Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

There are a few things that sets the WaterGuru apart from other smart pool monitors. It is designed to replace your skimmer lid so that there are no floating monitors in the pool, it stays hidden in your skimmer. There is also no monthly subscription fee for the device. The test cassette lasts up to 8 weeks with one water test per day (although you can do a test on-demand at any time with a press of a button). The WaterGuru test for Free Chlorine, pH, water temperature, and flow. One test is run each day with the pool on and running. In the app you will need to set the optimal time for the Water Guru to run the test, I set mine for 1:30 pm when I know the pool will be running during its normal cycle. Each cassette will last for 8 weeks and the replacement cost is very minimal if broken down over 2 months. It works out to about 3.5 cents per day to test these for factors (FC, pH, Temp, Flow -GPM). To order the WaterGuru: https://amzn.to/3wKqMCZ Visit their website to learn more: h...

Rising pH can be frustrating for many pool owners and pool pros. You can add acid and then the next week the pH is back up or you may be trying to lower it and nothing seems to be happening.  Swimming pool pH is often a test factor that is misunderstood or not given the proper attention. We know it is one of the big 3 test factors alongside Chlorine and Alkalinity but why is the pH important to measure and keep in the range each week? I think the premiere expert on pH would be the late Bob Lowry and below is a podcast I recorded with him on the subject. Bob Lowry has created over 100 chemicals used in today’s Pool & Spa Industry and has written over 20 books on pool & spa chemistry.  He 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 is a podcast I did ...

 The BWT RC60 is one of their new flagship robotic pool cleaners. It features app control through the BWT RC app through your device's Bluetooth connection. It also comes with a very solid transport caddy and the cleaner itself is backed by a solid 2-year bumper-to-bumper warranty.  Who is BWT (Best Water Technology)? I will try to summarize it here without too much confusion. BWT is the parent company of the Aquabot Robotic Pool Cleaners. To be more correct they are the parent company of Aquatron which in conjunction with AquaProducts made up the company known Aquabot owned by Fluidra. When Fluidra merged with Zodiac Pool Systems the European Union said Fluidra would have a monopoly if they were allowed to own Aqaubot (Aquatron & AquaProducts) as well Zodiac who makes the Polaris robotic pool cleaners.  Aqaubot was then split into two companies, Aquatron and AqauProducts. Previously these were two divisions under the one name Aquabot.  Fluidra kept the AquaProdu...

Green Pool Clean Up Step by Step: Make sure the pool can be cleared up vs draining it and refilling the pool. A rule of thumb is that if there are more than 4 inches of sediment on the bottom, draining may be better. This would be a lot of algae and dirt on the pool bottom so more like a pool that has been sitting unattended for over a year or more. Generally, a pool that has only been green for a few months can be cleared up with just chemicals and algaecide. Also, make sure the equipment is in good working order. Step One: Scoop out all of the leaves and debris from the bottom and surface. Don't worry about stirring everything up, you will vacuum at the end of the treatment. Step Two: Brush the pool as best as you can. Some of the algae might be really tough to brush off. If you have a plaster or Pebble Tec Pool a Steel Algae Brush will help. But a lot of the algae will be loosened once you add the chemicals to the pool.  Step Three: If you have a D.E. Or Cartridge filter take it...

To say this robotic pool cleaner moves fast is an understatement. I received this test model and put it in my pool, I thought there is a short circuit somewhere and the motor was getting too much power, because this thing ran across the pool floor. I really can’t think of any cleaner that I have tested that moved this fast.  You can order it here for under $600.00: https://poolcleaner.natiddy.com/ It features some great horizontal wall climbing reminding me of the older Aquabot Models that unfortunately have been discontinued. I like the horizontal wall climbing as it is an effective way for the cleaner to get from one area of the pool to another without having to drop to the floor. The timer also reminds me of the old Aquabots with the 2-hour or 5-hour runtime. It can also be set to floors only which is a great way to quickly spot clean a pool.  The cleaner bottom has some cool features. There are water jets on the bottom that activate, I assume on a timer of sorts and these ...

 Let’s face it, skimming a pool all day with a leaf rake is a waste of time and effort, especially if you can install devices that will do the job for you. Below is a list of some of these. Let me also say that there are a few logical things you can do to reduce a pool’s surface debris which includes running your pool for a proper length of time, running your Variable Speed Pump at a higher RPM, trimming the trees and bushes around the pool and making sure the skimmer weir door is intact and functioning.  PoolSkim: This is a very innovative and easy to use device that connects directly to your pool's 1 1/2” threaded return line. If your pool has stub pipe fittings you can purchase inserts for it, but it is designed to thread right into the spot where you remove the 1 1/2” eyeball fitting. The PoolSkim works great as it uses the pool return to create a secondary skimmer and traps all of the surface debris in the large attached bag.  POOLSKIM the automatic pool skimmer – Re...

The Chlorine Genie will generate chlorine for your pool without the need of adding 400, 600, or 800 lbs of salt to the pool water, all of the salt used to generate chlorine remains inside the Chlorine Genie itself! This is by far the safest and cleanest chlorine production unit on the market today! As a side bonus, the Chlorine Genie will also allow for pH adjustments so in most cases you no longer will need to add Muriatic Acid or Soda Ash to balance the pH in your pool. The Chlorine Genie is not a new product. It was launched back in 1995 and was independently operated until 2 years ago when Ultimate Water acquired the product. This is just the latest generation and probably the most refined version to date of the Chlorine Genie. There are currently two different units available: RT30 Single Cell unit is optimized for residential settings and is for pools up to 40k gallons in size. The CT50 Dual Cell unit is optimized for semi-commercial settings and pools up to 80k in size. Th...

If you're having trouble cleaning up a green pool or curing a pool with algae, the answer could simply be to add more chlorine. This may not be the problem but in many cases, you are just not bringing the Free Chlorine level up to a high enough PPM. Technically by adding more chlorine you can solve many lingering pool water quality issues. The sweet spot in terms of ppm varies per pool. A good rule of thumb is that you will want to bring the chlorine level up to 30-50 ppm and keep it there until the pool issue you are trying to cure is gone. Whether that be a green pool, a pool full of mustard or yellow algae, or a pool that is cloudy and has a high amount of Combined Chlorine. I term this process “Shock and Awe” and other forums like TFP call it the “Slam Method.” Regardless of the name, adding the correct chlorine level is crucial. Bob Lowry came up with a formula that states that a pool’s FC level needs to be at 7.5% of the pool’s CYA level to be effective against algae and bact...

The Jandy TruClear Salt System, in my opinion, is a very reliable saltwater system but like everything you may see an error code on the screen. Knowing what the error code signifies is an important troubleshooting step. Here is a list of codes and what they mean with of course an emphasis on the “Check Cell” code. “Check Cell” Error Code: Check Cell When the system is running within a valid chlorination window and detects a cell short circuit or overload. Designed to warn the user or service person. Output is OFF.  Check Cell When the system is running within a valid chlorination window and detects a cell open circuit or disconnection. Designed to warn the user or service person. Output is off but retries each 30 seconds. This code is more common once your salt cell reaches the end of its life cycle which is around 3-5 years. The lifespan ratings are usually noted by the manufacturer in hours and most salt systems are rated for 10,000 hours of use. The “use” is when the salt cell i...