Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

The Polaris TR36P is the latest Pressure Side (Return Side) cleaner on the market and it is an excellent automatic cleaner. The TR36P is sold only at your local brick and mortar pool store not sold online. It is part of Zodiac/Polaris Trade Series Exclusive Line-Up. The Polaris TR36P does not require a dedicated return line connected to a separate booster pump. It works off of your existing pool pump and easily connects to your pools 1 1/2” threaded return lines. It does not connect to your pool's skimmer or side port like a traditional suction side cleaner. This feature makes the TR36P unique among Pressure Side cleaners. It also makes the TR36P ideal for a pool that is already constructed and a separate booster pump cannot be added. The nice thing about the cleaner is that while it is running in your pool the skimmer will be fully operational with complete suction. The TR36P works off of the return line of the pool. The TR36P comes is a very nice dark color...

So is it better to buy a new service truck or a used one for your business? Pretty much hands down you are better off buying a used truck. The debate of new verses used is pretty one sided in my opinion. Here are some things to chew on when deciding for yourself. That new truck smell is intoxicating. The Odometer at 000006 is so cool. Everything looks just perfect. But when you drive it off the lot you have just lost $3,000- $5,000. Don't believe me, try selling it back to the dealer after 2 months and you will see this is a fact. A new truck will lose half of it's value in the first two years. Yes, you get a reliable vehicle and you won't really need to do any maintenance for a couple of years but you pay for it. What about the 50,000 or 100,000 bumper to bumper warranty? Chances are you will never use it, that is why they give it to you. And you pay for that also in the vehicle mark-up. Edmunds.com has a good article on the sweet spot for buying a ...

What makes the SuperFlo VS Variable Speed pump unique is that it can run off of 115 volts or 230 volts without any problems. It is the only VS pump on the market that can actually work with older pool equipment set up on a 120 volt breaker.  This makes the SuperFlo VS perfect for your older pool which is probably equipment with a pump that is sucking a lot of power as it is running. Many of my customers have wanted to switch to a Variable Speed pump to save money on their energy cost but couldn't since a traditional VS pump uses 230 volts to operate. Actually running a pump off of 120 volts is very inefficient so the SuperFlo VS makes switching pumps even more attractive. The wiring of the SuperFlo VS couldn't be easier. There are just 3 connections inside, one for the green ground wire and two others for the load wires. The beauty of this pump it that all you need to do is connect the green ground wire to the green screw and it doesn't matter where ...

The Pentair SuperFlo VS Variable Speed pump is very easy to program and set up. Pentair has gone to great lengths to make this pump as user friendly as possible. The programming that I show is based on the pump not being connected to an automated system like the IntelliTouch or EasyTouch, for that set-up you will need an External Control Wiring Kit. I think most consumers will be using this pump as a stand alone and the video will cover the programming of the pump. The Control panel as been simplified for easy set-up so the first thing you will need to do once the power is on to the pump is set the clock. Simply press the “Display” button for 3 seconds and then use the “+” or “-” to set the clock to a 12 hour or 24 hour time format. Then hit the “+” or “-” to scroll the time up and down. Hit “Display” again to lock in the time you set. The pump comes with a preset default programmed run time: You can just use the default run time or simply program one of your ...

Installing and plumbing in the Pentair SuperFlo VS pump is not very difficult. But Pentair will not honor the 2 year warranty and will void the warranty unless the pump is installed by a pool service professional. So you can do it yourself with that in mind. The video covers the complete plumbing installation at this service account. Why Pentair is voiding the warranty if a homeowner installs the pump is a complicated matter. One, they are trying to protect the pool service industry and second they don't want to warranty improper or faulty installation. I can talk about the legality of doing this (which is very gray), but it would take up this whole article. I will probably save that discussion for another Blog article. The pool PVC pipes at this pool are over 40 years old so I had to do some creative inlet plumbing.  If I cut the elbow off and went straight to the pump there was a great chance the pipe would snap while I cut it and then I would be jack hammering ce...

There are many websites and Blogs related to the care of your Swimming Pool. Any homeowner who has the time can apply him or herself to the task of maintaining their own pool. I have a number of sites that I have created to help out homeowners and  pool service professionals. My YouTube Channel has many helpful videos and with a library of over 600 videos you are sure to find the help you need with your pool. The video topics range from Pool Chemistry, Pool Cleaning, Automatic Cleaners, Repairs and Installation and just about everything swimming pool related. YouTube Channel:   https://www.youtube.com/user/MrDgvb1 I actually have a Blog Article in which all of my videos are indexed for you so that you can find the video you need for your specific problem. Video Index: http://poolmandave.blogspot.com/2014/03/swimming-pool-tips-reviews-how-to-video.html You can also just visit my YouTube Channel and spend some time browsing my videos. I have a number of play...

In this article I take you through the steps in cleaning up a pool after a major wind storm. Probably the worst thing that can happen is having your pool hit by a wind storm. The mess a wind storm leaves behind is discouraging and painful. Just about every year we get hit by several major wind events called the Santa Ana Winds. Wind gust can vary from a mild 50 mph to near 80 mph. On Nov 30th 2011 we had a wind event where the Santa Ana winds collided with an Offshore Flow resulting in sustained wind gusts of over 100 mph. To say the pools on my pool route were thrashed was an understatement. The photos in the opening are from the pools on my route the week after that storm.  So I have a lot of practical experience when it comes to cleaning a pool up after the winds. Preparing for the Storm: If you are expecting sustained  wind gusts of 50 mph or higher it may be a good idea to turn your pool completely off for that to prevent your system from clogging. With wind tha...