Swimming Pool Equipment List: Everything You Need To Clean Your Pool

5 Shares

There’s plenty of swimming pool equipment for pool owners to choose from. Some of it is essential, some of it optional, and some is just plain luxury.

But this post is only about the swimming pool equipment you need. Nothing more, nothing less.

(If you ARE interested in adding the bells and whistles to your pool, check out this post)

So odds are, if you have a question about swimming pool equipment, it’s answered here. From which pool chemicals you need, to which filter to choose, and how to keep your water warm & crystal clear.

The Essential Swimming Pool Equipment List For Pool Owners: Everything You Need To Clean Your Pool

Swimming pool equipment list for pool owners:

Telescopic Pole
Skimmer Attachment
Pool Brush Attachment
Vacuum Head
Vacuum Hose
Pool Filter (Cartridge, Sand, or DE Filter)
Pool Filter Media
Pool Pump
Pool Heater
Chemicals (Chlorine, pH, Alkalinity, Algaecide, Metal Sequestrate)
Optional: Caulk
Optional: Chemical Feeder
Optional: Automatic Pool Cleaner

Telescopic Pole

This is the Swiss army knife of swimming pool equipment. Why?

Because you use it for just about everything: skimming, brushing, vacuuming, and more

But that’s not the only convenient thing about it. As their name implies, telescopic poles can extend and shrink in size. This gives you tons of flexibility and reach when you’re cleaning the inside of your pool. Which ultimately saves you a lot of time and effort.

So choose a good telescopic pole — one with thick tubing, heavy duty aluminum, and at least 16 feet long.

Skimmer Net Attachment

swimming pool equipment pool skimmer net — Image via Clean Pool & Spa

Wondering how you’re gonna handle all those leaves that’ll inevitably end up floating around in your pool?

Your trusty pool skimmer net is the perfect tool for the job. It snaps onto the end of your telescopic pole, and lets you easily skim the surface of your pool.

As the net passes over the water, it scoops up nearly everything in it’s path — from bugs and leaves, to candy wrappers and cups (hey, there’s nothing wrong with having fun).

Since the net is made out of a fine mesh, it’s ideal for skimming out any solid object.

You can choose from two types of skimmer nets: flat nets, and bag nets

We recommend flat skimmer nets, since they’re easier to maneuver and clean.

Pool Brush Attachment

pool brush swimming pool equipment list — Image via Canadian Tire

Over time, thin layers of buildup and algae will form on the floor, walls, and steps of your pool. How quickly that happens depends on your pool maintenance habits, but it happens to everyone.

The best way to deal with it? By scrubbing it away with a pool brush.

Brushing your pool keeps it healthy, and prevents problems like cloudy and green water. Plus, it’s the best way to make your pool chemicals last as long as possible.

There are three main types of pool brushes, each one suited for different types of pools:

For Concrete pools: use a stainless steel & nylon brush
For Gunite pools: use a stainless steel brush
For Fiberglass, Vinyl & painted Concrete: use a nylon brush

Vacuum Head

Your pool vacuum is comprised of three main parts:

The vacuum head
The vacuum hose
The telescopic pole (see we told you use this thing a lot)

The vacuum head is the part that does the actual vacuuming as you pass it over your pool floor. Just like a brush or skimmer attachment, the vacuum head snaps onto the end of your telescopic pole.

Once attached, you have all the reach you need to start cleaning. All that’s left to do is power the vacuum.

Vacuum Hose

Without this simple, but essential piece of equipment, you can’t vacuum your pool. That’s why getting yourself a good vacuum hose is worth every penny.

The vacuum hose connects to your skimmer, and supplies your vacuum with the pressure it needs to swallow up debris.

For the best results, choose a flexible vacuum hose with a built in swivel cuff, at least 30 feet long.

Pool Filter

When it comes to keeping your water clean, your filter is the most important pool equipment you own.

It purifies each and every drop of water in your swimming pool, removing debris and contaminants, and keeping your water clear and safe to swim in.

But as you know, there’s more than one type of pool filter to choose from: Cartridge Filters, Sand Filters, and DE Filters

They each have their own strengths, but they all do a great job at keeping your pool clean. You can learn more about different pool filters here.

For new pool owners, a sand pool filter is a great starting choice.

Filter Media

Each type of pool filter uses a different kind of filter media, or filtering material.

For sand filters, it’s pool sand.

For cartridge filters, it’s cartridges.

And for DE filters, it’s DE grids & powder.

We recommend keeping a replacement set of filter media around at all times.That way, when it’s time for replacement, you can easily swap it out and save yourself a trip to the pool supply store.

For the best results, remember to replace your filter media every 2-3 months.

Pool Pump

Ah, the pool pump. The heart of your swimming pool.

It circulates water, and powers both the heating, and filtration processes. From the pipes, past the filter, through the heater, and back into the pool.

There are three main types of pool pumps: single speed, dual speed, and variable speed

For the most flexibility and energy usage control, choose a variable speed pump. As their name implies, these pumps let you easily switch between different speed settings. So they’re perfect for keeping the water gently flowing overnight, or quickly clearing out an algae filled pool.

For the best results, remember to empty out your pump’s basket each week.

Pool Heater

Want to know the difference between enjoying your pool whenever you want, and missing out on half the swim season?

A pool heater.

With a pool heater, rainy days and cloudy skies can’t stop you. That water stays warm regardless.

Which means whether it’s a chilly afternoon in Fall, or a scorching weekend in July, you’re swimming at the perfect temperature.

There are plenty of pool heating options to choose from, but if cost-effective performance is your main concern, then a pool heat pump could be a great choice. They offer low cost monthly heating, and work year round (down to temperatures of 30 degrees Fahrenheit) — whether it’s wet and cloudy, or hot and sunny.

Chemicals

While pool chemicals technically aren’t “equipment”, they’re equally as important. All of the swimming pool equipment mentioned above keeps your pool clean on a physical level — free of dirt, bugs, and leaves.

But pool chemicals are what keep it safe, germ free, and comfortable to swim in.

Here are all the chemicals you need to run your pool:

Sanitizer (chlorine, shock)
Alkalinity Increaser & Decreaser
pH Increaser & Decreaser
Algaecide
Pool Enzymes
Metal Sequestrate

Additional Pool Equipment To Make Your Life Easier

Chemical Feeder

Don’t want to keep adding chlorine to your pool each week? No problem!

A chlorinator can do that job for you. Just fill it up with tablets, adjust the feed rate, and you’re good for a few weeks.

You can learn more about chemical feeders, and automation in this post: 11 Simple Ways To Automate Pool Maintenance

Automatic Pool Cleaner

Sure, vacuuming and brushing is great for getting in a little physical activity. But who REALLY wants to be outside doing that on a hot summer day in the upper 90s?

Odds are, unless you’re getting paid for it, you don’t.

But guess what! There’s a machine that can do all of that for you.

As the name implies, an automatic pool cleaner travels across the inside of your pool, automatically brushing and vacuuming everything it passes over.

There are three different types of pool cleaners: suction side, pressure side, and robotic

Using any automatic pool cleaner will drastically reduce your workload. But if you’re looking for a true, set it and forget it automatic pool cleaning solution, then a robotic pool cleaner is your best option.

Related: Automatic Pool Cleaners 101

Pool Leveler

Your pool loses water every day. Whether it’s from splash out, small leaks in the pipes, or natural evaporation. And the thing is, you can’t really avoid it 100%.

Especially, evaporation.

It’s a natural process that happens as the heat in the water gets released from the surface as vapor. Because of this, you’ll often find yourself having to replace water with the hose.

But there’s plenty you can do to prevent that:

You can reduce water loss by 75% by using a cover.
You can automatic replace pool water with an automatic pool leveler
Use a heater to regulate water temperate and reduce evaporation

An automatic pool leveler attaches to your garden hose and hangs on the edge of your pool. A built in sensor actively monitors the water level, and automatically adds water whenever it drops below the threshold.