You can’t beat the feeling of dangling your feet in a swimming pool on a hot summers day. Installing an above ground swimming pool in your garden can be one of the best decisions you ever make. A swimming pool is a great way for you to keep fit and to teach your children to swim although they might just want to play with the inflatable swimming pool toys. 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. brbr1. Cleaning In And Around The Pool - When it comes to a swimming pool the first important task is cleaning it. Cleaning your swimming pool properly is one of the most important things you can do to reduce the risk of bacteria and infections. A great tip is to thoroughly clean the area outside of the pool before you use it. This will help to prevent dirt from being carried into your above ground pool on peoplersquo;s feet. brbr2. Balanced Chemicals - It is essential to have a a href=http://www.poolstore.co.uk/category/chemicals target=’_blank’swimming pool chemicals/a testing kit to measure the amount of chlorine in your swimming pool. This will make sure that the levels of swimming pool chemicals are suitable enough to kill bacteria without irritating the eyes and skin. brbr3. Cover It - A great way to help maintain your pool is to get a href=http://www.poolstore.co.uk/category/pool-covers target=’_blank’swimming pool covers/a 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. Safety swimming pool covers are also available to help protect your family and loved pets from falling into the swimming pool by accident. brbr4. Protect Your Pump - Your swimming pool pump is very important as it keeps the water in the pool moving around to prevent it becoming stagnant as well as pushing the water through a filter. There are a few common problems that can occur with swimming pool pumps that you will need to monitor. It is common for threading and seals to wear away so you need to check for drips and leaks regularly and if you find one then it will need to be replaced or repaired. brbr5. Clean Your Filter Regularly - Your swimming pool filter is perhaps the most important bit of equipment you have. 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.