I’m super excited that the swim season is right around the corner.  Our youngest boy (Grant) starts swimming lessons here in about 3 weeks…it’s gonna get interesting!     I Can’t wait…  

Terry Duff

Lets face it, every pool will experience green water at one point or another. The main mission when this takes place is two fold. The first is how to treat the water as effectively as possible to get it clear again as quickly as possible. The second item that needs attention is we want to make it happen without breaking the bank. If you go down to your local retailer there’s more shocks, phosphate treatments and water clarifiers than one knows what to do with. Not to mention the countless “novelty” chemicals that are available that can cost an arm and a leg!

When treating green swimming pool water, there are 4 key steps that need to be addressed. Let’s dive in!

Treating green swimming pool water step #1: Circulation. Water circulation is an absolute must. You can add all the shock and other chemicals you want, but if water movement isn’t taking place, it won’t change the look of the water. While you’re turning the pool around, run the equipment 24/7. For most standard residential swimming pools, this will allow for about 3 full water rotations. Meaning, that all of the water will have gone through the filter about 3 times.

Treating green swimming pool water step #2: Shock treatment. Ideally, shoot for a granular shock because it has the fastest reaction time. I’d recommend using HTH Super Shock that contains at least 65% available chlorine. The more available chlorine, the more effective (and faster) it will be in the pool water. It’s important to stress that one cannot over shock a swimming pool. Depending on how green the water is, I’d recommend starting with 3-4 lbs of shock, wait 2-3 hours, then check what the water looks like. There’s no need to test the water at this point using a test kit as the results will be meaningless…regardless how much “free chlorine” it’s showing present.

Treating green swimming pool water step #3: Filtration is key. The more effective the filter is throughout this process, the faster the water’s going to get clear again. The best way to ensure this is taking place is to backwash/clean your filter several times a day. You cannot over-backwash your filter. If you’re using a DE or sand filter, place the multi port valve in the backwash position and let it run for around 90 seconds or until the water is clear. This may take a bit longer depending on the duration of time between backwashes. If you have a cartridge filter, remove the dome of the filter (typically, there’s a band clamp that needs to be removed), lift the cartridge filter(s) out of the filter unit and thoroughly clean it.

Treating green swimming pool water step #4: As the water begins turning clear (still may be cloudy, but blue (not green), begin administering a quality water clarifier. This will speed up the process to getting clear water again. I’d recommend adding it the first time immediately once you notice the water is blue and not green, then again about 12 hours later. During this process continue running the equipment nonstop. During this time you should also be stabilizing the pH and Total Alkalinity levels. I wouldn’t worry about testing or adjusting free chlorine as it’s likely going to be elevated for a few days while the water adjusts, but it is important to test and adjust your pH and TA levels.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these 4 steps on getting your water cleared up as quickly as possible. Using this system, it’s possible to turn your green swimming pool water around in 48 hours or less!

A few days ago I had a subscriber wanting to know more information about phosphates…what the are and how to best treat this dilemma.

It’s a much needed topic to address…

What are phosphates: Simply put, phosphates are made up of plant nutrients. The problem is that they can enter the pool from countless different sources. Here’s the “short list”…bird droppings, leaves entering the pool from winds, clothes, dirt, rain…even tap water! Just about everything that can enter your pool either has phosphates or has the potential of transferring them to your swimming pool.

Many people think that just because they have chlorine in their water (either via traditional methods or through a salt system) that they’re pool is immune or the chlorine kills off any phosphates. Unfortunately, phosphates are immune to chlorine (unless you literally NUKE it with chlorine).

So, why the big deal anyway?

Good question…phosphates are THE food source of algae.

All types of algae found in pools THRIVE on phosphates – this is what “they” eat.

When you have algae in your pool always have the water tested for phosphates – especially after a heavy rain or winds.

Phosphates should not exceed .1 PPM.

If it does, here’s a couple of treatment options.

1. Phos-Free

2. Phos-Out

3. Phos-Guard

Phosphates are something that every pool owner will deal with at one point or another and it’s nothing to take lightly. Using a solid phosphate treatment is a great regiment to incorporate during the swim season. I like to use at about once every 4-6 weeks during the swim season – you may choose to use more if you live near farms, in an area of heavy winds or you get quite a bit of rain.

How To Arm Yourself And Get An
“Unfair” Advantage…

I spend quite a bit of time inside The Chemistry Wizard dealing with this topic and practically every other chemistry related issue on the planet. Ultimately, when you understand what’s taking place in your water…and why it’s taking place you’re able to arm yourself with the appropriate information to be PROACTIVE instead of reactive.

Those who are proactive ultimately save money on their pool.

All the best,

Terry Duff

Most of the time you can tell pretty quickly when/if you’ve got air entering your system.

There’s a couple of real giveaways…

1.  The filter pressure is lower than normal – in extreme cases, if there’s no water flowing through the system, there may be no pressure at all.

2.  Bubbles coming out the return line.  When firing up the equipment it’s typical to see this for 30-60 seconds.  If it continues releasing bubbles…there’s air entering the system.

Think of your pump as a vacuum – it’s job is to get the water from the pool to the equipment…hence the name “pump”.  It’s constantly pumping water.

Anytime air enters the system, this can reek major havoc on the equipment…specifically, the motor.

Pumps are designed to pump water…not air.

If a pump runs dry for an extended period of time, it’ll burn up – costing a couple hundred bucks to replace.   Not a very good scenario. 

If your filter pressure is running lower than normal, or if there’s no pressure at all – here’s what to look for:

1.  Check the water level to the pool. If there’s no water getting in the skimmer, there’s no water getting to the equipment.  Pretty obvious, but I see it all the time.

2.  Check the pump lid for any cracks. Even a small fracture can cause air to enter the system. If there is a crack, don’t try to fix it…replace it.  They’re relatively inexpensive.

3.  Check the pump lid o-ring. Remove the pump lid -there’s an o-ring that “sits” beneath the lid and the pump to seal it ensuring there’s no air entering the system.  A tear, crack or pinch can cause air to enter the system.  Again, don’t try to “rig” it to fix the issue.  They run $5-12 – replace it.  These should be replaced every 2 years or so.

Hey, your car needs basic maintenance right…the occasional tune up, oil changes, tire rotations, etc.  Chances are, your pool investment is pretty close to what you paid for your car.  Don’t run it into the ground.

Treat it to a basic maintenance “regiment” and you’ll save yourself loads of cash down the road and likely prevent most, if not all, major repairs.

4.  Check for any “wiggle” room at the pump nipple. This is the section of the plumbing that goes into the pump.  If there’s any “play”, even a smiggin’, this can cause air to enter the system.  No bueno.

If you have basic plumbing skills, this is a task most can do themselves.  If not, you can hire a technician to knock it out for you – typically around $50-90 (this will vary a bit depending on how the plumbing is setup at the equipment).

5.  Check for any cracks in the skimmer. This can also cause air to enter the system.  Fairly rare event, but it does happen – and it’s not a pretty situation.  Think of your pool and all the weight it carries…over time, it settles like a home does.  As a home settles, it can cause counter tops to separate, floors to crack, etc.

Your pool is no different.  Over the years, it will settle and shift.  This is exactly why most pools built after the mid 90′s are built with a different mixture of compounds – allowing for “play” room as the pool shifts and settles in.

Replacing a skimmer is not only a fair amount of work, but it can also set you back over $1,000.  That section of the deck needs to be removed, the skimmer replaced and replumbed at that section.

Again, this is a pretty rare event, but it does happen – if you have an older pool, you’re more likely to experience it.

And there you have it…the top 5 causes of air entering the system.

There are others as well, but they’re so rare, I won’t address ‘em in this post.

I hope you enjoyed this and learned something new…or maybe reinforced something you were already aware of.

All the best,

Terry Duff

There are 2 SIMPLE and EASY things you can do to slow down calcium buildup. . . and neither one costs you a dime!

The first way to slow down calcium buildup is to brush the tile line (water line) weekly. This two minute job has a big impact on slowing the calcium buildup, but yet it is something that many pool owners neglect to do.

Before I give you the second way, I want to talk a little bit about the cause of calcium buildup (as it will help the second way make more sense when I talk about it). Calcium buildup on pool tiles is a direct result of the amount of calcium in the water.

That calcium in the water can come in the form of hard water. Every geographical area wil have different levels of hardness in the water.

Calcium in the water can also come from the chemicals you regularly add to your pool. You are adding chemicals to your pool every single week (even if you have a salt system).

Think of your pool as a cup of tea. If you keep adding sugar to that cup of tea, at some point saturation takes place and our tea can’t handle all the sugar you’re putting in it. When that happens, absorbtion becomes more and more difficult. The same is true with the chemicals you add to your pool.

Calcium buildup can therefore occur in any part of the pool that is under water. The most common place it occurs, though, is at the water line.

Another way to slow down the natural buildup of TDS in your pool (especially if you already have a known calcium or TDS issue with your water), is to backwash your pool frequently. That way, you are replacing saturated water with fresh water (assuming, of course, that the hardness of the “fresh” water is lower than the hardness level of the water you’re replacing in the pool).

(Personal note from Terry Duff) I’m proud to introduce to you a new writer here on the blog…his name is Matt Giovanisci.  He’s the founder and creator of www.SwimUniversity.com.  He knows his stuff and I’m confident you’ll enjoy his knowledge…

So now, on to these three tips to closing your swimming pool for the winter.

Closing or winterizing your swimming pool is very important, especially for the folks living places where it gets really cold. Last year in the northeast, we had the biggest snowfall in decades. Could you imagine not closing your pool for that? We have put together some important tips to use while closing your swimming pool for the upcoming seasons.

#1 – Use An Air Pillow (For Above Ground Pools)

Air pillows serve multiple purposes, but the most important purpose is the fact that they protect your pool from being damaged by ice expansion. In the winter when the water in your pool freezes, the ice expands and puts pressure on the walls of your pool. This could cause the walls to break (this has happened to my pool). By using an air pillow in the middle of your pool, the pillow absorbs the expansion of the ice, relieving the pressure off your pool walls.

#2 – Lower Your Pool Water

In today’s market there are skimmer plates that block the skimmer holes which allows you to keep your pool filled at normal level. These are very popular and I’m not really sure why. Lowering your pool water is actually a good thing. When you are constantly putting pool chemicals into your pool, you are building up your TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). Over time this can lead to problems. Adding more chemicals to fix problems over and over again can be a bad thing. However, in the summer we have splash-out and evaporation, so we are always topping off the pool with more water. This is slowly diluting the water, which is a good thing. So, a good time to add some fresh water is in the spring, and if your pool is already full because you used a skimmer plate, then you won’t be able to give your pool fresh water.

#3 – Make Sure Your Chemicals Are Balanced Before You Close

I know you are the perfect pool owner. You keep your chemicals in check all season long. You monitor your pH and alkalinity levels like a hawk. You always make sure your sanitizer levels are perfect, keeping your family and friends clean and safe. Because I know you are this way, then I don’t have to tell you to make sure it’s perfect just before you close the pool, right? You just want to make sure you pH isn’t low and your sanitizer level is good, even high. Low pH can be bad over the winter. Your pool water becomes stagnate acid that can eat away at your liner. Also, keeping your sanitation level perfect (or even slightly higher) is a great way to prevent algae from growing in your pool over the winter. No one wants to open up thier pool to a green mess in the spring.

Here a just a few tips to help you along your way to closing your swimming pool. Remember that closing your swimming pool is important and taking care of your pool throughout the season and following a tight closing regiment will allow you to open up a to a clear and clean pool in the spring time.

Matt Giovanisci

Matt Giovanisci is the founder and creator of Swim University. Matt has over 14 years of experience in the swimming pool and hot tub industry including retail, sales, service and marketing.

Matt Giovanisci is the founder and creator of Swim University. Matt has over 14 years of experience in the swimming pool and hot tub industry including retail, sales, service and marketing. Email Matt | Follow Matt On Twitter | Like Matt On Facebook

When it comes right down to it, there are three basic elements to getting (and keeping) a crystal clear, sparkling pool. Get these three elements under control, and you can enjoy a truly paradise-like, perfect, sparkling pool.

Let these elements get unbalanced and out of whack, and you will be faced with everything from algae growth, to cloudy water, to skin irritation, to chemical stains to scale formation …. and the list could go on and on.

Suffice it to say that with these three key areas, the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” could not be more accurate! So here are 3 keys to having perfect swimming pool chemistry (and, by extension, to enjoying a perfect, crystal clear, sparkling pool).

Perfect Swimming Pool Chemistry Key #1 – Total Alkalinity Level: Total Alkalinity is the measure of water’s resistance to change in pH. It is the “buffering” capacity of the water. The higher the Total Alkalinity, the harder it is for the pH to change. The acceptable range for Total Alkalinity levels is between 90-140 ppm, however, the ideal range is between 100 to 120 ppm. You should check the total alkalinity levels once a week using a simple test kit. If your Total Alkalinity is outside of this range, then adjust the total alkalinity by adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to raise it or sodium bisulfate (dry acid) to lower it.

Perfect Swimming Pool Chemistry Key #2 – pH Level: Maintaining a proper pH balance is one of the most important and basic areas of good pool care — and to keeping your pool crystal clear. You should check the pH levels once a week. The ideal range is between 7.4-7.6. Just remember, if it’s lower that this you can cause equipment issues and also irritate your skin. If it’s higher than this, you will those nasty “rings” around the water line of your pool. To lower the pH, add sodium bisulfate or liquid muriatic acid. To raise it, add soda ash (sodium carbonate).

Perfect Swimming Pool Chemistry Key #3 – Proper Sanitation: Regardless of what type of pool you have (hydrogenated, salt water or traditional chlorine), you cannot underestimate the importance of sanitation with your pool water. Sanitizing is essential to keeping pool water clean, bacteria-free, and safe for swimming the water. Sanitizing also kills all microorganisms, including bacteria and algae, and removes unwanted contaminants from the water. Use a sanitizer to help fight bacteria, and shock the pool on a regular basis to help keep it clean and crystal-clear.

Once you get these three elements under control, you have made your entire pool maintenance job so much easier.

When it comes right down to it, what do you really have to do to get that beautiful, crystal clear, sparkling pool that we all want? We can talk about a lot of the “tricks,” “secret tips,” and “professional shortcuts” that are out there (and there certainly ARE some of these I can share with you), but when it comes down to it there are really just three pillars to achieving this.

Not only that, but if you aren’t on top of each of these three pillars in your pool, then all the “secrets” and “professional tricks” will do you no good! These three key basics are flat-out essential to getting that beautiful pool water that you want.

Before I elaborate on the three pillars, let me go REALLY basic on you and remind you to always think of your pool as just a bucket of water — and that bucket of water needs attention! So to maintain clear, clean water, three of the most important areas you need to constantly focus on are these:

(1) circulation;

(2) filtration; and

(3) chemistry balance

Let’s go through these a bit…

The first pillar to a crystal, clear pool is circulation. Circulation, i.e, water flow and movement, is critical. Without adequate water movement or circulation, the chemicals you put in your pool cannot do their job.

Water flow is essential for a clean, healthy pool. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for algae, so you must ensure the water is continuously circulating at an appropriate level. Thus, make sure you run your pool pump for at least six to eight hours a day.

The second pillar is filtration. The bottom line when it comes to filtration is this: a clean filter equals clean water. Your pool pump ensures that the swimming pool water moves through the filter every day, thus removing unwanted pollutants and disinfected organic materials as quickly as possible.

What is most important for you to do with regard to filtration, however, is to be sure that you are maintaining the quality of the filters themselves. This means that you need to be cleaning and/or replacing your filters regularly.

If you have a sand filter, then be sure you are regularly cleaning and changing the sand in the filter. The sand filter should be backwashed every time the PSI goes up by five or six from where it normally is. The sand should be changed entirely about every two to three years. If you have a cartridge filter, then be sure you are changing and/or cleaning the cartridge as needed. If your cartridge filter is less than ten years old, then clean your catridge filter at a minimum two to three times per year. If your cartridge filter is ten or more years older, then it should be cleaned at least about every six weeks. Replace the diatomaceous earth in a diatomaceous earth filter after EVERY backwash.

The third basic, but critical, pillar to crystal clear pool water is chemistry balance. In order to ensure the effectiveness of pool chemicals, pool water must be pH, free chlorine and alkalinity balanced (other variables are important here as well, such as age of water, phosphates, metals, TDS, etc).

Balanced water occurs when all of your chemical parameters are within the tolerance limits. The most important parameters of water balance are pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness and Temperature, as measured using the Langelier Saturation Index.

If any of these three pillars are out of whack, it creates a domino effect that will have a negative impact on the overall quality of your pool. and has an overall impact on the overall quality of the pool itself. If, for example, you don’t have enough circulation, then you can get algae growth and water clarity issues in your pool.

Get these three basic areas under control, and you will be amazed how well everything else you do with your pool will work…especially how much better the chemicals you add to your pool will work! Even better, you will be amazed at how much easier it is for you to achieve and maintain that crystal clear, sparkling pool you’ve been desiring.

You’ve decided to use a salt system in your swimming pool. I don’t blame you – there are many advantages. You can say goodbye to the “chlorine smell,” the stinging eyes and the itchy skin (among other things).

It is important to understand, however, that there are differences in the way you care for and maintain your salt water pool (as compared to how you maintain a traditional pool system). One particular area where this is true is when it comes to stabilizer (Cyanuric Acid or CYA).

As you know, CYA is a granular chemical added to the pool water which provides a shield to chlorine for protection from UV radiation. CYA is extremely important to creating and maintaining healthy, clean and clear swimming pool water (plus using it properly can save you hundreds of dollars!)

If you don’t have any CYA in your pool, the sun causes the chlorine to disappear within an hour or two. If you have too much CYA, it inhibits the chlorine and it can’t do its job. The key is to strike a balance between those two extremes.

Where that balance is, and how much CYA to use, is different for a traditional system than it is for a salt system. And if you have a salt system, you need to be aware of the appropriate levels of CYA that you need to maintain.

Specifically, when you have a salt system you need to have a higher level of CYA than you do with a traditional system. If your CYA level is too low with a salt system, then the sunlight will burn up the chlorine and the saltwater system will not be able to keep up with the demand.

Okay, so now we know that the level needs to be higher, but how high should the level be? Remember that the purpose of CYA in the water is to help keep the chlorine from being so quickly dissipated by UV rays. Keeping the CYA at a level of 60-80 ppm is usually good for achieving that.

]]> http://fireyourpoolguyblog.com/understanding-cya-in-your-salt-system/feed/ 2 http://fireyourpoolguyblog.com/to-cover-or-to-blanket-that-is-the-question/ http://fireyourpoolguyblog.com/to-cover-or-to-blanket-that-is-the-question/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 01:48:02 +0000 fireyourpoolguy http://fireyourpoolguyblog.com/?p=198

You probably already know that using a solar cover or blanket on your swimming pool is, by far, one of the easiest and most effective ways of making your pool eco-friendly and saving you LOTS of money. If you haven’t been using one, or if you don’t really know too much about them though, it may be hard to know how to choose which one you should use.

Do you know the difference between a solar cover and a solar blanket? And do you know when you should use each one? Just in case you don’t, here’s a little solar blanket and solar cover basics lesson — a little “Solar Blanket And Solar Cover 101.”

SOLAR BLANKETS

Solar Blankets are made from a film of thousands of tiny bubbles, which work together to collect and retain heat in your pool. A solar blanket floats on top of the water and allows the solar energy to pass through it, then traps it as retained heat in the pool. It is also ideal as a thermal blanket for heated pools.

Solar blankets work by retaining heat from solar energy. The heat is restricted from readily dissipating into the atmosphere due to the special design of the blanket. The net effect is that a solar blanket will increase pool water temperature by 10 to 15 degrees. It will also reduce heating costs up to 75% and keep pool water staying warmer longer (therefore extending the swimming season).

As the majority of heat loss in a pool is caused by evaporation, a solar blanket will trap the heat in and reduce evaporation by around 95%. What this means for YOU is a savings of up to 50% on pool chemical usage alone anytime the pool is covered. The blanket also acts as a barrier to prevent leaves and debris from entering the pool, thereby reducing maintenance time.

POOL COVERS

Pool covers should be used during your swimming season. How often and at what times of the day to utilize a pool cover depends, in part, on when you most often use your swimming pool.

If you use your pool during the daytime, take off the cover just before swimming and replace the cover as soon as you’re done using the pool. If you use your pool only at night, the effectiveness of a pool cover will depend on whether the evaporation and other losses prevented by the cover exceed the solar gain reduction caused by the cover.