Questions We Get Asked About Pool Maintenance

We aim to reply to every enquiry within about 1 hour during our working hours, Monday to Friday 08:00-19:00 and Saturday 10:00-13:00. We are closed on Sundays. If you send a message outside these hours, it sits at the top of the queue and gets answered as soon as we open. For most requests, we can also give a rough idea of timing and cost by phone or email before booking a visit, so you know what to expect before anyone arrives at the property.

Yes, we focus on a single service area within London rather than spreading across the whole city. Keeping to one area means our small team is not spending hours in traffic between jobs, which keeps response times honest and lets us actually know the pools we look after rather than treating each visit as a one-off. If you are unsure whether your address falls within our coverage, the quickest way to check is to send your postcode through the contact page.

A first visit starts with a look at the pool structure, surrounding decking, and any visible equipment such as the pump housing or filter cabinet. We then test the water for pH, sanitiser level, alkalinity and calcium hardness, and check the filter for signs of clogging or wear. Once that is done, we walk through the findings with you in plain language, explain anything that needs attention now versus later, and suggest a schedule if ongoing care makes sense for your situation. There is no obligation to book further visits after this.

For a pool in regular use through the warmer months, weekly testing keeps things stable without over-correcting. For pools used less often, or covered for long stretches, a check every two to three weeks is usually enough, though we still recommend a look after any heavy rain, since rainwater dilutes chlorine and can shift pH quickly. We keep a simple log for each pool so that adjustments are based on the actual trend at that address rather than a generic rule applied to every property the same way.

Green water almost always means algae has taken hold, usually because sanitiser dropped too low for a period of time or the filter was not running enough hours a day. We test the water first to understand how far the balance has drifted, then bring it back with a measured shock treatment and adjust the filter run time to prevent a repeat. Depending on how established the algae is, this can take one visit or a short series over a week or two. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in before starting.

A quick filter check is part of every standard visit, and we will rinse a cartridge or backwash a sand filter if pressure readings show it is needed. A deeper clean, such as a full cartridge soak or a media replacement in a sand filter, is treated as a separate task since it takes longer and is not always needed on the same schedule as water testing. We flag this during the visit rather than doing extra work without mentioning it first.

Winter preparation covers balancing the water one last time before the pool sits unused, lowering the water level if the pool will be covered, protecting exposed pipework from frost, and making sure the pump and filter are either safely shut down or set to a low winter running schedule. Skipping this step is one of the most common reasons we see algae blooms or cracked fittings when a pool reopens in spring. It is a single visit in most cases and worth booking before the first cold snap rather than after.

A pump that has suddenly become noisy is worth looking at soon rather than waiting, since it can point to a worn bearing, debris caught in the impeller, or air entering the system through a loose seal. None of these tend to be emergencies in the sense of immediate danger, but leaving a failing pump running can shorten its life significantly and sometimes damage the motor. If you notice a change in noise, mention it when you contact us and we will prioritise a look during the next available slot.

A cover is not strictly required, but it makes a noticeable difference in a city garden where leaves, pollen and general airborne debris settle on the water surface far more than people expect. A covered pool needs less chemical top-up and less frequent filter attention, which in practice means shorter, cheaper maintenance visits over the season. We do not sell covers ourselves, but we are happy to advise on the type that suits your pool shape when we visit.

Yes, a good number of our jobs come through property managers or letting agents rather than the owner directly. In these cases we typically agree who receives the visit report and who is contacted if something beyond routine maintenance is found, so there is no confusion about approvals for extra work. We are happy to work from a set schedule agreed in advance if that suits how the property is managed.

That is completely fine and quite common. Plenty of our 564 completed jobs to date have been single visits, whether that is a pre-summer check, help ahead of hosting an event, or sorting out a specific problem like cloudy water. We do not require a contract for this. If it turns out ongoing care would suit the pool better, we will say so plainly, but there is no pressure either way.

We work with both, though the mix in London gardens tends to lean towards smaller in-ground pools and larger inflatable or frame pools for family use. The core tasks, water testing and balancing, filter checks and general upkeep, are similar for both types, though above-ground pools often need more attention to the structure and liner rather than the surrounding paving. Tell us which type you have when you get in touch and we will let you know if anything about the visit will differ.

It starts with what you tell us when booking, and continues with what we find once on site. A routine check may only need testing and a filter glance, while a pool that has been neglected for a season might need a longer visit covering shock treatment, a deeper filter clean and equipment checks. We would rather quote accurately after a short conversation about the pool's history than give a flat number that does not reflect the actual work needed.

The quickest way is through the contact page, where you can send details of your pool and preferred timing, or call us directly on +44 20 8506 5350 during working hours: Monday to Friday 08:00-19:00, Saturday 10:00-13:00, closed Sundays. You can also email [email protected] if that is easier. We are based at 189 Portobello Road, London, N7 6UN, and typically reply within about an hour during open hours.