Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

Many have asked me if they should close their pools in the winter. For some regions, it is a bit of a gray area. Technically speaking you can keep a pool open in an area where the air temperature drops to zero as long as you keep the water moving through the pipes, pump, filter, and heater. Keeping the water circulating is the key. For example in Maine where pools are closed for the winter, average winter temperatures are 25°F in the far south to less than 15°F in the northern parts. If you keep the pool pump running 24/7 you can keep your pool open all winter.  Herein lies the problem though. In the Great Texas Freeze which occurred the week of February 11–20, 2021 many pool owners suffered damage to their pool equipment when their pumps and filters froze.  The freeze was a historic cold snap that brought record-low temperatures to some parts of the state that normally never get that cold. These pool owners just didn't close their pools in that region and left them open year-...

Changing your pool lights from a standard incandescent bulb to LED lights can be done in one or two ways. If you like your current light and don’t wish to fully upgrade to a new LED color-changing system a simple LED replacement bulb might be the way to go.  Yes, you can simply replace incandescent pool lights with LED bulbs. LED bulbs are brighter, more efficient, and last longer than incandescent bulbs. They also offer more color and installment options. When replacing incandescent or halogen bulbs with LED bulbs, you should choose bulbs that fit into the fixture. Most pool lights use E26 bulbs, but it's best to remove the old bulb and check it before you buy a new one.  You should only put an LED bulb in a fixture that is less than 10 years old. One problem that you may run into is that when you pull out an older light fixture to change it the cord on the back might be compromised letting water into the fixture. In that case, upgrading the entire light fixture will be neces...

Having a new pool built is no small project. For the amount of money that the project will cost you and the fact that it will be a permanent part of your yard for years to come - you don't want to make any mistakes along the way. Surprisingly there are no concise guides out there for you to follow to avoid costly mistakes. This series will hopefully change that and give you a blueprint for having the pool built so that you are completely happy with the project without regrets. Choose a Design and Get at Least 3 Bids Look online at different pool designs, visit friends and family that have a pool in their yard, check out pools in your neighborhood, etc. Do everything you can to see as many designs online and in person so that when you do call a builder you will have a good idea of what you want a bid for. Do you want a free-form pool or a more geometric design? Water features such as waterfalls or deck jets. Do you want a pool and spa combo or just a pool? You should have a good ide...

I figured someone would come up with a robotic pool cleaner for spas and hot tubs one day. It has been on many spa owners' wish lists. With over 7.3 million hot tubs across the nation, this is going to be a popular item. Coming in at a retail price of $499.00 it is a pretty affordable option. The question is of course, does it work? After all a spa/hot tub has seats, odd-shaped ridges, and small bottom areas. Robotic pool cleaners can’t clean seating areas and steps in a traditional pool so what about a spa?  The answer is yes, the Spabot works rather effectively. It’s programmed to float to the surface and then sink back down. This random floating allows it to in effect climb into the seating area around a spa as it falls back down. With a 1-hour run time, the Spabot will cover just about every area in a spa multiple times.  The debris canister is a good size and I believe the micron rating is pretty low. It seems to pick up fine dirt very well and leaf debris without any pro...

Educating the clients on your pool service route before a major wind event is critical. You must lower their expectations or assumptions that their pool will be cleaned up in one visit. Many clients will assume that since they pay you to maintain and clean their pool you will spend 2 hours at their account to get things cleaned up. That is just an impossible expectation and with a service, agreement spelling out what they should expect in a major wind event you are off the hook. A strategy that I implement is letting the customer know that if they can skim the surface and empty the skimmer basket I will vacuum up the pool bottom, thus speeding up the cleanup. Having a pole and leaf rake at every one of your service accounts is essential. That way the client can pitch in during a major wind event. About 80% of my current clients will skim the pool surface the day after a wind storm. This makes it easy for me to get the pool back in shape with my vacuum system. Explain the clean-up proce...

There are a few things that set the WaterGuru Sense 2 apart from other smart pool monitors and even the Sense S1. The Sense S2 now does 5 test factors – Free Chlorine, pH, Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, and CYA. It also will monitor the water temperature and the flow of the pool as well. The Sense S2 is designed to replace your skimmer lid so that there are no floating monitors in the pool, and it stays hidden in your skimmer. New for the Sense S2 is an included floating ring so if you have a spa or lap pool, above-ground pool, or any other body of water without a dedicated standard skimmer lid you can now simply “float” the Sense S2 to get the readings. Note that the pool flow will not be monitored in that case or at least the reading will be very low.  There is also no monthly subscription fee for the device. The C5 cassette lasts up to 4 weeks with one water test per day (although you can do a test on-demand at any time with a press of a button) To order the WaterGuru Sense S2: h...

Of course, before you replace any of your pool equipment you should have a pool pro assess it thoroughly as sometimes a simple repair is all you need. He or she can also advise you on if you need to replace something and with what particular brand. The pool pump can be the highest energy hog in your house, passing your Air Conditioner and Refrigerator just by the sheer amount of hours it runs each day. If you have a 1 ½ or 2 HP pump installed and you run it 8 hours per day, not to get into complicated conversions of kWh (Kilowatt Hours) and how you are charged each month by your Electric Company, just imagine it as having on Twenty 100 watt light bulbs every hour it is running. That is a lot of electricity each day and if your bill is tiered by usage, meaning the more you use the more you are charged, your bill can get very high very quickly. On average a pool pump will be about 40% of your total electricity bill each month. The best way to save money is to cut into your monthly electr...

  I’ve been using the LevelSmart auto-fill for almost 10 years and it is a great product that works as described. Recently H2flow Controls took over the production and distribution. They are the maker of the popular FlowVis Flow   Meter. Here is more about the LevleSmart Advanced Wireless Autofill Technology: LevelSmart brings you cutting-edge wireless autofill technology, ensuring hassle-free water level management for your pool, spa, tank, or any water feature. Say goodbye to manual filling and enjoy automated convenience. Wireless Convenience: With its wireless functionality, the LevelSmart system eliminates the need for complicated wiring installations. Enjoy the convenience of wireless communication between the sensor and valve controller, making installation a breeze. Reliable and Accurate: Level Smart pool water leveler ensures reliable and accurate water level management. Its advanced technology and precise sensors deliver accurate readings, preventing overfill...

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 in how easy it is to maintain and operate whereas a D.E. filter can be a real pain. D.E. Filters Best filtration down to 3-5 microns Uses Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) or Perlite to coat the grids Quad cartridge-type filters 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. on the street Cartridge Filters Filter down to 10-20 microns Easy to clean – simply take the lid off and hose them off Bigger is better and the 4-cartridge types are my preferred version Can’t backwash in between cleaning Offer the largest filtration area in square feet.  Easy to maintain Sand Filters: Filter down to 30-40 microns Easy to use Backwash when ...