Spring is coming and that means the temperature is going to rise.  Once the water temperature gets above 65 degrees your pool may not be so easy to care for.  At colder temperatures, algae growth is inhibited, but once it warms up…LOOK OUT!  It’s easy to coast through winter without much attention to water chemistry but this time of year all is revealed.  If you aren’t prepared, then you may end up spending hundreds of dollars on chemicals and repairs.  So, this month is a good time to get your water chemistry perfect.   Bring your chlorine level up to about 3ppm, your pH between 7.2 and 7.8 (7.5 is the pH of the eye so if you keep it there your eyes won’t sting when you swim), and your total alkalinity between 80 and 120ppm (I like it at 100ppm).  Backwash your filter and make sure your pump is circulating water like it should be (baskets free of debris and impeller not clogged).  Change your timer so that you pump runs 6-8 hours a day (preferably during the hottest part of the day).  Having done all that, you should be prepared to tackle another HOT Texas summer.  Work smarter, not harder…and ENJOY YOUR POOL!

Stabilizer, what’s that?
Stabilizer, or cyanuric acid, is a chemical that stabilizes your chlorine, thereby making it more effective against algae and bacteria.  If you have too little in your pool your chlorine will be dissappated by the sun very rapidly and will not have time to combat the algae and bacteria.  If your stabilizer level is too high, on the other hand, the chlorine becomes ineffective, which is why you would still have algae when your chlorine level is off the charts.  The ideal range is between 30ppm and 80ppm.  If you are starting with fresh water I would suggest you start off around 30ppm because, over time, it will slowly creep up if you are using the chlorine tablets (yes, they have stablizer in them!).  Once the stabilizer level reaches above 80ppm the only way to lower it would be to drain part of your water and dilute it with fresh water–or just drain it completely and start fresh (consult a pro before draining your pool though).   All of this is rather confusing–especially the part about not being able to lower the level except by dilution…even to a pro.  But, as long as you remember to keep the stabilizer level between 30ppm and 80ppm then you will be fine.

Priming your pump
If you find that your pump just will NOT prime, try this:

• Turn your pump off.
• If you have a sand or DE filter, put the multiport valve on recirculate.
• Take the pump lid off, and with the valves open, fill the pump and suction pipes with water (use a garden hose).
• Once the pump is so full that it is spilling over, close the suction side valves and put the lid back on the pump.
• Turn the pump on and IMMEDIATELY, but barely, open one of the valves (just a little).
• Look through the pump lid until you see water trickling into the pump.
• Slowly open the valve a little more until the trickle becomes a flow and then a little more until it is completely open.
• If there are other valves, slowly open each one until the pump is primed.
• Turn the pump back off, switch your multiport valve back to filter and turn your pump back on.
• Voila.

How many gallons of water are in my pool?
Knowing how many gallons of water are in your pool is crucial to being able to effectively treat your water and to saving money.  If you have a rectangle pool, finding the gallonage is pretty straight forward.  You multiply the length x width x average depth of your pool and multiplying that number by 7.48 (the number of gallons in a cubic foot of water).  Average depth is computed by taking the depth of the shallow end, adding it to the depth of the deep end and dividing by 2.  So, the average backyard pool, being 32′ x 16′ with a 3′ shallow end and a 6′ deep end would be computed as:

16 x 32 x (6 + 3)/2 x 7.48 = 17,234 gallons

Once you know this number you can add the exact amount of chemicals required to balance the water in your pool instead of just wasting your time (and money!)

Freeform pools are a little more complicated but, basically, you have to find the surface area, multiply it by the average depth and then multiply that by 7.48.

I know it can sound complicated, but if you just take a little time initially to get the correct gallonage, it will save you money and time–both very valuable things to most of us…

If you have any questions about any of this or would like for one of our technicians to come out and measure your pool for you, just give a call or email us.

Blue, but cloudy?
Having a pool that is blue but still cloudy usually means that all the algae is dead, but your water still has particulates too small for your filter to catch.  So…

  What you need is a clarifier or flocculant.  I, personally,  prefer the flocculant.  A flocculant actually binds several smaller particles together to make bigger particles –and heavier–so that they will fall right to the floor, ready to be vacuumed.  It is very important to follow the directions to a “t” when adding floc, otherwise you will be wasting your time and money ( the pH must be adjusted so you should probably pick up some ”pH Plus“ or “pH minus” along with the floc).  But, if you do follow the directions you will be pleasantly surprised at what happens.  Your water will be crystal clear and the floor of your pool will look as if it has a layer of snow on it.  Be careful when you vacuum  (to waste) this stuff because it stirs up easily.  Once you vacuum your pool it should be ready to go (you may have to readjust your pH though). 

One last note:  Add a few extra inches of water to your pool before you vacuum it to waste because you will lose quite a bit during this process.

Saving $$$
Having a pool is a luxury. Because of this, everything pool-related is expensive–from chemicals, to parts, to electricity, to repairs.  There are ways to save money, though. 

First and foremost, fire your pool guy.  We are expensive.  This will require you to do some studying.  Go to the library and check out a book on swimming pool maintenance (don’t buy one, they’re all the same), and spend the time to learn about your pool–really learn about it.  It seems complicated (and I guess it can be in a way–which is why we get paid the big bucks???), but the knowledge you obtain will save you money and time, every month.  You paid $30,000+ for your pool–take the time to know how to care for it and you’ll save time actually caring for it!

Phosphates…
For those of you who live in a neighborhood where everyone has landscaping, you MUST keep an eye on your phosphate level.  Phosphate is a plant fertilizer that causes plants to grow extra fast…algae is a plant…your neighbor (or you) have a local landscape crew come out to fertilize your garden…the wind blows…and into the pool it goes…and the algae blooms–FAST!  Now you can’t seem to kill the algae even though you have shocked the pool repeatedly.  You need a product called “Phosfree” (sold at our new store in Bridge City) to eliminate the phosphates completely–or at least bring the level down below 150 ppb.  You must continue to monitor this level, especially in the spring when most people fertilize.  If you think you have a problem with high phosphates, just bring in a water sample and we can test it for you…

Winter and pH…
Keeping water clear in the winter is pretty easy.  Algae hibernates (sort of) in the winter so your pool should stay crystal clear all winter long, despite any neglect.  BUT.  pH should still be tested and balanced regularly because, after all, you do want to protect your investment, right?  Low pH can cause etching of your plaster and deterioration of your liner or fiberglass surface (which means you will have to resurface you pool or replace that liner sooner than you expected).  Low pH means the water is acidic.  Acidic water will harm anything it touches, pool surfaces included.  High pH can cause scaling.  If scale forms on your pool surface, and you have a plaster pool, it will look as if your pool has been smoking cigarettes for 20 years with yellowish patches everywhere the scale is thick enough to see.  The only way to fix it would be to drain your pool and acid wash the surface.  When you acid wash a pool, you are actually removing a thin layer of plaster (the stained part) to reveal the white underneath.  This means your plaster is now thinner, which means it’s lifespan is shorter.  So, if you don’t mind forking over $3000 or more for a replaster/new liner, then don’t worry about the pH.  But if you value your money and like to take care of the things you have then keep that pH between 7.2 and 7.8.  Check it after every rain (rain always messes up the pH).  If you don’t want to fool with it, then just bring us a water sample and we can tell you exactly what to add to make it right.

Big Box Pool Chemicals
If you were on a diet you would be reading every label in the store, right?  Checking for calories, carbs and protein content?  Then why don’t people read the labels on pool chemicals???  Manufacturers who are granted the right to shelf space at these huge worldwide companies are under alot of pressure to keep their prices low so the store can have the “lowest price.”  So, what they are forced to do is adjust the formula of their product, putting less of the active ingredient, so they can keep their prices low and keep their coveted space on the store shelves.  You would NEVER see a pool professional using those chemicals.  If you don’t believe me, next time you see a pool guy’s truck, take a peek in the bed and see for yourself.  We don’t like to spend overpay for chemicals either.  But we know that if we want a quality product that will do the job (keeping water beautiful) efficiently and effectively without adding any extra “fillers” to the pool, we have to use a quality product.  Use what the pros use and you will get the results pros get, it’s that simple.  Remember, READ THE LABEL!