We have a Kreepy Krawly, so rarely have to vacuum. I haven't vacuumed once this year since the initial opening vacuum in fact. Get a decent pool testing kit like this one: https://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-TECHNOLOGIES-INC-K-2006-CHLORINE/dp/B004BGF7TI/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1474921867&sr=1-1&keywords=taylor+pool+test+kit and use it occasionally to double check what the test strips are telling you. Make sure you run your pool filter long enough each day! This is really important, and may vary a bit depending on where you live and the ambient temps. Here in Ontario, I run it 8-10 hours a day - starting at about 2 p.m. It's on an automatic timer. I had one minor algae bloom this year - alkalinity had fallen a bit. Quickly remedied. Otherwise, I check it once a day - make sure Kreepy hasn't hung himself up in the corner (does that occasionally) and that no critters have drowned or need rescuing. And Klear-Sok is a wonderful thing if your water is a bit cloudy. Don't know if it's available in the US. It's a clarifier that you put in your skimmer and it works better than any I've tried before.

Oh...and remember to buy chlorine pucks at Costco at the beginning of the season - they're HALF the price of any pool store here in Canada, I discovered to my great shock when I ran out the other day. And if you really want to save money on the other chemicals, figure out what they are and buy them at a chemical supply company in bulk. Best to get a friend to go in with you on this - the supply will last you a very long time otherwise. And save all your chemical buckets to "decant". A friend of mine did this and the chemicals were less than a 1/4 of what the pool stores charge. I may do it with my sister next year - though needed very little in adjustments this year.

I have a service open and close it. Otherwise I do it. And that is not much. I have the best cleaner I run occasionally. I empty the skimmers. Once or twice a summer I take water in to be tested. Some people say pools are so much work. I do not get that! I've had a pool for 12 years and it is so easy!

I have a pool cleaner and with a salt water pool the chemicals are easier. But I still have a service to come once a week just so it's always ready right when we want it. We use ours quite a bit from April to October.

I live in east central Florida. I take a water sample every 2 wks to a pool supply company (one that's honest and doesn't push products). On weekends I "shock" it on Saturdays with 1 envelope. Depending on test results, I add acid and baking soda to balance the water. Quantities vary, based on season (summer requires more). I have a chlorinator that I maintain with 3 tablets in summer, 2 tablets in winter & spring, per wk. It's important to keep the routine, otherwise it's more costly to gain back control if you've lost it due to algae, pollen,etc. I also clean the cartridge filter 1x per month. The filter lasts about a year. My water is always crystal. With our Caretaker 99 in-ground cleaning system, we rarely need to brush debris.

Pool service, and a robo-vacuum to clean the bottom. The pool service is worth the price!

I put a robot in weekly and vacuum once a month. My husband back washes the filter each week. We have a pool guy who winterises the pool and puts the cover on for us as we like to travel during winter. He also opens the pool up in spring. I find looking after it very relaxing and it doesn't take long. 10m x 3m.

Use a Magic Eraser to clean the liner in spring, add water, shock, wait a few days, test water, adjust chemicals. We use a floating tablet holder and it seems to keep the chlorine in check. We do run the filter full-time. Every morning I take my coffee out and casually stroll around the pool with the net to remove debris. It's actually an enjoyable ritual for me. We use a solar cover some of the time which also helps to keep out leaves. Only have to use the sweeper 2-3 a season, as long as I keep up the morning routine.

Mine is saltwater so maintenance is minimal and no chemicals to add....the creepy crawler keeps the bottom spotless so I have to do is empty the basket in the skimmer once a week and brush the sides once a month...its pretty easy but the fiberglass smoothness is a big help....

We switched to a salt water system and the maintenance is so much less than chlorine pools. There was also a new liner put in when we switched. We vacuum the bottom when we see debris, back wash when we see the pressure a little up and the system tells us how much salt is in the water. Depending on how much use we put the pool through, we can vary how much chlorine is generated in the pool from the salt keeping it sparkling clean at all times. Every so often we need to clean the cell from built up salt, but that is only if we have over salted the water. We winterize, close and open the pool all ourselves. The hardest part is putting the cover on.

My tip? POOL SERVICE!
He brushes, vacuums and checks chemicals weekly, and I have a Polaris sweeper.
The pool is always sparkling, and
the best thing is : I never have to even think about it. If something needs repairing, it just gets done.
That thing needs to be maintained 52 weeks /yr.. rain or shine.
Much easier to write the check.

Weekly pool service for regular maintenance. The Kreepy Krauly vacuums for 6 hours Dec - March, and up to 12 hours in July & August. As the days get shorter, so does the vacuum time. I'll skim it before getting in and especially if I see mango tree leaves in it, which are so large they often get stuck in the vacuum. I'll clean the pool filter about once a month, if I think it needs a good cleaning, otherwise, our pool guy takes care of it, and everything else.

I am a new, salt water, plaster, pool owner (just less than a year) and maintain it myself. We had a pool service for about 6 months, but let them go after the second time algae appeared in one month. The only thing I ever saw them check my water for was salt. Ever. To a brand new pool! Since I was a newbie, I had no idea that water chemistry demands more than checking the salt level. I started off by bringing water samples to my local pool store. My water chemistry was a mess, because the pool service wasn't maintaining it. I watched a boat load of you tube videos on how to maintain salt water pool chemistry and purchased my own testing kit. There is a wealth of information out there! Now, I check my own water chemistry and head to the pool store when I need supplies. I no longer use them to check my water. I like having the testing kit to check levels before and after the addition of chemicals have been made. This was especially helpful when I was getting the hang of how much muriatic acid to pour (you gauge it by eye, you don't measure it out) for pH corrections. So to sum up, I test the pH and chlorine just about every day, other water chemistry weekly or as needed, I add muriatic acid every 2-3 days, I brush it weekly, we have cleaned our own cartridge filter once (it's due for another cleaning), I check the skimmers daily or more often when the leaves start to fall, any other plumbing-type problems a pool person gets called for. I find a little maintenance every day is necessary.

How do you maintain an
INDOOR pool? I’m considering adding an
Endless Pool to a future new construction but never had a pool before. Any advice?

convert to saltwater vs chlorine, it will take away all the hassle of maintaining it