Rain And It’s Effect On Pool Water
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.
What’s Wrong With My Pool?
We at Eastgate Pools & Spas understand and appreciate how hectic schedules can be. There used to be 24 hours in a day and I’m not sure that still holds true. It seems like it gets harder and harder to get the things done in the time we have. Perhaps this is why we get lots of phone calls from people trying to describe the vivid colors on their water test strip. They just don’t have time to visit us personally. Well, I’ll make a plea to you…come visit us with your water sample, even if you only do it once or twice a season. We spend thousands of dollars on the latest, most accurate equipment and can give you a complete analysis that in the long run will save you lots of time and aggravation. With this said, please realize that not all chemicals are created equally. Cheap chemicals often have weaker concentrations of active ingredients and more filler material. Whatever chemical recommendations we make are based exclusively on using our products, not the discount stores’. –Chris
Spring Has Sprung
It is time to get the winter cover off and the pool ready for another fun summer of swimming.
Here are a couple of helpful tips to make things a little easier. First, when you are ready to start the old sand filter always start it up in the backwash position, after backwashing always rinse the filter before going to the filter position. Remember to stop the pump each time you change the position lever. Always start the season with a clean filter, be it Sand, Cartridge, or D.E.
Second, shock the pool with liquid chlorine before vacuuming the pool. It will make it easier to vacuum. When the water is this cold as it is in the spring use liquid chlorine, as the powder shock may not dissolve before hitting the bottom of the pool. This could leave bleach marks on the liner.
Third, after this is all done and the pool has run for at least 72 hours bring us a waster sample. This time gives the old water and the new water a change to get mixed together so we can get accurate readings to properly balance the pool for a carefree summer. This time frame is really important for those with mesh safety covers and salt pools. These pools generally need salt and stabilizer to get things running smoothly.
Hopefully these few tips will make your opening easier. If you have any questions, please call the store and we will be happy to help you.
POOLS THAT MAKE THEIR OWN CHLORINE!
To those that we built a pool for last year: If you have a chlorine generator on your pool, don’t be surprised if the water goes a little cloudy when you turn on the pool for the first time this spring. When the water is still cold, it is common for the chlorine generator to produce a ‘milky’ look. This is normal and it will clear on it’s own without any specialty chemicals. Save your bucks for the fun things, like floats and toys. If you do have questions call us. Not sure what a chlorine generator is? Definitely call us! -Max
Water Chemistry Expert
Greetings My name is Chet and I am Eastgate Pool’s resident water expert, the man who answers questions about your water’s chemistry. I started in the pool business in 1980 and have worked for Eastgate since 1997. I have worked in every phase of the pool business – from sales to service, but my one real love is solving water chemistry problems. Every pool is different and each has its own unique water qualities and potential problems. It is my job to analyze your water and find solutions to problems you may be facing. Even better, with regular testing, I’m sure I can prevent the problems from ever happening. If you are having a problem bring me a water sample. I’ll go to work and help you get back to water that looks so clear you want to drink it. Come on in and I’ll give you all the help you need. In a future blog I’ll explain how to bring me a proper water sample so we can get the best and most accurate results.
