Pool Owner Checklist — Between Visits
Cabana Jay's Pool Service LLC · (737) 240-0544 · jay@cabanajaypools.com
Every week
- Empty the skimmer baskets — two minutes here saves the pump.
- Empty the pump basket if you can see debris through the lid.
- Check the water level: about halfway up the skimmer opening.
- Empty the cleaner bag or canister and rinse it out.
- Give the steps, benches and shaded corners a quick brush.
- Glance at the filter pressure gauge and note anything unusual.
Once a month
- Hose off the cleaner's brushes and check for worn or torn parts.
- Look under the equipment for drips, damp spots or white crust.
- Listen to the pump — new rattles, screeches or grinding matter.
- Check that spa spillways and water features are still flowing evenly.
- Peek at the salt cell lid for scale, if your pool has one.
Worth a call, any time
- Water level dropping more than about a quarter inch a day.
- The pump losing prime, running loud, or shutting itself off.
- Filter pressure well above or well below its normal reading.
- Air bubbles pouring out of the returns.
- A breaker that trips more than once.
- Green, cloudy or slick surfaces appearing between visits.
- Any burning smell, scorch mark or exposed wiring at the pad.
Easier to skip
- Don't add chemicals to "help" before a visit — it usually costs more to unwind.
- Don't run the pool with the water below the skimmer mouth.
- Don't backwash a DE or cartridge filter without knowing which you have.
- Don't turn the pump off for days in summer heat.
- Don't stack pool chemicals together in a hot garage.
Central Texas season notes
- Spring
- Pollen and oak tassels overload baskets fast. Check them twice a week through the drop.
- Summer
- Triple-digit heat evaporates a quarter to a half inch a day. Watch the level and the bather load.
- Fall
- Leaf and acorn drop is the number one cause of extra vacuum charges. Baskets, baskets, baskets.
- Winter
- Pools stay open here. Know how to drain your pump and filter if the power goes out during a freeze.