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.
It’s a pretty common occurrence that after a big rain storm, a lot of customers come in complaining of green pools. I will try to explain, as best I can, what rain does to your pool water and how to treat your pool to prevent it from going green from a heavy rain storm.
When it rains a lot, it brings in a lot of contaminants into your pool. It brings in pollen and other organic debris from many valleys over and your chlorine is often used up getting rid of these contaminants. Therefore your pool has used up its sanitizer and there is nothing there to prevent algae from gaining a foot hold in your pool.
Rain is very acidic and chlorine is also very acidic. If PH is not regularly adjusted and your pool drifts on the acidic side it burns off your chlorine in a much faster rate then it normally would.
So, sometimes it’s a combination of things that will lead to your green pool after a rain storm. The simplest and best recommendation is to maintain your PH in a regular fashion and when a big rain comes, shock your pool. Shocking your pool, in most cases should keep your pool clean and clear. The dosage for shocking your pool is 1 gallon of shock per 10,000 gallons of water. I often hear customers that have a 25,000 gallon pool, explain that they’ve shocked their pool with a gallon and it didn’t help. It’s not enough. If your are having problems, at least put the recommended dosage. Sometimes, you’ll even need to double it or triple it depending on the severity of your issue.
I often get asked about what to do with the winter cover after the pool is opened. My suggestion would be to clean it really good, let it dry and store it in something dry if possible. I have seen people use garbage cans, and that seems to work really well. Whatever you decide, do not leave it outside. It can get wet, dirty and mice can get into it and eat thru the cover. By leaving it outside it will also shorten the life span of the cover. Over the years it will shrink and dry root. So when you are taking off that cover, don’t just throw it off to the side, give it the attention it deserves. – Tim
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
I often get asked about what to do with the winter cover after the pool is opened. My suggestion would be to clean it really good, let it dry and store it in something dry if possible. I have seen people us garbage cans, and that seems to work really well. Whatever you decide, do not leave it outside. It can get wet, dirty and mice can get into it and eat thru the cover. By leaving it outside it will also shorten the life span of the cover. Over the years it will shrink and dry root. So when you are taking off that cover, don’t just throw it off to the side, give it the attention it deserves. – Tim
–Max
It won’t be long until we get to enjoy our beloved Cincinnati Bengals once again. Training camp begins on July 29th this year and I am excited to see the show they will be putting on. The team looks poised for a run at the championship and for those of you that doubt our team get ready to jump on the bandwagon. The first preseason game is August 8th and it is at the Hall of Fame in Canton. Since it is in Ohio we need to get our fans up there and make it feel like a home game. In the immortal words of Todd Rundgren “I don’t want to work I just want to bang on a drum all day.” WHODEY!
Thomas
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
I once had a customer ask me what the difference was between pH and Total Alkalinity. She was convinced they were the same thing, and that it was just a way for pool companies to make more money. First of all, I assure you this is not the case. To understand the importance of both of these components, let’s first look at pH (potential Hydrogen). The pH scale runs from 0-14 with 7.0 being neutral. A pH of 0-6.9 is acidic (more acidic as you get closer to 0), and a pH of 7.1-14 is basic (more basic as you get closer to 14). When looking at pool water, you want the pH to be slightly basic with the ideal range being 7.2-7.6. Problems can arise if your pool’s pH falls too low or gets too high. If your pH becomes too low, and therefore is acidic, the water could potentially:
- corrode surfaces and equipment (especially metal!)
- etches plaster and concrete surfaces
- lead to excess sanitizer use (chlorine burns off much faster!)
- irritate bather’s skin and eyes
If your pH becomes too high, and therefore is more basic, the water could potentially:
- allow scale deposits on surfaces and equipment
- become cloudy
- lead to poor sanitizer efficiency
- cause eye irritation
Obviously, keeping your pH where it should be is very important for pool maintenance and swimmer safety.
Now let’s look at Total Alkalinity. There are minerals in your pool’s water that act as buffering agents. Total Alkalinity is the measurement of these alkaline materials the help prevent changes in pH (which we now know is bad). The recommended range is 80-120ppm. If your Total Alkalinity is low, the pH will easily drift making frequent pH adjustments necessary (therefore more chemical costs) and will allow the water to have more corrosive tendencies. If the Total Alkalinity is too high, there are other potential issues that can arise. High alkalinity can keep the water’s pH rigidly fixed so that it cannot be easily adjusted when needed. If pH adjustments are necessary, you will need to use an unusually large amount of treatment chemical to correct the pH. With high alkalinity, you can also potentially have issues with cloudy water, scaling on pool components, and high pH and low sanitizer efficiency (since sanitizer…aka chlorine for most…is pH dependent).
So, like I said before, pH and Total Alkalinity are both very important components of your water chemistry. While yes they are related, they both have different jobs that are crucial in maintaining a healthy pool. With regular pool water testing, you can easily keep these levels in check and prevent many potential problems.
-Stacey
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