Daily, or close to it
Two things matter most day to day: chlorine and circulation. Run the pump long enough to turn the water over, usually around eight hours, and check that free chlorine is in range for your cyanuric acid, topping up with the chlorine calculator when needed. In hot weather and heavy use, chlorine drops fast, so a quick daily check saves a lot of grief.
Skim floating debris and empty the skimmer basket while you are out there. It takes two minutes and keeps junk from sinking and decaying.
Weekly
Once a week, do a fuller test and a clean. Test pH and total alkalinity along with chlorine, and adjust with the pH calculator and alkalinity calculator. Brush the walls and floor to stop algae getting a foothold, and vacuum if needed.
Shock the pool weekly, or after heavy use, to clear combined chlorine and body oils before they cloud the water. Check the filter pressure and clean the filter when it climbs.
Monthly
About once a month, test the slower-moving numbers: cyanuric acid and calcium hardness, with the cyanuric acid calculator and calcium hardness calculator. Run your readings through the saturation index calculator to confirm the water is balanced and not quietly corroding or scaling.
Give the filter a deeper clean than the weekly rinse, and inspect equipment for leaks or wear. Catching a small problem monthly beats discovering a big one mid-season.
Why the routine wins
Almost every pool disaster, green water, cloudiness, equipment damage, is a maintenance lapse that compounded. Chlorine ran low and algae bloomed; pH drifted and scale formed. None of it happens to a pool that gets a few minutes of attention on a schedule.
The schedule also gets cheaper over time, because you are correcting small drifts instead of buying bags of shock to rescue a crisis. Test before you dose, dose from a calculator, and the pool mostly looks after itself.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I maintain my pool?
Check chlorine and run the pump most days, do a fuller test and clean weekly, and test the slower numbers like cyanuric acid and calcium hardness monthly. The exact frequency depends on weather and use, but a little done often is far easier than rescuing a neglected pool.
What should I do to my pool every week?
Test pH, alkalinity, and chlorine and adjust them; brush the walls and floor; vacuum if needed; shock the water; and check and clean the filter when pressure rises. Weekly is the core of pool care, the rhythm that keeps small drifts from becoming green water.
How often should I shock my pool?
Weekly is a good default, plus after heavy use, a big rainstorm, or anytime the water looks dull or smells of chlorine. Shocking clears combined chlorine and organics before they cloud the pool. Shock to the level set by your cyanuric acid, not a fixed dose.
How long should I run my pool pump each day?
Long enough to turn the whole pool over about once, commonly around eight hours, though it depends on your pump's flow and pool size. A variable-speed pump often runs longer at low speed, which is quieter and cheaper. Circulation is what makes the chemistry and filtration work.
What is the easiest way to maintain a pool?
Keep a routine and test before you dose. A few minutes most days on chlorine and circulation, a weekly test-and-clean, and a monthly check of the slower numbers prevents nearly every problem. Correcting small drifts on a schedule is far less work and cost than rescuing a pool that went green.