Discuss – Make sure your chosen swimming pool cover comes with a good manufacturer’s warranty. In general, the swimming pool cover should come with a warranty of longer than 2 years.
A family swimming pool can be a great addition to any household A gathering place for friends and family, for relaxation, for exercise, parties and more. Unfortunately many prospective pool owners and even those lucky enough to own a pool are put off by the maintenance involved and confused about how to do it properly.
Pay now or pay later.
Like your automobile and so much else, doing the right things a few minutes each day will make your pool a joy to own, avoid problems and save time and money. Pool care can be reduced to two key elements test and shock. Swimming pools contain water (duh) and water is a very complex substance. It is THE universal solvent, which means most anything likely to come in contact with your pool water will dissolve.
Swimming pool water also needs to maintain certain key characteristics to be attractive and safe for swimming. In many ways keeping a swimming pool in top condition is like hitting a constantly moving target. The water changes almost daily as it absorbs products of the environment and pool owners attempt to maintain a happy medium with chemicals and filtration. Yikes! Fortunately there are ways to put yourself in charge and keep it that way.
Discuss – Salt water pool systems will use an average of 500 watts of AC power for a 20,000 gallon pool. Copper Ionization systems will use an average of only 40 watts of DC power to treat the same amount of water.
TEST-THE FIRST BIG ONE
Given the complex nature of pool water and environmental contaminants the only way to find out about your water is to test regularly. Regularly is a minimum of 4-5 times each week. In the past testing could be tedious and inaccurate due to the type of test kits generally available. For many years the standard test kits were based on liquid reagents added to pool water and a resulting color change indicating the results of the test. Given the inaccuracy of counting reagent drops and the characteristics of the reagents results for the average pool owner were often inaccurate and led to problems.
ZEN POOL … Awaken the Master Within Top Professional Pool Player and Instructor Max Eberle shares with you many of the hard earned pool/billiards knowledge known only by the champions.
A giant step forward was made in the late 1980′s with the introduction of the pool water test strip by Environmental Test Systems of Elkhart, Indiana. Called Aquachek, these slim plastic strips had three paper pads that were impregnated with a reagent specific to the testing that is most important to keep a pool in good shape free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity. Dipping the strip into the pool water produced a color change that could be compared to a color chart on the test strip container. If the color was in the correct color range for that test everything was good, if not the test let you know which way to go to correct the problem. Now made by a number of companies since the expiration of the ETS patent test strips have made pool water testing quick, easy and accurate. No excuses! You can test your pool in under a minute.
TESTING FOR WHAT AND WHY?
Let’s introduce the big three: free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity. Many years of research and practical experience has shown that these three components of pool water have the most influence on water quality. If free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity are in the proper range no swimming pool is likely to have problems with water. Let’s discuss each one in some detail.
Discuss – Have Fun!! Be sure and supervise your children carefully and to keep the chemicals out of reach. Also remember that pool covers are meant to keep debris out of the pool and are not meant as a safety device to keep children safe.
Free Chlorine-who captured it anyway?
When chlorine is added to pool water in any form, liquid, granular or tablet, it forms hypochlorous acid or free chlorine. Fear not, the concentration is typically well below 10 parts per million. Hypochlorous acid is pretty interesting stuff. It reacts with just about anything organic like all that stuff nature and swimmers put in your pool. Use your imagination and you can believe there is plenty of organic material to work with. When free chlorine reacts with organic junk it “attaches” to it and breaks it up like a fire burning wood. Technically it “oxidizes” the offending material. Burned up by the free chlorine the offending material becomes inoffensive and no problem. The chorine does not escape unscathed however.
Once chlorine attaches itself to and destroys contaminants it is no longer free chlorine but a chloramine. Chloramines are used up and useless for any further clean up work in a pool. They have to be replaced with more free chlorine. It’s clear that knowing the amount of free chlorine in your pool is very important. When you buy a test kit be sure it tests for free chlorine. Liquid test kits using a chemical called DPD and all test strips measure free chlorine.
Discuss – Vinyl liners, automated pool covers and solar covers may become damaged from the use of chlorine or salt water pool systems. Since Copper Ionization systems do not require the use of harmful oxidizing chemicals, these expensive pool components can be expected to last their normal life expectancy.
pH-why capitalize the second letter?
pH is the most important component. pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of water. A low pH is acidic and corrosive, a high pH is alkaline or basic and causes mineral buildup and irritation. Swimming pool water should be kept at a pH of between 7.2 and 7.8. Keep in mind that pH is measured on a logarithmic scale so the difference between a pool water pH of 7.2 and 7.3 is not one-tenth more but 100 times more! The seemingly narrow pH range is not so narrow after all and being “just a bit over or under” is important.
The mysterious Total Alkalinity
Total alkalinity measures the dissolved carbonates in your water. All water has a natural level of these dissolved carbonates and they play an important role in swimming pools. Total alkalinity acts as a buffer to pH. At the proper level alkalinity “locks” pH into a range and keeps it there. Very soft water has low alkalinity and pH tends to bounce around quite a bit. Keeping the alkalinity in the proper range of 80-160 ppm keeps pH in line too.
Discuss – Don’t clean your pool! A dirty pool is an expensive pool (expensive for you, profitable for your local pool business). The more you let your pool go, the more it will cost to get things back together again.
There it is. Regular testing of your pool water lets you know if the BIG 3, free chlorine, pH and Total Alkalinity are in the proper range so your pool stays clear and inviting. You will also know right away if the water is out of whack and can take action before it goes bad. Testing and adding any necessary chemicals might take as much as fifteen minutes 4-5 times a week. Not too shabby!
SHOCK-THE SECOND BIG ONE
Using your pool is what it’s all about. After using your pool determines how soon you might get to use it again.
Discuss – Alkaline powder. Although chlorine in your pool will kill off germs, it will also raise the level of acid in your water.
Up in the testing section we talked about contaminants from nature and swimmers and how chlorine deals with them. After a long afternoon in the pool your free chlorine is completely exhausted. If you don’t replace it in a hurry …….bad things! Do your own test on your next pool afternoon with family and friends. Once everyone is out and enjoying dinner or perhaps adult beverages stand near the pool. You’ll smell “that chlorine smell” good and strong. What your nose is picking up is the smell of chloramines, used up chlorine! Free chlorine in pool water is virtually odorless. A heavy chlorine smell means you’re low on chlorine not that you have too much.
Adding more chlorine to your floater or feeder is great but it won’t get around the whole pool in time to prevent a potential breakdown. That’s where shocking comes in. We pool types differentiate between shocking and superchlorination. Super chlorination raises the level of free chlorine from the normal 1.5-3 ppm to at least 5 ppm. Shocking raises free chlorine to at least 10ppm. Raising the chlorine level in this way ensures that contaminants are completely burned out or oxidized and that enough free chlorine is available to re-establish the normal level of sanitizer in your pool.
Discuss – A chemical called Floc or Flocculant is sometimes a good idea if you are in a rush. Lets say you have a pool party tomorrow and your pool is cloudy.
When the pool clears out after use just add 1 lb. of shock for every 10,000 gallons of water your pool holds and call it a day. Calcium hypochlorite is the most popular shock. It does the job and quickly breaks down in sunlight so you can swim again. Sodium dichlor products are gaining popularity as are non-chlorine shocks. If you use a non-chlorine shock remember that by itself it’s not much good. Non-chlorine shock needs some chlorine in the water to work.
QUICK AND EASY
Remember the dynamic duo test and shock. If you do these faithfully your pool will reward the your few minutes each day with great looking, inviting water all season long. And it will cost you less! It’s a win-win baby!
Discuss – Metallic parts in your pool will dissolve (walls, floor, handrails, ladders, light fixtures, and equipment). This could even lead to discolored water and stains on the pool walls and floor.
Rob Coxworth is President and CEO of Webfoot Leisure.com, an online retailer of swimming pools, supplies and equipment.
Rob has been in the swimming pool industry since 1985 and involved in water chemistry and chemicals since first joining the swimming pool industry.
The good Dr. has held senior positions in sales, manufacturing consulting and marketing and worked with many major companies in the pool water chemical marketplace. http://www.webfootleisure.com
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Discuss – Don’t clean your pool! A dirty pool is an expensive pool (expensive for you, profitable for your local pool business). The more you let your pool go, the more it will cost to get things back together again.
It’s not uncommon for pool owners to notice that water seems to be leaking out of their pool after opening it for the year. But where is the leak coming from? Let’s take a look and see how to find and repair swimming pool leaks.
First of all, you have to make sure that it really is a leak in the first place. What do you think is a leak, may be something else. There are actually three main causes of water loss from swimming pools and they are:
1. Swimming pool plumbing leaks
2. Swimming pool shell leaks
3. Normal evaporation or excessive splash
So before you go any further let’s rule out number three in the list above. It’s important to do this, because actually the sun can evaporate quite a bit of water from a pool on a daily basis without your realizing it, and swimmers can splash a lot of water out of a pool too..
To find out for sure if the water loss is due to evaporation or not, take a fairly large container and fill it with water and place it on the first step of your pool. Then remove enough water from the container so that the water level in the pool and in the container is exactly the same. Now leave the container there for a couple of days to see what happens with no one using the pool in the meantime. If after a couple of days the water level in the pool has gone down, and the water level in the container has gone down the same amount, then you know that the water loss you are experiencing is most likely just evaporation due to the sun.On the other hand, if the water in the pool has gone down farther than the water in the container, then most likely there is indeed a leak in your pool somewhere.
Discuss – Vinyl liners, automated pool covers and solar covers may become damaged from the use of chlorine or salt water pool systems. Since Copper Ionization systems do not require the use of harmful oxidizing chemicals, these expensive pool components can be expected to last their normal life expectancy.
To find a pool leak, the first place to inspect is around your filter and pump. Do you notice any water spots or damp areas there? If so, try to trace back where the water is coming from. Very often, it will be a connection on one of the pipes in this particular area.You may need to turn on the pump for a while and observe it to see if any leaks develop while everything is running. If the leak begins to show, and you feel comfortable with repairing the pool plumbing, then this is a job that you may wish to do yourself. However, for most people it will be a job that is best left to a pool professional.
If no obvious leaks can be found in the plumbing, then perhaps the leak is in the shell of the pool itself. And in this case, it’s almost always advisable to leave any of this type of work up to a well-qualified professional.
Discuss – Find a swimming pool cover that is strong and sturdy. The cover should not only keep your swimming pool clean, it should add safety as well for humans and animals alike.
As you can see, finding and repairing swimming pool leaks is usually just a matter of eliminating possible causes until you find the real problem. Once the problem is found, your final decision is whether to fix it yourself or pay someone to do it instead.
Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including home improvement. You can find out more about swimming pool designs and swimming pool safety covers by visiting our Home Improvement website.
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Discuss – Metallic parts in your pool will dissolve (walls, floor, handrails, ladders, light fixtures, and equipment). This could even lead to discolored water and stains on the pool walls and floor.
You should observe the following THREE BIG RULES when you are dealing with pool chemicals.
BIG RULE #1: You should never ever mix different pool chemicals.
BIG RULE #2: Never ever add water to dry pool chemicals whether they are in a powder or tablet form.
BIG RULE #3: Never handle any pool chemicals with your bare hands and always wear protective gloves and goggles when handling them. Better be safe then sorry.
And here are the 3 indispensable chemicals that you’ll be using all the time:
1) “Shock powder.” That’s the name for the good old chlorine powder to kill all the germs, algae, bacteria and microorganisms that multiply at an amazing speed in your pool. You have to use generous amounts of “shock” for disinfection, depending on the size of your pool. A regular gallon-size “shock” bottle can run anywhere from $20 to $50 dollars, depending on where you live.
Discuss – Find a swimming pool cover that is strong and sturdy. The cover should not only keep your swimming pool clean, it should add safety as well for humans and animals alike.
2) Chlorine tablets for the skimmers. They come in 1 inch or 3 inch diameter variety. Each skimmers usually takes 2 to 4 tablets. If you are running your pool regularly throughout summer, you need to replace your tablets probably once a week. If you got two skimmers, that means at least using 6 to 8 tablets a week. A bucket of 30 or 40 (3-inch) chlorine tablets usually runs between $60 to $80 dollars. Get ready to spend a couple of hundred dollars each summer on chlorine tablets and “shock powder” alone. Some pump and filter systems require you remove the chlorine tablets from your skimmer when the pump is not in use in order to protect the pump and the pipes from corrosion.
Discuss – Make sure the swimming pool cover conforms to state and local law requirements. Some areas require that a certain size and depth of pool be covered when not in use.
3) Alkaline powder. Chlorine kills germs but it also increases the acid level in your pool. If your water is not alkaline enough all metal parts will start to corrode and your water color will turn green. But if its too much alkaline, then the water will become cloudy and germs will start to multiply, presenting a health hazard. To balance it off you need to use various brand-name alkaline compounds most of which contain sodium bicarbonate.
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Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation.
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Discuss – Don’t clean your pool! A dirty pool is an expensive pool (expensive for you, profitable for your local pool business). The more you let your pool go, the more it will cost to get things back together again.
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