Atlanta, or "Hotlanta," as some like to call it, is a swimming pool paradise. After all, its climate is technically classified as humid subtropical on the Koppen classification scale, one of the most widely-used climate classification scales in the world. Granted, that doesn't mean much to most Atlantans (with the notable exception of the Weather Channel folks out in Marietta, of course), so here's the translation: a humid subtropical climate is one that experiences hot, humid summers and mild, chilly winters. To get even more specific, Atlanta has only one month per year when the average low drops below freezing, and not a single month where the normal high temperature drops below 50 degrees. What does that mean for swimming pools? It means that swimming pools in Atlanta are year-round fun, a dime a dozen in the metropolitan area, and that swimming pool maintenance in Atlanta is both big business and a constant home maintenance task for Atlantans lucky enough to have a pool in their backyard.

Why Atlanta Swimming Pool Maintenance Is Important
If you own a swimming pool in Atlanta, it's important that you follow basic pool maintenance procedures to keep your pool operating efficiently, and more importantly, to keep it safe for those who use it. Never forget that without working pumps and filters, and someone to maintain proper pH and chemical levels, your pool is nothing more than a large basin of standing water. In other words, it's basically a large, stagnant pond. And while a frog, insect, algae, and bacteria-filled pond is just another piece of scenery if you stumble on it while hiking through the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, they're generally not seen in such a positive light by most Atlanta homeowner associations. That being said, regular pool maintenance reduces health risks to those who use your pool, drastically cuts down on the number of repairs you'll have to face as a pool owner, and it ensures more efficient pool operation, which of course means that proper maintenance reduces the cost of running your pool as well.

Atlanta Swimming Pool Maintenance: the Basics
Where swimming pool maintenance in Atlanta is concerned, all swimming pool owners should make sure that they follow a regular schedule in keeping their pool, and water, in tip-top shape. Talk to five different experts in swimming pool maintenance in Atlanta and you'll probably get five slightly different checklists to follow. Nonetheless, here's one suggested schedule, just to give you an idea of if you're on the right track:

• Bi-Weekly Maintenance Tasks—As a rule you should check and maintain your pool's pH, chemical, and chlorine levels twice a week as well as empty the skimmer baskets, and skim leaves, debris, and insects off the pool surface.

• Weekly Pool Maintenance Tasks—In addition to your bi-weekly chores, you should shock your pool, add an algae preventative, scrub your walls, and vacuum your pool floor once a week.

• Monthly Pool Maintenance—In order to ensure that the water quality in your pool is safe for you and your family and friends, you should have your water professionally tested once a month.

• Seasonal Pool Maintenance—Finally, there's a few jobs that you should be sure to do once a season. Those include cleaning and de-greasing your filter (keep an eye on the water pressure in your pump and filter ý if it gets high more often than once a season you may need to do this more often), and adding a flock or metal remover, followed by a pool vacuuming 24 hours later. If you shut down your pool in fall and re-open it in the spring, you should add the necessary tasks involved with both of those events to your list as well.

The Great Debate: Hiring Atlanta Swimming Pool Maintenance Professionals
If you're diligent and organized, setting a routine for yourself that follows the suggestions listed above really shouldn't be a problem. In fact, pool maintenance becomes almost second nature once you get familiar with it. For many busy Atlantans, however, it's either too easy to fall behind on the upkeep, or they just don't want to be burdened with keeping up on basic maintenance tasks. For those homeowners, there are tens, if not hundreds, of pool maintenance providers across the larger metropolitan area that are happy to perform your necessary weekly, monthly, and seasonal swimming pool maintenance in Atlanta for a monthly fee, or come in periodically to perform one-time-only services of your choosing.

Whether you do it on your own, or hire someone to come in and maintain your pool for you, keeping up on swimming pool maintenance in Atlanta is vital if you want to have a pool that is safe and pleasant for everyone to enjoy.