chemical handling practices and always read product label instructions. Never mix different chemicals together, and store them in a cool, dry place away from children.
Our Pool School Approach
In our 30-40 minute Pool School sessions, we teach Long Beach homeowners these chemical relationships. We don’t just hand you a bottle and say “add this much.”
We explain why pH and chlorine work together. Why alkalinity matters. What happens when things get out of balance.
This knowledge helps you catch small problems early. Before they cost hundreds to fix.
You stop guessing. You start understanding your pool.
How Professional Service Prevents All Five Mistakes
Professional pool care takes the guesswork out of maintenance.
A good service tests chemistry every visit. Adjusts chemicals correctly. Monitors equipment. Empties all skimmers. Cleans filters on schedule.
You avoid all five mistakes automatically.
The Math Makes Sense
Professional service typically costs less per month than one emergency repair.
We’ve replaced heaters, pumps, and filters that would still be running if the owner had just maintained them properly.
Regular maintenance catches tiny issues before they become expensive failures.
What Makes Our Long Beach Service Different
We understand coastal conditions. Salt air affects equipment differently than inland areas. Wind patterns in different neighborhoods change how much debris you get. Year-round swimming creates different wear patterns than seasonal use.
After 15 years in Naples, Belmont Shore, Bixby Knolls, Los Altos, and East Long Beach, we know these patterns by heart.
We handle everything. Most pool companies do only maintenance OR repairs OR construction. You have to coordinate multiple contractors when problems arise.
We do all three. One company. One point of contact. No coordination headaches.
From equipment installations through decades of weekly care, we’re your long-term partner.
We teach while we work. Our Pool School approach means you learn about your system during service visits. You understand what we’re doing and why it matters.
This helps you spot potential issues between visits. You know what your pool needs and why.
We actually answer the phone. Our dedicated office manager makes sure someone picks up when you call. We respond to every message within 24 hours.
Unlike pool services that disappear after a few months, we’ve been in the same Long Beach neighborhoods for 15 years. We stick around.
Keep Your Pool Looking Good Between Visits
Brush your pool walls and steps weekly. This prevents buildup and keeps surfaces fresh. Combined with proper chemistry and circulation, brushing helps maintain that clean look.
Why These Mistakes Keep Happening
Whether you maintain your pool yourself or hire help, these five mistakes cost Long Beach homeowners money every year.
The problem isn’t that people don’t care. It’s that they don’t know what they don’t know.
Prevention takes consistency:
Test weekly with test strips
Run your pump enough hours
Clean filters monthly
Empty baskets twice weekly
Time your chemicals right
Follow these simple rules. Avoid the headaches and expenses we see constantly.
This is why our Pool School approach works. We don’t just maintain your pool. We teach you to understand it.
That knowledge prevents the five mistakes above. It helps you make confident decisions about your pool investment.
You become a smarter pool owner. Even if we’re the ones doing the work.
We serve all of Long Beach and surrounding areas. Reliable service that prevents expensive surprises.
FAQ
Q: What are the most common pool maintenance tips that can prevent costly repairs?
A: Proper pool maintenance involves several essential practices that protect your investment. First, establish a regular pool care routine that includes testing your water balance at least twice weekly. Maintain proper filtration by running your filtration system 8-12 hours daily and cleaning or backwashing filters regularly. Keep your pool clean by skimming debris daily and vacuum your pool weekly to remove dirt from the bottom of the pool. Monitor your free available chlorine levels and maintain total alkalinity within the ideal range of 80-120 ppm. These basic pool care habits prevent expensive equipment damage and water quality issues that can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix.
Q: How does neglecting water testing lead to expensive swimming pool problems?
A: Skipping regular water testing is one of the most expensive mistakes pool owners make. Without proper water balance, your pool water becomes corrosive or scale-forming, damaging your filter system, pump, heater, and pool surfaces. Unbalanced pH levels can render pool shock ineffective, leading to algae blooms that require professional treatment. Your water test results guide critical decisions about chemical adjustments; without them, you’re working blind. Invest in a quality test kit and check your water chemistry 2-3 times weekly. This simple maintenance step costs pennies compared to resurfacing a damaged pool or replacing corroded equipment, which can run into thousands of dollars.
Q: What filtration mistakes waste money and how can proper pool maintenance prevent them?
A: Filtration errors are major money drainers in pool care routine. Running your filtration system too few hours daily allows dirty water to accumulate, forcing your system to work harder and increasing energy costs. Neglecting backwashing or cleaning your filter—whether sand, cartridge, or diatomaceous earth—reduces efficiency by up to 50%, making your pump strain and fail prematurely. An overtaxed filtration system can shorten equipment lifespan by years, costing $500-$2000 in premature replacements. Follow these easy tips: run your pump 8-12 hours daily, clean cartridge filters monthly, backwash sand filters when pressure rises 8-10 psi, and replace filter media as recommended. Proper filtration keeps your pool sparkling clean while extending equipment life.
Q: How does ignoring basic pool cleaning lead to higher maintenance costs?
A: Neglecting basic pool cleaning creates a cascade of expensive problems. When you don’t keep your pool clean by skimming and brushing regularly, debris sinks to the bottom of the pool, decomposing and creating stains that require acid washing or even resurfacing—costs that can exceed $3,000-$10,000. Dirt and organic matter consume sanitizer rapidly, forcing you to use more pool shock and chemicals. An automatic pool cleaner can reduce manual labor, but it’s not a substitute for regular brushing and skimming. Without consistent pool cleaning, algae takes hold, requiring professional treatment and potential pool draining. Spending 15-20 minutes daily on basic pool care prevents these costly disasters and keeps your pool sparkling.
Q: What water balance mistakes in your swimming pool cause the most financial damage?
A: Water balance errors are silent budget killers. Low pH makes water acidic, corroding metal components, etching plaster, and dissolving grout—repairs that cost thousands. High pH creates scale buildup that clogs your filtration system and reduces heater efficiency, increasing energy bills by 20-30%. Neglecting to balance your pool water’s total alkalinity causes pH to swing wildly, making chemical management expensive and frustrating. Low calcium hardness in salt water pools accelerates surface deterioration, while high levels create cloudy water requiring costly clarifiers. Maintaining water in your pool within ideal ranges (pH 7.4-7.6, alkalinity 80-120 ppm, calcium 200-400 ppm) costs mere dollars weekly but prevents thousands in damage.
Q: How can improving pool circulation save money on maintenance tips and chemicals?
A: Poor pool circulation is an overlooked money waster. When water doesn’t circulate properly, chemicals distribute unevenly, creating dead zones where algae thrives and forcing you to overdose your entire pool to treat problem areas. Inadequate circulation reduces filtration effectiveness, meaning dirty water bypasses your filter system. To optimize pool circulation, aim all return jets slightly downward and toward the opposite side, creating a circular current. Run your pump during daylight hours when sunlight degrades chlorine fastest. Clean skimmer and pump baskets weekly—clogged baskets reduce flow by 30-50%, making your system work harder and increasing electricity costs. Proper circulation maximizes chemical efficiency, potentially cutting your chemical costs by 25-40% annually.
Q: What mistakes do people make when closing your pool that create expensive spring problems?
A: Improper closing your pool procedures lead to costly spring surprises. Failing to balance water chemistry before winterization allows corrosion and scale to develop unchecked for months, damaging surfaces and equipment. Not lowering water levels adequately in freeze-prone areas can crack pool structures and plumbing—repairs costing $1,000-$5,000. Skipping a final pool shock before covering allows organic matter to decompose all winter, creating impossible-to-remove stains. Using inadequate covers lets debris accumulate, requiring professional cleaning services. Not protecting your filter system from freezing can crack the tank or housing. Follow these maintenance tips: balance chemistry completely, add winterizing chemicals, lower water to proper levels, clean thoroughly, and properly protect equipment. Spending an extra hour on proper pool care during closing prevents expensive spring repairs.
Q: How does choosing the wrong types of pool cleaning equipment waste money?
A: Selecting inappropriate equipment for your type of pool creates ongoing expenses. An automatic pool cleaner designed for basic pool designs won’t effectively clean steps, benches, or free-form shapes, requiring you to hire cleaning services. Undersized filtration systems for your pool volume run constantly, increasing energy bills while never achieving clean and clear water. Using standard vacuums on diatomaceous earth filters without proper attachments can damage the filter media, requiring expensive replacement. Cheap pool shock products often contain fillers that cloud water and require additional clarifiers. For DIY pool owners, investing in quality equipment upfront—properly sized filter system, appropriate cleaner for your pool shape, and professional-grade chemicals—costs more initially but delivers better results and lower long-term costs than repeatedly buying inadequate products.
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