Every pool owner needs to own and know how to use a manual vacuum. While an automatic pool cleaner provides hands-off pool cleaning, it doesn’t help vacuum cloudy water or algae. Here’s our full in-depth guide to how to vacuum an inground or above ground pool quickly and effectively so you can get back to

The right solar pool heater for your above ground pool needs to be effective, energy-efficient, and take little to no money to heat your water. When choosing the best solar heating system for your swimming pool, you need to think about your local climate, the length of your swim season, the size of your pool,

Do you have a green pool? It won’t be any fun to swim in or to look at. Don’t worry, though. You don’t have to drain your pool and start over. You can kill pool algae fast and keep it from coming back. Why Do I Have a Green Swimming Pool? There’s only one reason:

Shocking your pool is part of regular pool maintenance. It helps keep algae, bacteria, and other contaminants from building up in your water. But getting the right kind of pool shock is critical for keeping your water clean and clear. Not all pool shock products are right for every type of pool or for every

If you’re looking for a cheap, energy-efficient way to heat your pool, making your own DIY solar pool heater is a great option. Not only can you use the sun’s power to heat your water, but the whole project will likely cost less than $100 (which is way cheaper than purchasing solar panels). Here’s a

Choosing the best gas heater for your pool means taking several factors into consideration: your pool size, your climate, and how long you want to extend your swim season. But beyond that, you also need to think about which kind of gas to use, how easy it is to install the heater, and whether it

When it comes to buying an inground pool heater, there are a few factors you must consider: the size of your pool, the type of energy you want to use, the climate you live in, how quickly you want to heat your water, and how easy you need it to be to install. With those

Choosing the best heater for your above ground pool means finding the best fit based on your pool size and your local climate. It also means considering a heater’s energy efficiency, how quickly it heats your water, and how easy it is to install. And a reliable pool heater should not only help extend your

Your swimming pool needs regular maintenance. That’s why it pays to develop a strong basic understanding of pool maintenance essentials, no matter if you have an inground, above ground, Intex®, or saltwater pool. When you know how your pool works, the best ways to care for it, and how to plan for it, you’ll be

Need to drain your above ground pool? Maybe it’s full of nasty, stagnant water. Or maybe you need to completely take it down for the season or make emergency repairs. Either way, you’ll need to drain some or all of the water from your swimming pool. And if you’ve never drained your pool before, doing

The best pool cleaner you can get is a robotic pool cleaner. You can’t beat the convenience of simply dropping an automatic cleaner into your pool without running your filter system. You’ll find a few robotic cleaners for less than $500, but most cost between $500 and $1,000. While the inexpensive models will get the

The best option for pool owners on a budget is a suction pool cleaner. This type of cleaner hooks up to your skimmer or dedicated suction line. It rolls around your pool cleaning up debris, sending it through your pool’s filtration system. It will pick up mostly medium debris, but some models can be set

Pressure-side cleaners are available across a wide price range, with most models usually falling between $200 and $900. NOTE: The following automatic pressure-side pool cleaners are available to buy on either Amazon and InTheSwim.com. Check both sites for availability. All the links are affiliate links which means if you click a link and make a

Your filter is one of the main components in keeping your pool clean, so it also needs to be kept clean. But maybe you’re new to pool maintenance. Or maybe you just got a new type of filter. Whatever the case, knowing how to clean a pool filter is an essential part of owning a

Before you bought a pool filter, the word backwash probably meant something kind of gross to you, right? Well, when it comes to pools, it has a literal meaning. And it’s something good. Your pool is only as clean as your filter is. The good news is, when you backwash a pool, cleaning the filter

Shocking your pool on a regular basis is a simple way to prevent stray algae and bacteria from taking root in your water. It also helps keep your pool smelling … well, hopefully like nothing at all. What is Pool Shock? Think back to the last time you walked past a hotel pool. The chemical

We tested and reviewed a bunch of automatic inground pool cleaners on a variety of pools, both big and small. And here are our top picks for the best pool cleaners specifically for inground swimming pools. NOTE: The following inground pool cleaners are Amazon affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase,

After testing every single above ground pool vacuum on the market on a variety of pools, both big and small, here are our top picks. NOTE: The following above ground pool vacuums are available to buy on either Amazon and InTheSwim.com. Check both sites for availability. All the links are affiliate links which means if

Pool leaks can occur anywhere in your pool. But before you start searching for a leak, you’ll need to rule out a few issues like evaporation or a crack in the filter system plumbing. Here’s a quick guide on how to find a pool leak and how to fix it yourself. You can watch the

Before you run out to the nearest pool store and plunk down a big ol’ chunk of change, make sure you know what pool supplies are actually necessary. You’ll save yourself some money, and you’ll be ready to take care of your pool like a pro. NOTE: The following products are available to buy on

Need to figure out how many gallons of water are in your pool? Just plug in your pool’s measurements into our pool volume calculator below. Pool Volume Calculator Pool Volume Calculator Click on your pool shape to calculate the volume of water. Rectangle Round Get Pool Volume Get Pool Volume Be sure to measure from