Turning The Corner To Spring
It seems like we may be turning the corner this winter. After not getting any warm days from between Thanksgiving and now it is nice to get a few degrees above normal. Then again as we all who have lived in the Cincinnati area for an extended period of time know this will be short lived. With this being said it is a great opportunity to get the water removed from the pool cover. The weight of the water and ice on the pool cover puts the cover under tremendous strain, and will if left untouched will cause the cover to prematurely fail. Just a friendly reminder to try to save you money and repair costs.
If Your Pool Is Still Open . . .
Don’t put it to bed for the winter without cleaning it thoroughly. With leaves falling as fast as the temperature, there is a natural tendency to say “I’ll clean it up next spring!” Leaves bleed their juices and can leave an organic stain on a liner on the gunite surface. This can be difficult to remove in the spring. Just think of a big old catsup stain on a white dress shirt. It can be ugly and it may never totally lift.
A debris free pool at closing is a pristine looking liner in the spring. –Max
Winter Cover Pumps
Just a reminder to all that use an electronic cover pump to bring it in when we get our first freeze or snow of the year. Many people leave them out all year and forget to bring it in. Take the extra time and you could be saving yourself some money by storing it away until the weather breaks. Also, if you are in need of a cover pump, we have a great selection to choose from.
Winter Cover Pumps
Just a reminder to all that use an electronic cover pump to bring it in when we get our first freeze or snow of the year. Many people leave them out all year and forget to bring it in. Take the extra time and you could be saving yourself some money by storing it away until the weather breaks. Also, if you are in need of a cover pump, we have a great selection to choose from.
A Riddle
Questions: What’s green, brown, and dirty all over?
Answer: Your pool water in the spring, if your pool isn’t properly winterized!
Some hints:
- Don’t use liquid chlorine (shock) to winterize. Chlorine is an oxidizer and it will eat away at your cover, weakening the seams and causing it to split out, dumping whatever is on top into the water.
- Don’t hang jugs from the grommets. The intense pressure will rip out the eyelets and fray the fabric. Same end result as in #1!
- Don’t drop your water so low that it puts excessive strain on the cover. Yep—same result. Gunk into the pool AND you potentially damage the rails of the pool. Use our step-by-step winterizing guide at eastgatepools.com.
- If you have an in-ground pool, don’t use block, logs, planters, or other items that can damage the pool if they get pulled into the pool. This causes torn covers and you guessed it—everything into the pool that you don’t want. They can also tear up your liner.
- Before covering the pool, vacuum it and get all the leaves out. If left in, they will rot and stain the liner.
- Consider a leaf cover that goes over the winter cover. It captures the leaves as they fall and when they are all down, just peel the leaf cover (and unwanted leaves) off the main cover, clean the leaf cover, and store it away for next year. It makes it easier to keep the gunk off the winter cover.
- Don’t listen to your neighbor or ‘Uncle so-and-so’, who knows a “better” way to close the pool. Use us and use our complete winterizing checklist. It’s free to anyone that wants one here at the store and it is also on our web site.
–Max
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.
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
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.
Sneaky Dangers
Spring is finally here and the warm weather is making an appearance. People are beginning to think about opening their pools and bringing out their patio furniture. However, don’t let the sunshine and 60+ degree temperatures fool you. Danger may still be lurking around the corner. Don’t be frightened, I’m only talking about freezing temperatures, but this is something that can be harmful to your pool or patio furniture. If the water in your pool is not constantly circulating, it could easily freeze in your filter or in one of the lines. Also, any water that accumulates inside the tubing of your patio furniture should be drained. When water freezes, it expands by 9% often leading to the cracking a splitting of your pipes. If water can expand to crack rock, I think it can easily crack PVC, plastic, or aluminum. Freeze damage is never covered under a manufacturer’s warranty, so please save a huge headache for yourself and keep an eye on the weather.
Call Before You Dig
Did you know that if you are having any excavation work done in your yard, it is your responsibility to make sure there are no underground utilities in the way?
No problem! If you live in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana, just dial 811. This is a direct link to the public utilities and they will come out in advance of the excavation and mark where the lines are located. And it is a FREE service. Just give them 48 hours notice.
If lines get damaged on your property the repair expenses are yours. So dial 811 before you dig or before you have someone dig on your behalf.
–Max
Don’t Waste Your Money
A little TLC goes a long way in pool ownership. Chlorine over time will break down plastic components. Such items as vacuum hoses, heads, brushes, and cleaners are just a few examples. You can prolong the life of these items and more by simply running fresh water from your garden hose over them after use. This simple process will rinse the chlorinated water from the item thus elongating the life. -Danny-
I’ve Just Been Thrown To The Wolves
This happens far too often every year. Someone goes out of town on vacation and puts someone in charge of the pool that has no clue of operation. There are several things that you can do to make the time that you are on vacation easier on the person who is pool sitting: Make sure that there is an ample supply of chemicals on hand, and the pool sitter knows where the chemicals are and what they do. There is a level of frustration for customers that who don’t know how to take care of pools, nor what chemicals do. We are always more than willing to assist customers and pool sitters alike with any issues that they may have, but there is certain information that we will need as well such as pool size, and what is wrong with what. By providing the person watching the pool with the right information it is easier on them and the chances are greater that they are willing to pool sit again. – Chris
Happy 4th Of July!
Just a couple of reminders for the 4th. If you are having a party and lots of people swim in your pool, give it a little extra shock treatment when the party is over. This will help keep it clear and fresh. And keep an eye on the toys that kids take into the pool. Make sure they are things that can’t damage the liner. Why not stop in and spend a couple of bucks here and make sure you are getting fun things that won’t damage the liner. New liners cost hundreds-sometimes thousands to replace. A new $5 pool toy is a far better choice. –Max
Keep Chlorine In Your Water – Keep The Pool Clear!
A tip: If you use chlorine as your sanitizer there are two key points to remember. 1. As the pool water gets hotter and hotter, you will burn through chlorine quicker. At about 96 degrees, chlorine gasses off’, meaning it turns to vapor. Make sure you maintain a good level of stabilizer or conditioner. A minimum of 30 ppm (parts per million) is recommended-higher if you have a chlorine generator salt system. 2. If your pH is low, chlorine burns out much quicker than when it is in the proper range.
Keep your pH and stabilizer levels in line and you’ve got half the battle won. Let us fight the rest of the battle by having us do a complete water analysis. It’s a free service from Eastgate Pools & Spas and we’re happy to help. –Max
