Pool School
We offer a one hour Pool School, so that you are perfectly comfortable with what is in your backyard and how to best take care of it. Whether you are a DIY’er or you are having your pool professionally maintained, knowledge is a great thing to possess.
Resources
Correct pool operation relies on three main functions: Circulation, Filtration, and Water Chemistry. Below you will find an explanation of all three:
Circulation
Circulation of your pool is controlled by your pool pump.
Having the right pump is very important. Preferably, a pump should circulate all the water in the pool once every eight hours. This is known as the turnover rate. If the pump is too small, there will not be enough flow to circulate all the water in your pool in a reasonable amount of time. If the pump is too large, it could cause damage to the plumbing and/or pool equipment. Consult your pool professional if you are concerned about your pump size.
Filtration
Filtration of the water in the pool is managed by your pool filter. Locally there are two common types of pool filters:
- Sand Filter – Uses sand to filter small particles in the water. Sand filters have the least filtering ability of the three filters and is limited to about 20-40 microns. However, this is usually sufficient in most pools. Advantages of sand filters are that they are very easy to clean and maintain. Cleaning the filter involves simply turning a valve on the top of the filter or side of the filter for side mount varieties.
- Cartridge Filter – Cartridge filters use pleated cylindrical cartridges to filter the water. Cartridge filters can catch particles in the water to about 10-15 microns, which is slightly better than sand filters. However, a disadvantage of cartridge filters is that cleaning them requires disassembly of the filter.
Water Chemistry
Keeping pool water in balance is essential to having a properly maintained pool. Even one out of balance parameter can cause issues in a pool, so it is important to keep every variable as close to its ideal range as possible.
The ideal range for what’s referred to as the Langelier stability index is -0.5 to +0.5. If your results are below -0.5, your pool or hot tub water is considered corrosive. You will then need to take steps to adjust your pH, total alkalinity or calcium hardness. If your calculated results are higher than +0.5, then your pool or hot tub water is scale forming. Take the necessary steps to adjust the balancing factors of your swimming pool chemistry. Don’t worry; we’ll tell you what those steps are!
The most important factor to your water balance is the pH. The pH sets the tone for your water and keeps it clear and inviting.
