Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

No matter how long you run your swimming pool pump, you will not get all the water from the pool through the filter and back out again. So does run time matter? Yes and no. Technically speaking you should try to get at least one cycle of water through the pool, 2-3 cycles all the better as you can see from the study I am referencing below. You usually need a flow meter attached to your pool equipment to calculate a water cycle. As a rule of thumb, 50 GPM is the average, with a single-speed pump running at 3450 RPM. You can get a ballpark and use this formula if you do not have a flow meter on your equipment.  Pool size/ 50 Gallons Per Minute/ 60 minutes. Here is an example with a 20,000-gallon pool: 20,000 Gal / 50 GPM /60 minutes = 6 hours and 30 minutes So, a water cycle will go through the pool once every 6.5 hours. But how much pool water will go through the filter and back into the pool? Here is the study abstract for you. "The primary objective of this study was to conduct a...

Any pool surface type can be easily stained to any product containing acid, like a battery-operated toy (when the batteries explode from being on the pool bottom) or a 3” trichlor tablet, which includes a type of acid in cyanuric acid and has a pH under 3. Roof nails, staples holding up Christmas lights, and fertilizer pellets can also cause rust stains in your pool.  Fiberglass and vinyl pool surface chemicals can sometimes burn or bleach the surface. Don’t use granular Trichlor and cal hypo should not be added directly to the vinyl pool; I prefer adding cal hypo through the skimmer to avoid bleaching out the vinyl liner; in some cases, manufacturers will void your warranty on your fiberglass or vinyl pool if you use trichlor tablets in these pools. The pH is relatively low in a fiberglass and vinyl pool since it is plastic, and using any pool chemical with a low pH, like Trichlor, can lead to metal staining from the equipment as the low pH reacts with metal components. Dichlor ha...

Chlorine Enhancers: The high price of chlorine these pay for themselves. Three categories that are in active use Phosphate Remover and Enzyme Combo Product: Natural Chemistry Perfect Weekly & Pool Perfect & Phosfree are two such products. Allows chlorine to be more effective. Removes one food source for algae. Phosphate reducers are specialty chemicals used to remove phosphates from pool water. They are typically salts of aluminum or lanthanum, which, when added to water, produce insoluble phosphate compounds, which are removed through filtration, vacuuming, or both. It creates an ION exchange, causing the phosphates to drop, and they can be vacuumed and filtered out of the pool. Phosphates are food for algae, and by eliminating them from the water, you eliminate at least one major food source for algae. This will prevent algae growth, so chlorine levels drop rapidly in some pools.  SMARTZyme™ technology breaks down suntan, cosmetics, body oils, and other non-living organic...

Green Pool Clean-Up Step-by-Step: Ensure the pool can be cleared up vs. draining and refilling it. A rule of thumb is that draining may be better if there are more than 4 inches of sediment on the bottom. There would be a lot of algae and dirt on the pool bottom, which would be more like a pool sitting unattended for over a year or more. Generally, a pool that has only been green for a few months can be cleared with chemicals and algaecide. Also, make sure the equipment is in good working order. Step One: Scoop out all 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 tough to brush off. If you have a plaster or Pebble Tec Pool, a Steel Algae Brush will help. However, much of the algae will be loosened once the chemicals are added to the pool.  Step Three: If you have a D.E. Or Cartridge filter, clean it apart. The filter type i...

Everything we use has a byproduct. A gasoline engine puts out Carbon dioxide & Carbon monoxide as the fuel is consumed. We all like our steaks and hamburgers, and cows produce byproducts like methane and manure. Did you know that every chlorine product also produces a byproduct? Liquid chlorine's byproduct is salt. Cal Hypo's is calcium, and Trichlor and Dichlor are cyanuric acid. One way to offset these byproducts is to use a combination approach to your chlorine usage. Doing this ensures that one single byproduct does not dominate your pool water. A partial drain and refill each month also helps reduce these byproducts as you add fresh water and drain the different byproducts - salt, calcium, and cyanuric acid. A partial drain is needed because these byproducts naturally leave the pool water through evaporation but stay behind in the water as the pure water evaporates.  How to Effectively Use Chlorine to Sanitize a Pool Outline: Most pool pros use a combination of chlorin...

 If you are getting into the pool service industry, you may notice that the pool equipment in a backyard is either tan, black, or grey. These are the primary colors of Pentair, Hayward, and Fluidra, or as I call them, "The Big Three." Pentair, Hayward, and Fluidra are three central pool and spa equipment companies. They all provide a wide range of products, including filters, pumps, heaters, cleaners, and automation systems, to residential and commercial markets worldwide.  Pentair is the leader in innovation and was first in the market with its IntelliFlo VS Pump. Pentair is well-regarded for its innovative solutions in water treatment and sustainable practices, often leading the market with new technologies. Product Range: Offers a broad range of products for pool maintenance, water treatment, and filtration systems, catering to various market segments. They own Rainbow and Sta-Rite, and their products are regarded as being at the top of the industry, especially their VS pu...

Perfect Weekly is a blended formula with 3-active products; of course, the argument is that more is better when it comes to blended formulas. I agree that you now have a chance to add a product, COVERfree, which helps reduce water evaporation. Perfect Weekly: Cleans water, Removes phosphates, Conserves water & energy noPHOS traps phosphates (food for algae) in the pool filter which are eliminated from the water after a filter clean or backwash. SMARTzyme broad spectrum formula breaks down oils and non-living organic contaminants, reducing water sanitizer demand. COVERfree water evaporation reducer lowers heat loss and reduces chemical use, saving money on pool maintenance. It helps prevent algae by maintaining phosphate levels below 100 ppb Lowers costs on chemical use and water consumption Safe for use in all types of pool filters, including cartridge, D.E., and sand filters Improves overall water quality and efficiency for healthier pool water Easily added to pool skimmer while m...

Filtration: Your pool filter is often overlooked, but it is the key to the entire equation. If your filter is undersized, dirty, or in poor working order, circulation and sanitizer are affected negatively. You can run your pool for 24 hours with a dirty filter and have plenty of chlorine (sanitizer) in the water, and you will have cloudy water or water that is not safe to swim in. To correct this, ensure your filter elements – grids or cartridges are in good working order. The grids and the cartridges wear out and need to be replaced, as does the sand in your sand filter. Also, keeping your filter clean goes a long way in infiltration. A filthy filter won't move the water well, nor will it make the chlorine in the water effective. Circulation: You can have a brand new filter, and you can add 2 gallons of chlorine to your 20,000-gallon pool, but if you run your pump only 2 hours a day, chances are the chlorine will not hold, and the water will become cloudy or algae-filled. It is li...

Cal Hypo Shock Vs. Other Shocks Power Powder Plus 73% Calcium Hypochlorite 70% Minimum Available Chlorine   Cal Hypo Easy to use Strong No CYA Go with a trusted brand for the best results Other Shocks Not all Cal Hypo is created equal Some are not fine powder Non-chlorine (potassium monopersulfate) does not kill bacteria and viruses Cal Hypo's strength is weaker than other brands at 54% 3” Tablets dissolve too slowly to shock a pool Cal Hypo tablets dissolve too slowly to shock a pool Liquid chlorine is a good choice but has a short shelf lifespan Not as convient as cal hypo Granular Trichlor can stain pool surface Dichlor shock is good but adds CYA to the water   Cal Hypo is very popular, and there are several reasons why it is widely used in the industry. It is easy to carry and has different strengths of 54-73% with active chlorine up to 70%. However, Cal Hypo contains no Cyanuric Acid (CYA) and is ideal to use as a shock if you are using 3” Trichlor tablets in your pool. O...