There is nothing better than enjoying a dip in a swimming pool on a hot summers day. Purchasing an above ground swimming pool and having it installed at home could be one of the best decisions you'll ever make. A pool has multiple uses from training your children to swim and keeping fit to messing around with inflatable swimming pool toys at a family bbq. Owning above ground swimming pools is a responsibility that requires a lot of time for cleaning and maintenance but these five tips should help to make your life that much easier.

1. Cleaning The Pool - The first step with any sort of swimming pool is cleaning it. Bacteria in your swimming pool can lead to allsorts of infections so it is very important that you clean your pool regularly. If you want to keep your pool clean it is a good idea to clean the area around your swimming pool first. This will help to prevent dirt from being carried into your above ground pool on people’s feet.

2. Chemicals - If you have a pool then you have to have swimming pool chemicals and a home testing kit to make sure you're putting in the right amount of chemicals. Using a testing kit will help to make sure that the swimming pool chemicals like chlorine are strong enough to kill germs with out irritating your eyes and skin.

3. Cover It - A great way to help maintain your pool is to get swimming pool covers for the different times of year. A swimming pool cover will stop leaves and litter from being blown in the swimming pool and a summer one will help keep the heat in. There are also safety swimming pool covers available. These are very strong and are designed to stop pets, children and other family members from falling in the pool.

4. Protect Your Pump - The main job of swimming pool pumps are to keep the water moving through the filter and to stop the water from becoming stagnant. There are a number of problems associated with swimming pool pumps so it is a good idea to keep an eye out for them. You will find that the threads and seals of the pipes will corode over time so you need to keep an eye out for drips so you can repair or replace them when needed.

5. Clean Your Filter Regularly - A swimming pool filter is one of the most important pieces of equipment in your swimming pool. They remove a lot of the dirt in your pool and therefore need to be cleaned regularly to ensure they continue to work. If you have a sand filter then you will need to backwash the filter. If you have a paper filter then you can wash them with a hose but you will need to replace these with new ones regularly.