Back To School
It is that time of year again. Buying school supplies, figuring out schedules, what day is cheer practice, what is the bus number? These are all questions that every parent asks themselves this time of year, along with the other question “Where do I find the time to do all of this?” On top of all this there is still the pool in the backyard. Realizing that with the hectic schedules there will be very little time to use it, but periodic checks do need to be made. This will insure that the basket is not packing with leaves, or the pump is not running dry from the lack of rainfall and not dropping the hose in. As the old adage says ” An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Chris
Automatic Pool Vacuums
A hint: When you are not using the unit, do not coil the hose. It will develop a ‘memory’ and then when you put it in the pool, it will miss large areas. Keep the hose straight and if you must coil the hose, reverse the direction of the coil every time you do so.
Liners
We have many customers call us every year in a panic over their liner. If they get a small hole in the liner they believe it’s the end of the world when in fact it is not. A hole in your liner can easily be patched with the water still in the pool and anyone with a set of goggles can do it themselves.
We also have the customers that call in and ask about what the warranty of their liner covers. The liner warranty covers only seam separation or in their terms manufacturer defect. I have seen customers cut out a portion of the liner and bring it up for us to look at only to realize they have nothing more than a tear right at the seam. The manufacturer will not cover this under warranty and it can be easily patched.
Thomas
Ring Around The Collar
If your pool has a nasty waterline ring, try our Pool Pizazz. It is a natural enzyme that breaks down oils and helps minimize that waterline buildup. And because it’s all natural, it won’t hurt you or the environment. And the nasty ‘ring-around-the-tub’ won’t be quite so nasty. –Max
New Sand
Tip: When you change the sand in your filter, the very first time you turn the motor back on, have the filter set on ‘Backwash” and let it run for about 2 minutes. This will wash out the impurities, dust, and extra fine particles that are in the sand. If you start it up on ‘Filter’, all these unwanted things will go in the pool. And remember-whenever you change settings ALWAYS turn the motor off to avoid damage to the spider gasket in the filter head valve.
– Max
Added Thought On An Earlier Posting
In an earlier posting, Scott talked about getting as much information as possible about the pump, filter, or other product that needs a part. Scott is absolutely correct, but I will add one more way for us to help customers get the right part. Besides writing down the model name and number, if you have a digital camera or a phone that takes pictures, snap a few photos of the item to go along with your notes. The more information the better, and it might save you an additional trip. It is kind of like the old rule of measure twice, cut once!
New Customers To Eastgate Service Family
Above Ground Liner Rehang Hint
If you are changing your above ground pool’s liner, we offer a step-by-step guide to do it right. Go to: http://www.eastgatepools.com/tips/linerinstall.htm
BIG HINT: If you have a sand base under the liner, make sure you compress the sand thoroughly on the coves. If you don’t, you will get little pieces of sand roll up between the liner and the wall when the cove compacts from the weight of the water. These pieces are then trapped, and when you vacuum the pool, the vac head brushes up against the liner and trapped sand. This causes tiny pinholes that will ultimately lead to rust and wall failure. Pack that sand. The last step should be to wash down the inside wall. Make sure to attach the spray nozzle so that you have a gentle stream of water, not a full blast that would wash the sand away. –Max
Bubbles Down
One of the more common phone questions that we receive here at Eastgate Pools & Spas this time of year involves solar covers. Specifically, do the bubbles go up or down? The answer is down, as the sun heats the air in the bubbles, and this heat is then transferred to the water that comes up between these bubbles. So, keep those bubbles down and enjoy the warmer water that solar covers provide.
Like @&*t Through A Goose . . .
Okay – we get the calls every year. Ducks and geese have ‘fowled’ someone’s water (sorry for the pun), and they want to know what needs to be done to makes sure the water is safe. My recommendation is to vacuum the pool thoroughly, then shock the daylights out of it – about a triple dose. Don’t let anybody in for 24 hours while filtering continuously, then get in and swim.
Help Us To Help You
This time of year everyone is frantically trying to get their pools up and running for the summer season. Sometimes when we open our pools we need parts that have broken over the winter or o-rings and gaskets that no longer seal properly. We try to do a great job at Eastgate Pools by trying to “fish” for the right answer for a given problem, but if you have a part you need and take an extra couple minutes to note any information you can get off of the equipment you are trying to fix, it will ensure that you go home with the correct part and we will be able to fill your order in a more timely fashion.
- Scott
A Money Saving Tip
That gets your attention now, doesn’t it?
Well here’s the tip: The number one reason people have to replace a vacuum head is because the brushes flatten out. It’s not from use—it’s because of storage. If you want to make the vac head last longer simply turn it over when you aren’t using it. It takes he weight off the brushes and doubles the life of the head. And store all vac hoses and accessories out of the sun.
– Max
Memorial Day Party??
If you are playing host to the big pool party in the neighborhood, don’t wait till the last minute to get your pool looking great. Don’t take the cover off 2 days before and expect your pool to be perfect. I would recommend you open it at least 2 weeks before the big day. That way you can make sure everything is good to go for the party. Our service department gets several phone calls expecting us to work miracles, which we can do sometimes, but not in a 24 hour period. So if you notice that salt system, heater or pool cleaner not working, call us that day, do not wait till the day before to try and fix it!! If we can’t get someone out to fix it in a timely manner, than we can try to help you fix it yourself. Memorial Day should be a time of enjoyment, not a time of stress. So get that problem fixed today and you can sit back and enjoy a cold beverage of your choice!!
Let’s Try To Clear Something Up
Perhaps the most frustrating and most common complaint we get to hear is the dreaded “My water is cloudy”. While cloudy water doesn’t prevent swimming and is merely an aesthetic issue, it is without a doubt one of the biggest concerns customers have. There is nothing worse than having a murky looking pool the day before your youngest is hosting the big summer pool party. Well, I’m here to tell you that patience is your best friend in this scenario. It takes time to clear of cloudy water. Pool clarifiers can help dramatically reduce how cloudy that water appears, but you must proceed with caution. All too often I hear complaints that the clarifiers aren’t doing anything to help the water. I can assure you they do work and are most likely working the whole time. If you use too much clarifier you are only going to make things worse so please be sure to follow the instructions indicated and be patient. Find an area toward the top of the pool and use that as a marker. You will likely see that the cloudiness is gradually disappearing over a few days. This process generally will not work overnight and dumping the whole bottle in will only make a bigger mess of things. Just remember there is not a miracle fix for cloudy.
To Change Or Not To Change . . .
As you prepare to open up your pools for the season don’t forget about that big tank full of sand. Sand should generally be changed every two to three seasons and this often gets neglected. When the sand doesn’t get changed your filtration will suffer and that can mean extra work for you in the form of a dirtier pool or everyone’s enemy…ALGAE! Sand is one of the least expensive products you need for your pool, but one of the most important. This is especially important in areas with high calcium content, because your tank can become a ball full of concrete. In that situation you may need to change a little more frequently. Just a friendly reminder.