1. Dinosaurs were present on the earth.
2. When people wanted a pool heater, they purchased a gas-fired heater (natural gas or propane).

While dinosaurs are now extinct (are they really?), gas-fired heaters are approaching the same status.  Heat pumps have become the rage and for good reason.  Even though they cost more up front, they offer several advantages.

1. They cost less to run. For example, if you had a 200,000 Btu propane heater, you would burn over two gallons of propane every hour it is on.  At $2.75/gallon, that 200,000 Btu heater would cost you approximately $6.00 EVERY hour it is fired up. (1 gallon of propane generates approximately 91,500 Btu).  A quality heat pump will operate for about 10-15% of that.  Natural gas costs are not as high, but the estimated savings are still well over half.
2. A gas-fired heater operating in a pool with low pH will quickly get damaged or destroyed by the acidic water, and the copper that etches out of the heater can stain your pool’s liner.  Remember that big rainstorm that dropped your pool’s pH from 7.4 to 6.7 seemingly overnight?  That’s a doubly-whammy!  Hello heat pump!  Low pH will not affect the heat pump in the same way.  While we always recommend keeping your pool in balance, heat pumps are a lot more ‘forgiving’.
3. Environmentally, the heat pump will have a less significant impact and is considered a ‘green’ product.  Mother Earth will appreciate your consideration.

We are proud to sell Aqua Pro heat pumps.  We’ll stack them up against any system on the market and our customers seem to agree as our sales on these double every year.

Now…about the dinosaurs.  Yes…they still are around.  They are called ‘birds’ and scientists generally agree that birds are indeed ‘living aviary dinosaurs’.  As Casey Stengel said, “you can look it up.”  Now there’s another old-timer.  –Max

Some ways to test your filters performance are:

1. Check your pumps lid. If your pump lid is full of water yet has a small amount of air, this can be a cavitation problem. Cavitation is the presence of air in a liquid line. Air is a sign of pump cavitation and thereby is showing an air leak on the suction side of the system. If you find a leak contact us here at the store and we can offer you ideas on how to check and fix this leak.

2. Look at the water flow returning into the pool. If the water flow is not returning with force there is some sort of obstruction in the line. Some possible obstructions are leaves or debris in the pump or skimmer basket. These things impede water flow.

3. A dirty filtration system is another very common issue.

• With sand systems the filter can be backwashed.
• With diatomaceous earth systems you can “bump” the filter. Bumping is a process where you knock the diatomaceous earth off of the internal fingers or grids. This dirty diatomaceous earth falls to the bottom of the filter and the usable diatomaceous earth is recycled through the system. If too much of the diatomaceous earth is filthy with dirt and grime you will need to drain the entire system, clean it and introduce new diatomaceous earth to the system to regain proper flow.
• Cartridge systems can sometimes be cleaned as simply as removing the filter and spraying it with a water hose. From time to time a cartridge will need a chemical cleaning. For these chemical cleanings we suggest FC-5 cleaner which is a detergent and acid based chemical that will cleanse dirt and break down solidified materials in the cartridge.

*NOTE* Cartridges need to be replaced periodically.

Once you have diagnosed your filter you can begin to start balancing your pool’s water chemistry. As always, we can check your water in-store. This enables us the ability to enter you into our system or update your file to cater to your needs. We can then offer you suggestions for chemicals and proper application. Always keep in mind, a clean pool begins with the filter.

There are over 10 million swimming pools in the USA, according to the National Swimming Pool Foundation

2 Piece swimsuits were introduced in 1943

In 1912, women’s swimming event were added to the Olympic Games

Michael Phelps owns the record for most Gold medals in an Olympic games, can you name the previous holder?  Hint: Happened in 1972

Just some fun things I found and thought some of you might like it.

Tim

So look over our web site, pick out some goodies, then come in and see them in person.  –Max

“I am at my wits end. I am hoping that you can help me out. I’ve been taking my water sample to a different pool store and I have dumped over $100 in Phosphate remover to try and get my pool to hold chlorine and get rid of the algae and nothing seems to work. The phosphates have come down some, but I can’t get completely rid of them.  I have a friend that brings her water here and she says that you guys are the best.” She said with a tone of exasperation.

“Tell your friend thanks for speaking so highly of us. I hope we can live up to the hype.” Harold started filling the sample tubes with water then reagents. By the time the reagents were dissolved there really was no need to run it though the machine, because after testing thousands of waters he knew what the results were by color. The tests were always nonetheless run through the machine and recorded into the store data base for future reference. He proceeded to type the customers information into the computer and run the test.

“It does show that there is zero chlorine in your pool, your PH is fine and your phosphate are a little high at 1300 parts per billion. How much chlorine have you been putting in and how often?” asked Harold.

“That’s exactly what I am talking about. This has been going on for over two weeks. I’ve put three treatments of phosphate remover in and I’ve been putting about two gallons of  chlorine in the pool nearly every day for the last week and about once every two days prior to that and the problem doesn’t go away. I just can’t seem to get the phosphates down low enough to have the chlorine stay in the water.” She responded, rather despondently.

“Well, in my opinion you are treating one of the potential causes rather then treating the problem itself. The phosphates are not eating the chlorine, it is actually the chlorine is spending itself oxidizing the algae. The problem is, you have 20,000 gallons of water in your pool. If everything is going great and you just need a weekly shock, two gallons is the perfect amount. You, however do not have a perfect situation. You have a mildly bad situation and you need to treat it as such. I would recommend that you put in 8 bags of shock and some Eliminator to completely wipe out the algae.” Suggested Harold.

“8 bags of shock? That sounds like a lot.” Exclaimed the customer. “Can I try less? What about the Phosphates? They are still high!”

“The problem is…” retorted Harold, “this is science, and if you do the math, less just isn’t going to give you a positive outcome. One molecule of chlorine will go and kill one algae cell, the problem is, if you don’t kill them all off, they multiple at and incredible rate. If you don’t kill them all off at one time, the money you’ve spent on half measures are a complete waste of time and money, because by the time you do your next application the algae has multiplied back to the same level you were at the day prior. It’s better to take care of the problem once and for all. As far as the phosphates go, reducing phosphates is a tool, not an end all solution to fixing a problem or preventing a new problem from occurring. There are other weapons we can use to prevent algae, rather then phosphate removers. The problem with phosphate removers are, phosphates are naturally reoccurring and you will be constantly chasing after that ‘White Whale’ with little success.”

With a look of surrender the customer agreed to take Harold’s advice. She bought her chemicals and promised to follow up with a report and another water test in three days. There is very little Harold hasn’t seen in his line of work and this was no exception. As expected he had to really sell the answer he was suggesting, because it was going against what the customer believed and was told at a different establishment. He was confident that his solution would work and she would be in a lot better frame of mind the next time he saw her.

Craig

What are you out?  At the minimum, a basket or two.  Pretty minor expense, but if the motor is allowed to run with little or no water going through it, you may burn out the motor.  Big problem and big expense!

The solution:  When leaves begin to drop, check your basket every morning and every evening and empty it.  It only takes a minute but it could save you hundreds of dollars.  –Max

These are just a few of the fun items that can keep the kids happy and entertained—and you too.  –Max

1.     Low pH water will oxidize chlorine much quicker than pool water properly balanced.  The rate can be dramatic—twice as fast, or even more.  With low pH, it’s hard to keep any chlorine in the water.

2.     Low stabilizer.  Hey—it’s hot out there and the sun is bright.  Without proper stabilizer levels, you will burn through chlorine.   Stabilizer, also know as conditioner, is intrinsic to having clear water as it helps ‘hold’ chlorine in the water.  Without proper levels you are destined to have a green pool.  Low stabilizer=No chlorine?  Algae will bloom.

As the water temperature rises, your chlorine need will grow.  For every 10 degrees of water temperature rise, beginning with water temperature of about 70 degrees, you will need about 25% more chlorine in the water. Quite simply, chlorine gasses off at high rates as the water heats up.  Right now, most pools have water temperatures in the high 80’s or even into the low 90’s.  Pools with a water temperature of 90 degrees will need 50% more chlorine than when the water was just getting comfortable back in late April or early May.  Adjust accordingly.