Why Use a Pool Maintenance Log?
Pool maintenance logs are used to keep track of pool water chemistry such as the levels of chlorine and pH in the water. These logs are very important and ensure that the pool water is being kept in good condition for guests. Auditing past pool maintenance logs can help show trends for preventing expensive equipment malfunctions and other potential maintenance issues. Pool maintenance logs are often required by the state or local health department and they must be kept available for a year or more depending on the local guidelines.
Without a pool maintenance log, not only will your facility potentially face fines from the health department, you have no proof your pool has been properly maintained if someone gets sick. Many states also require a record of chemicals added to the water which can also be helpful information to look back on for ordering additional chemicals.
What Happens When Pool Logs Are Not Maintained?
If records are not kept and pools are not maintained it can lead to major problems for a facility. In June of 2021, several kids traveling to a softball tournament ended up violently sick after swimming in the hotel pool and hot tub that was not properly maintained. Preliminary testing by the health department showed bacteria and ineffective sanitizer levels.
In cases like these, pool maintenance logs are an important piece of insurance. If a swimmer falls ill and blames the pool for not being clean, the pool owner will be liable. To help prevent fines or legal trouble, a pool maintenance log can be used to show the maintenance done on the pool. Because of this, it is a good idea to keep pool maintenance logs in a secure place until the statute of limitations has expired in the state or county. .
Choosing Your Pool Maintenance Log
Paper pool log books that offer features such as being waterproof and displaying chemical guidelines are popular with pool owners. These features may seem enticing, but prices upwards of $50 per pool log can become expensive over time as these books only contain enough pages for a couple of months or less depending on water testing frequency before they run out of space. Pools required to test water 3 or 4 times daily may go through a logbook each month.
Paper logbooks also mean space is needed to keep old maintenance records. Legal concerns make it a good idea to hold onto old pool maintenance records. If you have multiple pools and must keep a few years of paper maintenance logbooks, this can add up to a lot of file cabinet or closet space is taken up in your office or facility.
Pool operators are generally busy people and will sometimes falsify pool maintenance records and fill out logs in advance to save time. Doing this is often easily detected by health inspectors, puts the guests of the pool at risk, and can lead to legal complications in the event of unsafe water-causing illnesses. Digital pool maintenance logs like Pool Shark H2O prevent this from happening by automatically marking pool chemical log records with the date and time the test was entered. This prohibits back or future dating of records and provides accountability for staff as well as a better record for liability purposes.
Often, more than one person is working at a pool and filling out the pool maintenance log. This can lead to accidentally misplaced or lost records if the pool logs are kept away from the pool.
Pool Shark H2O - Digital Pool Maintenance Log
Using Pool Shark H2O can make pool maintenance easier and safer than any paper logbook can. While a paper logbook can keep records of pool water for a few months before needing to be replaced, Pool Shark H2O can hold records for over seven years.
In addition, an unlimited number of users can use the Pool Shark H2O app, which means any pool management worker can easily view a detailed record of all pool water data using the mobile device in their pocket or a computer. Features like instant water analysis with chemical dosage suggestions speed up pool maintenance and can eliminate much of the human error involved. By using a LaMotte Spin Touch with the Pool Shark H2O app a complete water test, analysis, chemical dosages as well as recording for compliance can be done in as little as 60 seconds. This can typically take 15-20 minutes using a paper logbook, calculator, and a commercial-grade drop test kit.
A unique Pool Shark feature that traditional logbooks can’t provide is the ability for pool operators to communicate easily with each other. Pool Shark H2O can send notifications to all users when water testing shows the pool needs attention. This feature is especially useful for public pools where many different people test the water, but only a few Certified Pool Operators are on staff to perform pool maintenance. If a pool goes too long without being tested, Pool Shark H2O lets the users know. These reminders help to keep the water safe and in compliance with local health department guidelines.
All pool maintenance logs can be entered from smartphones, tablets, and laptops where they are then sent securely to the cloud. Here, information is secure and can’t be misplaced or lost like in paper logbooks. This information can also be easily accessed by authenticated users from anywhere.
Pool Shark H2O is an effective pool maintenance log that becomes more cost-effective than other options due to the many advanced time and money-saving options like notifications, instant water analysis, support for multiple bodies of water, and the ability to keep records without taking up valuable physical space.
Learn More - The Ultimate Guide to Pool Log Books
