Long-time pool owners and anyone planning to build their own swimming pool need the right pool accessories. To clean and maintain your own private swimming paradise, you’ll need a few supplies and tools. Well, pool supplies are available in masses, but what is really necessary?
Now, before you run to the specialty store and come back with shopping carts full of pool supplies, you better learn what what accessories you really need for your pool. It will save you money, time and frustration. And with our tips, the water in your pool will be crystal clear – even the pros can’t do better.
Table of Contents
Pool accessories make pool maintenance possible
We admit it, proper pool maintenance isn’t easy. And without the right pool accessories, not much can be done. Of course, you don’t want your own pool to turn into a massive amount of extra work. With the right tools, you’ll make the tasks at hand easier, finish faster, and be able to bathe sooner.
In the beginning, the sheer range of accessories and care products for pools literally overwhelms you. So start with this basic set of tools and supplies and build from there over time.
1. Pool Water Test Strips
Regularly checking pool water is essential if you want to run a clean pool that is safe for your health. Examine the water weekly to KNOW if and what chemicals need to be added to the water. After all, you don’t want to share your swimming paradise with bacteria and algae, do you?
You can also have the pool water tested by experts every time. Contacts are specialized dealers and the installer of the pool. But do you want to have to drive somewhere every week just to have a water sample tested? We don’t think so.
Pool water test strips are slightly less accurate pool testers (can’t hurt either), but easier to use.
The running cost of a pool tester and test strips is about the same. The strips will use up over time, but the pool tester also requires reagent tablets to cause a reaction in the water sample. The reagent tablets must also be purchased and are priced in the same range as the test strips.
Better stock up on test strips to get started. The test strips detect the concentration of free chlorine, pH and whether there is algae in the water.
All you have to do is hold the test strip under water for a few seconds. You then match the discoloration on the paper with a color scale to determine the respective concentrations.
Repeat this test weekly. For pools that are used a lot or are large, an expert should test the water monthly.
2. Chlorine
After some time, human skin cells, washed-off cosmetics, oils and microbes effect the pool water quality so much that hardly anyone would want to bathe in it voluntarily if there were no pool chemicals. Chlorine (in the form of chlorine tablets, for example) is the very most important in your arsenal of pool chemicals.
When your pool starts to smell like a hotel pool, it’s really time to give the water a shock chlorination. As long as the water is in balance, the pool will not have an odor. A strong smell of chemicals comes from the fact that the concentration of disinfectants is too low, so they can no longer do their job.
Shocking the pool by adding chlorine kills bacteria and brings the sanitizer back to normal levels. Shock chlorination (“shocking”) can also help with a mild algae infestation.
If the water is contaminated, products containing active chlorine are especially good for quick shock chlorination. If you don’t want your pool to smell like a hotel pool, then you need to shock your pool at least weekly. Furthermore, the more often you use your pool, the more often you need to add chlorine.
After changes in water level, heavy rains, algae growth or if wild animals have bathed in the pool should also be chlorinated.
3. Algae Brush
Speaking of algae. Algae is a particularly annoying problem and therefore requires special tools. If the algae infestation is particularly severe, the first step is to remove algae from the surface of the pool.
Now use an algae brush with stainless steel bristles to remove the hold of the algae from the walls, steps and floor.
Note: Algae brushes with bristles made of stainless steel are very strong and only suitable for concrete and plaster pools. If your pool has a vinyl liner wall, you should choose a pool brush made with nylon bristles to avoid damage.
4. Pool Tarp
A pool tarp will keep all kinds of wildlife and foreign objects out of your pool. Believe us, a pool cover will save you a lot of work and headaches.
When it comes to winterizing your pool, the tarp helps as well. When you prepare your swimming pool for winter, add an extra high amount of chemicals to prevent the growth of bacteria and algae.
Until the next season, the pool tarp will protect the water quality in your pool and the pool itself from damage.
With a solid tarp on the pool, you don’t have to worry about water level changes. If it rains a lot at your place, net covers are a good choice. The fine mesh nets allow the pool to drain and keep insects, leaves and wildlife out as much as possible.
Taking preventative measures to winterize your pool and installing a pool cover will protect your pool through the cold months and take the stress out of starting it up again in the spring.
There’s a difference between fishing out leaves for days and giving your pool a deep clean, and just adding a little water and letting the pump do its job.
5. (Manual) Pool Vacuum Cleaner
A pool vacuum cleaner is a very handy tool. The vacuum bypasses the filtration system, so you can be sure that no vacuumed parts get back into the water.
With a manual pool vacuum, you are in control. Unlike an automatic pool vacuum, you won’t miss any spots. This option requires your own muscle power, but it is the most effective way to identify and clean your pool’s problem areas.
Combined with the algae brush, a pool vacuum is a true lifesaver when it comes to algae infestations. Once the algae is brushed from the pool’s wheels, you can use the pool vacuum to remove it from the water.
Note: You also need an extendable telescopic pole and floating hose to use a pool vacuum.
6. Telescopic Pole
Telescopic poles are extendable poles that allow you to reach the depths of a pool without having to handle a meter-long pole. Telescopic poles are more ergonomic because you don’t have to constantly switch between bending and stretching. Furthermore, storage is easy because the poles take up minimal space.
Telescopic poles are versatile helpers in pool cleaning. In most models, the heads can be interchanged. This means that you only need one telescopic pole and can use it as a pool landing net, pool brush or pool vacuum.
The advantage of telescopic poles is that they are adjustable in height. If you have a wider pool, you do have to walk around the pool to reach every spot when cleaning. However, you have the option to shorten the pole for cleaning certain spots (pool walls, steps, pool ladder, etc.) and have more control this way.
7. Pool Edge Cleaner
Sunlight, warm water, numerous food sources from body oils or debris on the edge of the pool are an ideal environment for bacteria and algae. It’s no wonder they come in droves.
With your plan for testing water quality regularly and following up if necessary, you’re well on your way, Only with a cleaning plan can you keep bacteria and other contaminants out.
The chemicals in the pool water will show their effects and if everything fits, they will keep the water crystal clear. But what is actually above the water’s edge? After all, the places at the edge of the pool are no less a nutrient-rich place and therefore also attract bacteria and algae.
The edges of the pool and pool accessories are wiped clean with cleaning agents. For this purpose, there are special pool edge cleaners that can be used on various surfaces and remove dirt, grease and many types of edges.
Let’s face it, when was the last time you thoroughly cleaned the ladder of your pool?
Edge cleaners are less aggressive than other cleaning products. A less powerful cleaner is important because vinyl, fiberglass and solar pool tarps are delicate. The last thing you want is scratches or other types of damage to your pool or pool accessories.
8. Landing Net
A landing net is used to fish all kinds of vegetable debris and foreign objects out of the pool water. A landing net should have a telescopic shaft for pool cleaning or be attachable to one.
About the adjustability of the rod, you are in the length to reach the depths of the pool as well as shallow areas (for example, at the steps) to clean. For storage, the landing net is folded and can therefore be stored in a space-saving manner.
For pool work, the landing net should also be as fine-meshed as possible, so that small foreign bodies can not slip through the mesh.
9. Filter Cleaner
The pool filter is the most important part of the pool when it comes to your health. Dirt, grime and contamination will always exist with an (outdoor) pool. Therefore, the filter is always part of the pool life.
Let’s get one thing straight. A little dirt in the filter is not always harmful. A layer of dirt can act as a filter layer for small particles and thus even help.
Eventually, the time comes and the filter needs to be cleaned to continue working. Filter cleaner helps to remove debris from the filter. Cloudy water is avoided this way and the filter works more efficiently again.
The ideal cleaning schedule for your pool depends on how often the pool is used and what type of filter you have. Watch the clarity of the water and the pressure gauge to determine when a thorough cleaning is needed.
Bonus: pool robot
OK, we get it. You’re just starting out with pools, and you’re presented with so many pool accessories here. The things we mentioned before are part of the basic equipment. A pool robot is purely a bonus.
For starters, a (manual) pool vacuum is completely sufficient. But a pool robot can save a lot of time and effort. The robot keeps your pool clean even when you’re not home.
Imagine this: A hard day at work was coming up, and the traffic on the way home was once again unbearable. Wouldn’t a plunge into the cooling pool water be just the thing?
For many pool owners, this sounds like a dream. You first have to fish out heaps of leaves and all sorts of other stuff and go through the entire pool with the pool vacuum cleaner before you can also fully relax.
A pool robot swims through the pool completely by itself all the time. When you get home, the pool is clean, the water is clear and everything is ready for a relaxing evening.
In our opinion, a pool robot is one of the most helpful gadgets for pool maintenance goes.
Pool life is just getting started
Pool stores have pool accessories galore. The salespeople in the stores want to convince you that you basically have to buy the entire assortment. Later, you’ll find other stores and online stores recommending even more pool maintenance tools and supplies, without which your pool would be virtually unusable.
Everyone has their own methods, just like we have ours. The end goal for pool maintenance is always the same: a clean, sanitary pool.
Over the years, you will add to your inventory of pool accessories. There’s no question about that. As you become more experienced, you’ll be better able to identify your pool’s specific needs and make well-informed purchases accordingly.
Until then, just make sure you have the essentials to keep your pool clean. With this basic equipment, you can clean your pool and have proper fun in your clean pool with the clear water.
Isn’t that all that really matters?
