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.

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.

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/ 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.

Stay tuned…I’ll be sharing more details over the next 3-4 weeks.  Major Hint:  More KILLER information to get chemicals at (or below) wholesale pricing, detailed information on how to quickly turn around a green swimming pool and a ton of chemistry info…broken down so a small child can understand.

Be well and I’ll be chattin’ soon!

All the best,

Terry Duff

As you probably all are aware, making a small error in your pool chemical measurements can equal a BIG problem with your pool water (not to mention a BIG headache for you to fix it).  Calculating pool volume is not difficult once you know how to do it.

So here is a simple quick guide on how to make it happen…

In order to figure out proper doses of chemicals for your pool, you need to determine how many gallons of water it holds. To do that, you need to know four different numbers: (1) the length, (2) the width, (3) the average depth, and (4) a multiplier that determines gallons.

In general, here is the formula to calculate the number of gallons your pool holds:

LENGTH x WIDTH x AVERAGE DEPTH x MULTIPLIER = GALLONS

There are also more specific formulas for calculating volume depending on what shape pool you have.  Here are those formulas:

Rectangular Or Square Swimming Pools:

Length (in feet) X Width (in feet) X Average Water Depth (in feet) X 7.5 = Pool Volume in Gallons (U.S.)

- or -

Length (Meters) X Width (Meters) X Average Water Depth (Meters) X 1000 = Pool Volume in Liters

Circular Swimming Pools:

Diameter (in feet) X Diameter (in feet) X Average Water Depth (in feet) X 5.9 = Pool Volume in Gallons (U.S.)

-  or -

Diameter (Meters) X Diameter (Meters) X Average Water Depth (Meters) X 785 = Pool Volume in Liters

Oval Swimming Pools:

Long Diameter (in feet) X Short Diameter (in feet) X Average Water Depth (in feet) X 5.9 = Pool Volume in Gallons (U.S.)

- or -

Long Diameter (Meters) X Short Diameter (Meters) X Average Water Depth (Meters) X 785 = Pool Volume in Meters

Here is how you determine the multiplier:

Rectangle, square, or free-form pool: multiplier = 7.5.

Round or Oval pool: multiplier = 5.9

Here is how you determine the average depth in a pool where the bottom slopes:

Measure the shallow end depth.

Measure the deep end depth.

Add those two measurements together.

Divide the sum by two (2).

For example, if your shallow end is 2′ deep and your deep end is 10′ deep, then your calculation would look like this:

2′ + 10′ = 12′; 12′/2 = 6′ Average Depth

There is also a little download at http://www.filebuzz.com/fileinfo/21142/Kool_Swimming_Pool_Tool.html

(may need to copy/paste this into a browser)

This will do the calculations for you!  Just plug in the parameters and let it go to work for you.  Simple and FREE.

If I told you that algae is one of the top (and most frequent) complaints of swimming pool owners, I am sure this would come as no surprise to you. Algae is pretty unsightly, causing you not to want to spend time in your pool (and not to want to invite anyone else to do so either). It can truly ruin your ability to enjoy your pool!

So is algae just algae, i.e., is all algae the same? Do you treat all algae the same way and, more importantly, can you get rid of the nasty stuff?

Let’s answer that first question first. Is all algae the same? In short, no.

There are actually over 20,000 species of algae known to man. Only a small fraction of these species, however, are seen in swimming pools. While algae certainly has an unappealing appearance, it is important to know that it does not cause disease.

The most common pool types of algae are black algae, blue-green algae, green algae and mustard algae. Pink algae or red algae-like organisms can be found, but are in fact bacteria.

Now that you know a little bit about algae, let’s talk about how to conquer it and how to be able to get rid of it quickly when it does appear. After all, while not illness-causing, unchecked algae growth can turn a swimming pool cloudy or make the pool water green.

It also results in foul odors and tastes. Black algae, which is more difficult to control than green or blue-green algae, can also stain the swimming pool’s walls and floor. Pretty unappetizing all the way around, right?

Before talking about how to “treat” or get rid of algae, let’s talk about how algae affects the pool chemicals and levels in your pool. When there is algae present in pool water, the chlorine is used up rapidly trying to combat its growth. This process has a tendency to raise the pH, thus decreasing the efficiency of the remaining free chlorine.

So I’m sure that leaves you with one big question: What should you do about it?

When it comes to algae, the prevention is always better than the cure.

Adequate levels of free chlorine will prevent algae from growing out of control. To keep pool water clean, bacteria-free, and safe for swimming, it must be sanitized. Sanitizing kills all microorganisms, including bacteria and algae, and removes unwanted contaminants from the water.

Super-chlorination, or “shocking” swimming pool water, prevents cloudy water, chlorine odor, and eye and skin irritation and is also a good idea in your prevention routine. Shock treatment with chlorine or an algaecide is recommended.

Prevention of algae before it grows is critical to keeping a swimming pool crystal clear and inviting. Maintaining proper sanitizer levels, shock treatments and superchlorination will help to prevent or destroy algae.

The best way to prevent algae is with a good algaecide or phosphate removal chemical. Algaecides perform best as a backup to a routine sanitation program. They also help to kill airborne spores as they blow into the pool.

Taking all these preventative measures, will not only keep unsightly algae from ruining your pool experience, but when algae growth is noticed, it requires harsh treatment. So stay on the offensive, and you can spend more time IN your pool (instead of getting nasty algae out of it).

Sure, you could skim the pool surface.  You could “clean it up.”  The real question, though, is what is causing it to appear in the first place . . . and how can you keep it from making a return engagement during your next pool party?

White foam appearing on the water surface is usually caused by one of three things (or a combination of them):

1.  Low Calcium

2.  High levels of polymer based chemicals (e.g., biguanides, polyquat algaedcides, some clarifiers)

3.  An air leak in the system  (MOST common cause!)

Among these three possible causes, the foam formation on your pool is likely caused by either the type of algaecides you’ve added to the pool water OR by an air leak in the system.

So what is the solution?  There are really two ways to fix this problem:  Change the type of algaecide you are using AND/OR check and fix any air leak issues.

How do you know which one (or both) of these is necessary?  And do you do one of these . . . or both?  To know the answer to these questions, you need to understand how they both work and how they relate to the problem.

Some algaecides sold at places like Walmart etc can cause foaming when too much is used.  Some algeacides, known as linear quats and containing the ingredient “Alkyl dimethylbenzylammonium chloride,” will tend to foam.

The level of foaming these will cause, however, tends not to be excessive and is fairly inconspicuous.  So this is not usually the primary cause of your problem.

If you have a vinyl pool, foaming will also tend to occur in pools that don’t have enough calcium in them.  Raising the Calcium Hardness (CH) to at least 100-150 ppm usually does the trick.

On the algaecide issue, try using PolyQuat 60 algaecide.  This is a situation of “you get what you pay for” since the linear quats are less expensive than the polyquat.  Algaecide eventually breaks down, though it will take over a week (that’s why they are added on a weekly basis). Shocking with chlorine will speed up the breakdown process.

If you do have an air leak in the return lines, it can lead to a higher level of pool water foaming and the creation of unacceptable water conditions.  This is not only the primary cause of your foam problem, but something you need to address right away.

In terms of checking for a possible air leak, there are a number of things to check for with this.  First, check the water level in the skimmer and make sure it’s not taking air.  Also make sure the return (eyeball) is pointed towards pool floor and away from the skimmer.  Next, check the hoses and clamps.  Then check the plumbing fitting.  Next check the pump strainer lid for cracks chips.  Finally check the strainer o-ring.  Remember an air leak is going to be on the suction side (at the nipple going into the pump) not the discharge side.

While an anti-foam can help, when you have an air leak your problem is more more mechanical in nature, and you need to fix it!  The good news is that this is not usually a major problem, and can be controlled and eliminated with the use of cleaning agents or enzyme products.

Address the root causes of your foam problems, and not only will you no longer have to deal with it . . . you’ll be done with it!

“The 9 Things Necessary To Successfully Winterize A Swimming Pool”

Click Here For The Industry’s Leading
Resource To Winterize Your Pool

Incredible.  Seems like just a few weeks ago we were getting ready to open the pool and enjoy another season of basking in the sun!  For many of you, closing the pool is right around the corner (depending on where you’re located).

If you’re one who winterizes your pool…this step-by-step tutorial will come in handy.  Big time.  Also, if you haven’t grabbed the leading source for hand holding instructions on winterizing your pool, I’d highly recommend heading on over to www.yourpooltips.com/winter.

Without doubt, it’s the industry’s leading source of the most valuable, accurate and money saving winterizing information on the planet.

It’s full of useful information that will save you a ton of cash…and frustration as well.

Here are some general pointers on winterizing your pool that are sure to help!

1. Balance the water chemistry:

Approximately 3 - 7 days prior to closing the pool, adjust your water balance within the ranges below:

o pH: 7.4 - 7.6

o Alkalinity: 80 - 120 ppm

o Calcium Hardness: 180 - 220 ppm

Then, shock the pool with a Chlorine Shock or a Non-Chlorine Shock, at least 1lb per 10,000 gallons (follow package directions). Allow the chlorine level to return to 1.0 - 3.0 ppm before adding any winter algaecide and your pool cover. Chlorine can often break down both algaecides and [floating] pool covers.

2. Remove skimmer baskets, wall fittings, cleaners, solar blankets, ladders from the pool.

Put these in a safe location during the winter. Don’t coil pool cleaners hoses tight.

3. Lower water level in pool.

Using the filter pump, or a submersible pump, lower the level 12″ - 18″ below the skimmer for mesh covers, and 3″ - 6″ below the tile for solid, floating covers. If you are using an Aquador skimmer cover on aboveground or inground pools for some vinyl lined pools, the water level will not need to be lowered.

4. Drain all pumping, filtering, heating and chlorinating equipment.

Every pump, filter, heater and chlorinator has drain plugs to allow water to drain out. All water must be drained or blown out or it will freeze and crack. After draining, D.E. filter grids or Cartridge filters should be removed and cleaned thoroughly. If the filter and pump is small enough to remove it and store it indoors, this may be desirable. If not, using a small amount of air from a shop vacuum, compressor or Mighty Vac is good to blow out any water that may still be in the equipment.

5. Lubricate

Fall closing of the pool is a good time to lubricate the pump lid o-ring o-rings with Magic Lube. If you have a push-pull valve (also known as a slide valve) on the filter, lubricate it’s o-rings as well. If you have a gas heater with cast iron plugs, lubricate these threads or leave the plugs in after draining to prevent rusting.

6. Clean pool

Skim pool, vacuum pool, brush pool. Leaf rake (bag) types skim nets are best. Also useful for scooping large amounts of leaves/debris from pool floor. If pool is especially silty or has lots of algae, Vacuum Pool to Waste. This means to bypass the filter, and vacuum dirt from floors/walls out the backwash line. This prevents constant clogging/cleaning of filter. Place the multiport filter valve on drain to waste position (usually 2pm, if viewed as a clock face) If you have a push-pull filter valve, or a cartridge type filter there is no easy way to vacuum to waste, except for cutting the pipe coming out of the pump and then reconnecting afterwards. Brush the pool thoroughly. The pool should be as clean and clear as possible before covering.

7. Winterize the plumbing to and from the pool

If you have an inground pool, you should blow out the lines using a wet/dry vacuum to blow air from the skimmer, through the equipment, and back to the pool. Then plug the lines at the pool using expansion plugs. If you don’t blow the lines, add Swimming Pool Antifreeze into the line (follow package directions). Above ground pools usually just need to disconnect the hoses to and from the pump and filter, and plug the wall outlets.

8. Add winterizing algaecide and other floaters.

Remember not to add algaecide and shock at the same time. This tends to result in the chlorine breaking down the algaecide. High chlorine levels can also be harsh to floating solid pool covers.

9. Cover the pool.

A tight fit of your pool cover is essential. Your cover should not have holes or gaps where leaves and debris may enter the pool. A mesh safety cover provides the highest protection and safety. Solid pool covers are not safe and will require a cover pump or siphon to remove rain water and snow melt. Water Bags or AquaBloks are used to secure an inground solid pool cover. Above ground pool covers use a cable/winch device to secure the cover around the pool. Air Pillows are used in above ground pools to absorb the expansion of ice inside the pool. In areas of high wind, an above ground pool owner will find wall bags or cover seal useful products. A leaf net is very useful if you have a lot of trees surrounding your pool.

Warmer States:

In areas where it rarely gets below freezing temperatures, many people simply reduce the amount of filtration time per day, and also will find that the pool needs fewer chemicals. Covering the pool, even if not winterizing, will reduce cleaning and chemical and filtering demand even further.

I truly hope this information finds you well.

All the best,

Terry Duff