Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

  I recently hosted a pool cleaning equipment webinar on Skype for the group members. Here is the edited webinar with slides and video clips for you. Glen, the creator of the Bottom Feeder dropped in and spent some time talking about the Bottom Feeder and future updates! I cover everything from your leaf rake to vacuum systems in this talk.   I am in a unique position where I started doing weekly pool service back in 1988 and from this point have used various pool nets, poles, and cleaning equipment so I have become a default expert in what I consider to be the best equipment.   Here is a summary of the cleaning equipment I like. You can find most of these at your local pool store or wholesale supplier but here are some links to them and manufacturer websites for quick reference.   Everyday  use gloves for chemical handling: G& F 6 PAIRS Men's Working Gloves with Micro-Foam Coating - Garden Gloves Texture Grip: https://amzn.to/3r57bez   Cold...

About a year ago I tested and filmed two Aiper cleaners, one very similar to this one but with a traditional cord. The other Aiper cleaner was a compact battery-operated unit which I think lacked cleaning time and didn’t have great programming. The Aiper Seagull 3000 is like a combination of these two cleaners and I think this time around Aiper got it right. The Seagull 3000 is a cordless type cleaner since it has a floating battery and an 8ft cord attached to that so technically it is not entirely cordless. The floating battery gives this cleaner plenty of power and a 2 hour cleaning time so it is a good compromise in my opinion. Note that the battery cord is only 8 feet 2” in length to the maximum depth of a pool you can use this in is 8 ft. So it is designed for a small to the medium pool and with the 2 hour run time you couldn’t effectively use it in a large pool anyway.   The Seagull 3000 utilizes a built-in, rechargeable, 7800mAh Battery so the 2-hour run time is accurat...

The pHin started in 2014 as a concept when these smart pool monitors were first coming online. They were a $7 million start-up and the pHin began to dominate the market. This caused ripples in the industry and many pool pros were worried that these smart pool monitors would replace them one day. Fast forward to Dec 20th, 2021, and the pHin is now discontinued and in all intents and purposes a paperweight now. Here is the email from Hayward about the shutdown of pHin: Dear David, Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to end the pHin service on December 20, 2021, and close the pHin business. We are grateful to the customers who were so supportive of pHin. We understand this news is abrupt and would like to help provide answers to your questions. Please note that your subscription to pHin has expired and is completed and you will not be charged for a renewal or any further charges from pHin.   Will I still be able to use my pHin? No, the service will no longer be ava...

Sutro recently came out with their Pro app and a program for builders and pool service professionals to link multiple Sutro devices into the app so you can monitor your customer’s accounts with the Sutro Smart Monitor. This app allows you to install a Sutro at a customer’s pool and monitor Free Chlorine, pH and Alkalinity, and water temperature via Wifi or LTE over the internet and allows you to see these readings anywhere where you have an internet connection. The applications of this are that if you do startups the Sutro will take 3 readings per day for you and this will help with any warranty requirements from the builder. Since the Sutro will take the FC, pH, and ALK (and Temperature) – four test factors of the Saturation Index, if you are computing the LSI at this pool all you will need is the Calcium Hardness reading and CYA at the initial fill and the Sutro will monitor the rest for you as long as it remains in the pool.  If you are a builder you can offer the Sutro to your ...

 I have been using the Taylor Test kits almost from day one when I started pool service back in the late 1980s and early '90s. One thing that sets Taylor apart from many other kits is the number of test factors their K-2000 kits can perform. You can do Free Chlorine & Combined Chlorine, Total Alkalinity, pH with acid demand and base demand, Calcium Hardness, and Cyanuric Acid.  As in the podcast, I suggest one of these three test kits for professional and homeowner use (you can also purchase the version in Spanish and one that does salt or salinity level testing): K-2005* (Spanish : K-2005S*) Complete-high (uses DPD): chlorine 1–10 ppm; bromine 2–20 ppm; pH 7.0–8.0; acid & base demand; total alkalinity; calcium hardness; cyanuric acid; .75 oz. bottles K-2005-SALT* Same tests as K-2005, plus a test for sodium chloride. Available in a case pack of six (K-2005-SALT-6) K-2006* (Spanish : K-2006S*) Complete-high (uses FAS-DPD): chlorine 1 drop = 0.2 or 0.5 ppm; pH 7.0–8.0; ...

Emaux is a leader in the industry in equipment manufacturing in Europe and Asia and they are making strides into the USA. Raypak recently teamed up with them and if you order the Raypak Above ground cartridge filter it is manufactured by Emaux. The design of their filters is simple and practical which makes them very user-friendly.   A cartridge filter has many advantages over D.E and Sand and the CF filter series come in a range of sizes from 25 sq ft to 200 sq ft. You will find the compact design perfect for any equipment pad. I would say that these filters are perfect for above-ground pools and a small inground pool, 10,000 gallons or less.  The CF Series filters come with a UV-resistant tank and a heavy-duty ring-lock lid which allows easy cleaning and replacement of the cartridge element. Also, there is a screw-type air bleeder for easy removal of trapped air inside the filter tank. The high-quality oil-filled pressure gauge is provided for easy inspection of the operatin...

Adding salt to your pool seems like an easy task but there are some things you need to know before you dump in a few 40 lbs bags. The first thing of course is does the pool needs salt added. It sounds simple enough but it needs answering first. Chapter Marks: 00:00 What to Expect In this Video 00:57 Intro in Saltwater pools 2:00 Systems that read Salt Level 2:58 False Salt Reading 4:14 Digital Salinity Meter Test 8:12 Non-functioning unit 9:30 New builds 14:20 Non-salt pool Here are some reasons why you should add salt: Digital meter shows salt level under 3000 ppm Water temperature is over 60 degrees F The pool surface is over 60 days old (new build or remodel) The saltwater cell is clean and functioning You have a saltwater generator on your equipment Here are some reasons when you should not add salt: You do not have a saltwater generator attached to your pool equipment The salt cell is dirty The system is showing low salt – built-in salinity monitor The pool plaster is fresh, under...

  The Jacuzzi J-D300 and the Splash Seahawk are essentially the same cleaners, just branded for different outlets. The J-D300 is sold exclusively at Leslie’s pool supply and  you can find the Seahawk on other sites. The cleaner works surprisingly well and you can keep it running in your pool for several years with part changes here and there.   There is a one-year warranty on the cleaner and I doubt if any of the parts will wear out or break in that first year of use. The diaphragm is not a warranty part and that will likely wear out in 1 year to 18 months. When that happens you would use the Zodiac Diaphragm listed here.   Replacement Diaphragm: Item No. 763276 Manufacturer SKU: WBAPC021 https://lesliespool.com/right-fit-replacement-diaphragm-for-baracuda-g3-g4-pool-cleaners/763276.html   In my opinion, this is a good cleaner for $200 and it tends to go on sale during the season. As far as changing parts I think they made it over complicated. When I f...

How will the 2022 season look? In a word ugly. When making a prediction, any prediction we look at obvious indicators like past performance. How will the Yankees do in 2022? Probably just as good or better than in 2021. If we make a similar prediction about the 2022 season based on 2021 I think some of the same problems will persist. Chapter marks: 00:00 What to expect in this video 00:58 Trichlor Tablets 04:20 Higher wages equal higher prices 07:44 More shortages 11:40 strategies for 2022 14:24 Salt water generator 16:33 Add enhancers 19:48 Keep your Free Chlorine Level higher If you think the shortages will magically go away I have some swampland, I mean marshland in Florida I would like to sell you. The BioLab factory is still being rebuilt and it looks like any Trichlor produced out of there won’t be available until the 2023 season. In case you didn’t know that factory burned down in 2020 and it is the largest producer of Trichlor, some 2 million pounds each year. So don’t expect t...

Bob Lowry passed away on November 17 th, 2021 and a true legend has left the pool and spa industry. He was the author of over 23 books but this has to be one of his most relevant and shortest books coming in at just 19 pages thick. But it is packed with so many essentials on residential pool chemistry that you will want a copy to carry in your service truck. Bob Lowry has been in the industry for over 47 years and is the Lead Consultant at Lowry Consulting Group, leads the Pool Chemistry Training Institute, and has created the Certified Residential Pool & Spa Certification Program. Learn more at  https://pcti.online/ Here are all of the podcasts that I recorded with Bob Lowry: A Tribute to Bob Lowry (October 1st 1946 to November 17th, 2021) https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/9579620 The Four Different Testing Methods and Which is Best with Bob Lowry: https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/9411868 Borates and Mineral Systems with Chemistry Expert Bob Lowry: https://www.buzz...

Video Chapter Marks: 00:00 What to expect in this video 00:15 Goulding’s Lodge 00:35 Red Rock Luxury Home 01:40 The View Hotel 01:55 Valley Rim Cabin  02:37 17 Mile Scenic Loop 03:18 Monument Valley Safari tour 04:39 Horseback Riding in Monument Valley 05:24 Tear Drop Arch 05:45 Forrest Gump Point 05:55 Mexican Hat, Utah 06:12 Gooseneck State Park 06:42 Closing thoughts Monument Valley, a red-sand desert region on the Arizona-Utah border, is known for the towering sandstone buttes of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. The park, frequently a filming location for Western movies, is accessed by the looping, 17-mile Valley Drive. The famous, steeply sloped Mittens buttes can be viewed from the road or from overlooks such as John Ford’s Point. ― Google Address: Indn Route 42, Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ 84536 Here is a list of hotels, tours, and other points of interest for you. Goulding’s Lodge: https://gouldings.com/ There is a nice restaurant in the hotel – I suggest you order the Na...

 The caution and warning here is that 3” Tri-Chlor tablets can give off toxic gas if it is in a bucket and water gets in with the lid on or the tablets are in a chlorinator that has no water in it and partially dissolved tablets. When you take the lid off the bucket of tablets or off of the chlorinator the fumes can be overwhelming and can cause lung damage. So always make sure the tablet bucket remains completely dry and that your chlorinator is working properly.  Chapter Marks: 00:00 What to Expect in this video 00:48 Raises CYA in your pool 03:37 Low pH causes stains & damage 07:32 Off-Line Chlorinator cautions 09:05 Toxic gas 11:34 Mixing other chemicals with Tri-Chlor 13:04 Granular Tri-Chlor 14:52 Toxic Dust & Tri-Chlor handling tips 19:50 Wrap-Up overview Tri-Chlor or Trichloroisocyanuric Acid comes in three forms. The familiar 3” tablets that slowly dissolve in your pool, a very fine powder shock and a granular form. About 50% of the Tri-Chlor by weight is Cond...

Each of the three filter types is vastly different in how they work but they all essentially do the same job. D.E. is always going to give you the best filtration with cartridge a close 2nd and sand a distant 3rd. But a sand filter makes up for that is how easy it is to maintain and operate whereas a D.E. filter can be a real pain.  Chapter Marks: 00:00 What to Expect in this video 01:04 Identifying the Filter Type 08:05 Size Comparison Between the 3 Types 10:35 Microns & Filtration 14:00 What is Important in Choosing a Filter 18:33 Advantages of D.E & Sand Filters 20:44 Advantage of a Cartridge Filter 22:04 My Favorite Filter Type I break it down like this to make it easy. D.E. Filters Best filtration down to 3-5 microns Uses Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) or Perlite to coat the grids Quad cartridge type filter and Perflex (Bump Filters) are available  Backwashing in between cleanings is a plus Cleaning them can be a real pain Cities may fine you up to $10,000 for D.E. in ...

 A sand filter is a great choice for ease of use and it is one filter type that is often overlooked when shopping for a new filter. When I ease of use I mean that a sand filter is very easy to maintain and service. No need to ever take the lid off and clean it and all you need to do is backwash it when the filter pressure starts to get high. I should mention here that the Jacuzzi JSF26 is made by Waterway which is a local equipment manufacturer here in Southern California. This assures that you are getting a quality filter and because it is made here there is no shortage of inventory. If you are having trouble locating another manufacturer’s sand filter, the Jacuzzi JSF26 would be a great choice as a replacement. This is also a 300 lbs sand filter so it is great for a small or medium pool and is comparable to a 48 sq ft DE filter or a 300 sq ft cartridge filter. It is hard to compare one type of filter to another because they are very different but for filtration and size of the po...

I sat down with Bob Lowry and we went over some of the things you will run into when dealing with a pool in the winter months when the water is cold. You will notice that in really cold water the pool chemicals will stay very constant and you will not be adding much chlorine, acid, or base to the pool. Generally, in water temperature, less than 65 degrees the pool's salt system will also stop operating. At this point simply switch to liquid chlorine and use that as your primary sanitizer. Typically in colder water, one gallon of liquid chlorine will hold a good chlorine level for 2 to 3 weeks or more. Chapter Marks: 00:00 Update on Bob’s Health 07:30 Atlas Gloves  08:22 Chemical Usage 09:50 Closing Your Pool Or Not Closing 13:55 Salt Water Pools 15:38 Run Time 16:12 Freezing Water 17:55 CYA Level can Drop  20:35 Grey Area in Closing a Pool If you service your pool in the winter the water can be bone-chilling cold so wearing the proper gloves is essential. I like the Atlas 772 ...