Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

You can test your swimming pool water or spa each week in several ways. The most common methods are test strips and reagent test kits. Not as common, but growing are the photometer testers or digital testers. Here is an overview of the different testing methods. Smart Water Monitors had a popular run a couple of years back, but when the Hayward pHin went under it kind of soured the market. Sutro and WaterGuru are the two that are left on the market, but are very well-made floating water testers that beam the reading right to your device or phone. Test strips are not only popular but very easy to use. Many different manufacturers make them, like AquaChek, Taylor, and LaMotte, to name a few, and you can find them just about everywhere, from your grocery store, hardware store and local pool store.  You can purchase them online as well, and there are many different types of strips available for testing everything from chlorine and borate to copper in the water. The ease of use of test ...

 The Whisperflo single-speed pump has dominated the pool industry for decades, and it would only be fitting for it to get its own VS version. This is a direct drop-in replacement for a single-speed WhisperFlo pump or the older IntelliFlo VS pumps. If you like the WhisperFlo pump, you currently have and were thinking of getting a VS pump, this would be great. All you need to do is remove the old pump and drop this one in. You would have very minimal replumbing. The inlet and outlet of the WhisperFlo VS will line right up with your old WhisperFlo pump.  If you are replacing a 1.5 or 2 hp single-speed WhisperFlo, there probably is no need to go up to a 3 THP IntelliFlo3 pump. You can save a little money with this pump and with 2.6 THP it will have plenty of power for you. It can also easily be connected to the latest automated systems and comes with a Comm port for your Pentair automated systems.  The Pentair VST (Variable Speed Technology) pool pump is a type of swimming po...

Cordless or corded, that is the question. The main advantage of a cordless cleaner is well that it has no cord. That is about it. If the cord bothers you then the cordless option is readily available now and there are five solid cordless options for you. Polaris Freedom, Aiper Seagull Pro, Dolphin Liberty 200, Dolphin Liberty 300, and the Water Tech CX-1.  One disadvantage of the cordless cleaners is a shorter run time. They currently only will run for 1.5 to 2.5 hours except for the CX-1 which has a 4.5-hour run time. There is also very limited daily programming available. For example, the Dolphin Liberty 300 has Echo Mode, which will run for 30 minutes and then turn off for 48 hours, run for 30 minutes, and then turn off again for 48 hours and run for 30 minutes. The CX-1 has a 7-day cycle where it will turn on 30 minutes each day. With a corded cleaner, you can easily purchase one that has a true programmable 7-day cycle which will allow the cleaner to run it’s full 3-hour cycle...

The Dolphin LIBERTY 300 Cordless Robotic Cleaner is a slightly more advanced sibling cleaner to the Dolphin LIBERTY 200. They both have the same body and 1.5-hour run time with the only difference being the LIBERTY 300 is smarter and comes with both the Fine Filtration and Ultra-Fine Filtration canister panels.  The LIBERTY 300 uses the Click-Up for sound-activated pick-up for easy removal from the pool. This is a little rattle-like device called the Clicker that you submerge in the pool once the cleaner has finished its cycle that wakes it up, “wakey, wakey” and the cleaner climbs the nearest wall and waits for you to grab it out of the pool. The LIBERTY 200 does not have the Click-Up technology and you can only retrieve it with the included hook.  The Liberty 300 also has three different cleaning cycles available. Eco Mode: Keeps your pool clean with 3-30-minute cycles a week (floor only) Cycle Selector: Customize to floor only or floor and walls cleaning.  Selecting ea...

One of the most common water balancing issues is having high Cyanuric Acid (CYA) in your pool. Cyanuric Acid often referred to as Conditioner or Stabilizer is added to the pool in order to slow the chlorine burn-off caused by the Sun's UV rays. But if you use 3” Chlorine Tablets (Trichlor Tablets) you will be adding Cyanuric Acid to your pool on a constant basis.  Draining the pool completely or partially is the best way to reduce the cyanuric acid level in your swimming pool. There are of course other methods. One is to use a CYA reduction product like Bio-Active, but it is an expensive product and is also hit and miss. You may also want to try the Alum method developed by Rudy Stankowitz. You can read about that method here and the steps to take. https://www.aquamagazine.com/digital-edition/bc1bd6ab#10 If your CYA level is very low the Sun's UV rays will cause the chlorine to burn off quickly leaving your pool with no sanitizer or very low levels. The Conditioner in the pool ...

 The Hayward TracVac is easy to install in most cases. The only real struggle you will have is setting your VS pump speed (RPM) to to right level so that the cleaner gets enough suction to operate. Fortunately, Hayward was kind enough to include an adapter that allows you to set the suction speed. Manually remove very large and excessive debris from the pool (ie. post-storm, spring cleaning/pool opening situations). Perform a backwash or clean filter cartridges, and clean your filter, skimmer baskets, and pump basket. Check that the chemical balance is correct. If not, take the time to correct it before using the TracVac. If you chemically shock the pool, wait 1-2 days before continuing. Point all your return fittings downward to maximize cleaner pool coverage. IMPORTANT: Ensure that your dedicated suction port is fitted with a Safety VacLock fitting (not included). If not, obtain one from your local pool store and have it installed first Skimmer Only Connection If your pool does n...

 One of the biggest problems that you can run into with your swimming pool is that it stops holding chlorine. We refer to this in the industry as the chlorine zeroing out. There are several reasons for this and it is more noticeable in the Spring and Summer when the weather starts heating up and the Sun’s UV Rays become stronger. If you are a homeowner you will be spending a ton of money on chemicals each week. Conversely, if you are a pool service professional this account will be draining all of your profits away. You can do one of two things. Drop the client or charge them the chemicals and leave them at the poolside. I like purchasing a 50-pound bucket at Cal Hypo and leaving it in the equipment area. That way the customer is paying for the chemicals and you are not losing money on the account.  Algae (microalgae) , Organic Debris, Phosphates, and Nitrates can all affect the chlorine in the pool. If your pool has visible algae chances are the chlorine is being used up fast...

 Riptide is always improving the SL cart and thinking of new ideas. The Riptide Salt Carrier will allow you to transport salt bags easily to the pools on your route. The salt carrier simply clips onto the front of the cart and allows you to transport salt bags, chlorine jugs, or filter cartridges to and from the pool. No installation is required, it will simply clip onto the front of your cart. You will need to remove the salt carrier before loading your Riptide back into the transportation rack. To order the Salt Carrier: https://www.riptidevac.com/collections/accessories/products/salt-carrier Riptide has the solution to this with their New!  Handlebar Organizer and their Quart Bottle/Tab Holder. HANDLEBAR ORGANIZER $ 80.00 https://www.riptidevac.com/collections/accessories/products/handlebar-organizer The Handlebar Organizer can hold a leaf rake, brush, Taylor test kit, test strips, tools, and whatever else you wish to add to it. This will leave the bins open for chemicals a...