Building an inground swimming pool ain’t cheap, and neither is keeping it running. From day one, you have to pay to keep your pool water clean and sanitary. As your pool ages, there’s also the cost of repairs and renovations. Over the life of your pool, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to become acquainted with the number and variety of inground pool supplies.
But until then, here’s an overview of the things you will need for your pool – some of them obvious, others perhaps not so much. You may be able to find many of these supplies at your local pool supply store. However, for the largest selection (and often the best prices), look for these items at your favorite online pool supplier.
Chemicals
In order to keep your pool water clean and free from algae, you’ll need to carefully monitor and maintain its chemistry. Exactly how much chlorine you have to use to keep your pool sanitary varies a lot depending on the climate, pool lining, and other factors. Unless you’re hiring a pool service to take care of it for you, you’ll want to test your water regularly with a kit or electronic device and add chemicals as required.
Safety Equipment
In most areas, pool safety equipment isn’t just a good idea, but required by law. Supplies you may want or need to pick up include pool alarms, safety pool covers, and fencing. Make sure you know the law on pool safety in your area, and buy safety equipment that’s not only secure, but convenient to use.
Cleaning
Chlorine is great for keeping algae under control, but what about dirt and other debris that makes its way into your pool? Every pool should have a pump and filter capable of cycling all the water in your pool at regular intervals. An increasing number of pool owners are also using robotic pool cleaners to automatically clean walls and floors.
Heating
Pool heaters keep your pool at a nice, comfortable temperature and can extend the swimming season to the cooler days of spring and fall. However, since electric pool heaters can be expensive to run, you may want to consider other equipment like solar pool heaters, solar covers, or even an enclosure.
Landscaping
Every inground swimming pool needs landscaping – not only to improve its looks, but to serve practical purposes as well. Barriers can help shield the pool from wind and keep debris out. Trees can provide shade and privacy.
Repairs
Sooner or later, every pool is going to need repairs. For vinyl pools, this includes replacing the lining every so often and possibly patching holes in between. However, the other types of pools can also be damaged or simply wear down over time.
That’s just a quick tour of some of the inground pool supplies you may need to buy as a pool owner. As with pool construction itself, it often pays to shop around for the best deals. Don’t confine yourself to one pool supplier or another, but look around for the one that offers the best product at the lowest cost. You might be surprised at how much you can save simply by doing a little extra research.