The pool maintenance contract — what it really covers, and what to ask before you sign
A pool that looks simple is in fact a water system that runs every day: a pump, a filter, treatment chemicals and an open surface exposed to dust and sun. A maintenance contract is how all of that stays in its design condition without you becoming the technician. This guide explains what our swimming pool maintenance contract covers, what it does not, and what to ask any company before signing.
What "maintenance" means for a swimming pool
Three things happen in every pool all the time: the water drifts out of chemical balance under sun, heat and bathers; the filter fills with what it catches; and the equipment runs for hours every day. Scheduled maintenance deals with those three before they become green water, a filter running at high pressure, or a pump that stops in the middle of summer.
What the maintenance contract covers
- A water test on every visit: free chlorine, pH and alkalinity, with the readings recorded in the visit report.
- Treatment chemicals dosed for the pool's volume and the test results, never by guesswork.
- Cleaning of the surface, floor and walls, and emptying of the skimmer baskets and the pump basket.
- Backwashing the sand filter when the pressure rises, and checking the sand and when it is due for replacement.
- A check of the pump, valves, visible pipework and the plant room: leaks, abnormal noise, overheating, pressure.
- A check of the lighting, the heater (if fitted), the electrical panel and the earth-leakage breaker.
- A written report after every visit: readings, work done, and anything that needs a decision from you.
What it usually does not cover
- Spare parts and equipment that needs replacing: offered to you as a separate quotation before any work.
- Structural repairs, re-finishing and waterproofing: those are renovation works, not scheduled maintenance. See our pool renovation guide.
- Water and electricity bills, and treatment chemicals in quantities beyond the normal because of misuse or a dust storm — set out in the contract.
Emergencies: what counts as one
A noticeable drop in the water level, a pump that will not run, a leaking filter, or green water before an occasion. The maintenance contract sets out how you report an emergency and how an emergency visit outside the scheduled programme is recorded. Ask about this explicitly before signing, and get it in writing.
Maintenance and the warranty: the link nobody explains
The structural and equipment warranty in our contracts is personal to the owner and is void on repair by a third party, misuse, or power and generator faults. In other words, whoever opens the pump or changes the sand themselves, or with a technician off the street, can lose a warranty worth many times the cost of a visit. A maintenance contract with the company that built the pool keeps the warranty intact and keeps the people who know the pool responsible for it.
What stays with the owner between visits
- Running the filtration for the agreed hours every day, and longer in extreme heat and heavy use.
- Removing large leaves from the surface, and emptying the skimmer basket if it fills after a storm.
- Not adding any chemical outside the programme, however well-meant.
- Calling as soon as you notice a change in water colour, a drop in level, or an unusual sound from the plant room.
What to ask any company before signing
- How many visits a month, and does the programme differ between summer and winter?
- What is tested on each visit, and do I receive a written report?
- Who buys the treatment chemicals and who decides the dose?
- How is an emergency visit charged, and what counts as an emergency?
- Does the technician who comes know my pool type — concrete or prefab, skimmer or overflow?
- Does my pool's warranty stay intact if I contract with you?
Fox Pools has built concrete and prefabricated pools since 1993 and maintains what it builds and what others built. See also pool maintenance in Egypt.
Questions about maintenance
What does a swimming pool maintenance contract cover?
Water testing and balancing on every visit, cleaning the pool and skimmer baskets, backwashing the filter, checking the pump, equipment and electrics, and a written report. Spare parts and renovation are offered separately.
Does a repair by an outside technician affect the pool's warranty?
Yes. The structural and equipment warranty in our contracts is void on repair by a third party or misuse. Maintenance with the company that built the pool keeps the warranty intact.
Do you maintain a pool you did not build?
Yes. We start with an assessment visit of the pool and its equipment and then propose the right visit programme.
What should I do between visits?
Run the filtration for the agreed hours, remove large leaves, add no chemicals outside the programme, and call as soon as you notice a change in the water or the equipment.
A clean pool, working equipment, and a warranty that stays intact
Send us your pool's type, size and location and we come back with a visit programme that fits your season and use, and a written offer.