Pool Chemicals: Why are they Necessary?

Chemical Treatments are Necessary if you Want a Sparkling Pool

If you didn’t add the proper pool chemicals on a regular basis, your pool would start to become cloudy and murky and the water would become a home to algae and disease-carrying bacteria. It certainly would not be a pretty picture. Therefore, if you want to maintain a pool that is clean, sparkling and safe for swimmers, you need to add swimming pool chemicals on a regular basis.

How Chlorine Works

Probably the most popular pool chemical is chlorine. When you add the chemical to the pool water, it breaks down into a number of chemicals to kill harmful bacteria. The pool disinfectant destroys the cells of microorganisms, thereby oxidizing the cells and making them unable to cause any harm. After oxidizing the cells, the chlorine molecules stop working and no longer are able to do their job of disinfecting the water. Therefore, one must add chlorine on a regular basis. Chlorine can be purchased in granular, liquid and tablet form, with tablets dispensed through an in-line or floating feeder.

How Bromine Works

Another swimming pool chemical, bromine, works differently than chlorine when it comes to sanitizing the pool. This chemical, when added to pool water, forms hypobromous acid, which is the main ingredient that kills harmful bacteria in the pool, acting as an oxidizer as well as a sanitizer. But, unlike chlorine, the chemical still remains active, even after killing the contaminants in the water. Therefore, the disinfectant continues to work longer than chlorine and therefore does not need to be added as often. Usually, the substance is distributed through a chemical feeder.

Measuring your Pool’s pH

For any chemical to work effectively in your pool, the water has to be kept at the right pH. The pH level is a way to gauge the acidity or alkalinity of the water. A preferred range is between 7.4 to 7.6 ppm or parts per million, which is a measurement for chemical concentration. If the pH level is lower, then the water will be acidic and therefore more corrosive to metal. On the other hand, if the pH is on the higher end of the scale, then disinfectants, such as chlorine, will not be able to work effectively. To restore the pH to its proper range, you need to add acid to the water if the pH is too high and you’ll want to include soda ash when the water’s pH is lower or the water is more acidic. HTH pool chemicals can help in this regard as they include products that are designed for maintaining a clear and safe pool.

When to Add Chemicals

When distributing chlorine in your pool, you’ll want to be sure to add it in the evening. Without a stabilizer, chlorine will last less than half a day, with much of the loss caused by the sun’s UV rays. Therefore, it’s best to add chlorine when the sun goes down. To maintain a pool that is continually clean and clear, include a shock treatment on a weekly basis as well. Give your pool a chlorinated booster shot, so to speak, to eradicate any algae or bacteria.

Chemical treatments are necessary if you want to maintain a pool that is an enjoyment to own. Take a look online. You can obtain chemicals for your pool that are dependable and at an affordable price.
photo credit: Son of Groucho

The Automatic Pool Cleaner: Freeing up your Time so You can Enjoy your Pool More

Types of Automatic Pool Cleaners

One of the best items for keeping your pool exceptionally clean is an automatic pool cleaner. An automatic pool cleaner is available in one of three varieties, or a suction type, pressure-sided model or robotic kind. Each automatic pool cleaner has its individual merits although the suction type automatic pool cleaner is used most often by swimming pool owners.

The Suction Type Automatic Pool Cleaner

Probably the reason people prefer the suction type automatic pool cleaners over, say, the pressure type models is the fact that they suction debris without the need for bags. This type of automatic pool cleaner can be plugged into a dedicated fitting or into the skimmer of the pool. However, the skimming action is reduced when this type of automatic pool cleaner is connected. Therefore, the filter basket can become clogged pretty fast if the cleaner doesn’t have some type of basket to catch debris.

The Pressure Type Cleaner

A pressure automatic pool cleaner uses the pool’s centrifugal pump to clean the surface of the pool and traps debris into its own bags. This type of cleaner is ideal as it cleans large debris, such as leaves and twigs, from the swimming pool. As a result, the cleaner keeps the filtration system unclogged and working optimally.

The Robotic Automatic Pool Cleaner

A robotic automatic pool cleaner operates independently with respect to the pool’s pump and filtration system. Therefore, this type of cleaner uses its own motor and filter to maintain pool cleanliness. With respect to maintenance, you’ll need to check that its fuses are in working order to keep it well-maintained.

Costs

The type of automatic pool cleaner you eventually choose is really dependent on your budget and the time you can devote to overall maintenance. The suction and pressure types of automatic pool cleaners typically run from $100 to $300 while the robotic cleaners can start at $500 and go all the way up to $1,000 or more.

Match the Cleaner to the Pool

Make sure that the automatic pool cleaner you use is designed for the right type of pool as certain cleaners are made for above ground models while other automatic cleaners are manufactured for inground styles. It’s rather useless to use an inground cleaner on an above ground pool then as you won’t be able to efficiently maintain your pool. Therefore, make certain you’re buying the right type of automatic cleaning system for your particular pool.

Brands Galore

The Internet offers a number of automatic pool cleaner brands that are distinguished as being superior vacuums for cleaning pools. Some of the brands include Dirt Devil, Hayward, Kreepy Krauly, Pool Blaster, Smartpool, Polaris, Sta-Rite, Letro, Manta Ray, Dolphin and Zodiac among others.

A Wise Investment

You can get a lot of cleaning mileage out of an automatic pool cleaner. Such a cleaner keeps your pool’s filtration system in top working order as well as reduces the time spent in overall maintenance. Therefore, choosing from one of the many brands of automatic cleaners offered on the Internet is a wise investment to make for you and your family.
photo credit: drewzuckerman

What to Look for when Choosing a Pool Service

Expectations

The sanitation and hygiene of your swimming pool is a priority; therefore, sometimes finding a pool service can be challenging task with respect keeping your pool clean on a regular basis. Before you canvas the yellow pages looking for a company then, take some time to decide what you expect from a pool service before investing any hard-earned money in the maintenance of your pool.

Service Plans

A pool service typically offers a number of service plans which involve cleaning the pool once or twice a week. Maintenance offerings also entail inspections, one-time cleaning, replacement of filter cartridges, vacation cleaning, chemical delivery, new pool start-up services, repairing automatic pool cleaners and the sales of pool supplies. Most pool service technicians clean pools ranging from approximately 5,000 to around 250,000 gallons in size.

Trained and Certified

Therefore, look for a pool service that has employees who are certified to clean pools and can supply you with several references with respect to their service. Don’t hire a pool service whose employees work as subcontractors. Make certain they’re certified and direct employees of the company.

Pool Service Offerings

Also, make sure the company has a variety of offerings with respect to maintenance. In other words, they should be able to offer you one of the following services:

–Weekly chemical and filter service and cleaning;

–Weekly full service and maintenance for any type of pool;

–Bi-weekly service and maintenance for any type of pool; and

–Delivery and supply of pool equipment

Other Criteria to Consider when Choosing a Company

In addition, a pool service should be licensed and insured to cover both residential and commercial accounts. It’s preferable too to choose one where there are no initial fees or contracts to sign and that offers billing on a monthly basis. If you can find one who will undertake a detailed analysis of the condition of your pool’s water, then that is good too as it will help you determine the best maintenance plan to select with respect to caring for your pool on a regular basis.

Making an Assessment of your Pool’s Water

Analyzing the pool’s water for pH, calcium hardness, metals, phosphates, dissolved solids and determining the saturation index will better assist in facilitating a service plan that will maintain the cleanliness and overall condition of your pool’s system. Therefore, testing the components in the water first can save time and reduce total maintenance costs while keeping the water in premium condition.

Summation

The pool service you select  should be a reliable and established company in your community. It should be a company that can inspect and analyze your above ground swimming pool’s water and make the appropriate recommendations with regards to cleaning and treatment. Make sure you obtain references from other customers who have used the company and that the employees are certified technicians. Keeping this information in mind as you shop for a pool service can reap successful results in the care of your swimming pool and help keep it in pristine shape for many years to come.

photo credit: St.A.

How to Maintain Your Swimming Pool Accessories

Overview
If you are looking for a good way to keep your swimming pool accessories maintained, then this article should help you. The best way to keep your swimming pools accessories in good shape is to have an effective way to clean and store them when they’re not in use.

Cleaning your Swimming Pool Accessory
When you’re not using your swimming pool accessories, it’s important to keep them clean. Cleaning them will have several important benefits. First and foremost is that this will help to extend their useful lifetime so that you will be able to get the most enjoyment from them.

Just as your above ground swimming pool has a liner that has been treated to withstand the effects of pool chemicals, your pool accessories will also be affected by those chemicals. So when you know that they won’t be in use for an extended period, be sure to rinse them off and make sure that they’re dry before being put away.

Cleaning them off before storage for the night or the week or the off season will also benefit you and your pool. When you go to use then the next time, they will still be clean, and so should introduce the minimum of foreign particles and bacteria to your pool, which will help keep the pool clean as well.

Storing Your Swimming Pool Accessory
The next best thing to do to help maintain your swimming pool accessories is to make sure that you have a covered storage area for them. When you’re not using them, if they’re not baking out in the sun, they will last much longer if they are not exposed unnecessarily to extra UV rays.

Plus as mentioned above, if you store them in a cabinet or locker, they will have less dirt and dust collecting on them when they are not in use. And having a place to keep your swimming pool accessories will help to keep the pool area looking clean and inviting, so that when you come home after a hard day at work, you will know where your favorite pool accessory is and you can jump right in.

Reaping the Benefits
Keeping your swimming pool accessories clean takes a bit of effort, but the benefits are definitely worth it. You keep your accessories in good shape longer. Your pool stays cleaner. And your pool area is more inviting.  Doing the maintenance regularly will keep your enjoyment level of your above ground swimming pool high.

photo credit: Stig Nygaard

Swimming Pool Chemicals

Once you’ve gotten your above ground swimming pool picked out, another important thing to think about is the swimming pool chemicals that you are going to use to keep your pool clean and safe to use. And there are many choices to make about what kind of cleaning system you should use.

One of the first things to think about is who is going to be using the pool on a regular basis. Do they have sensitive skin or other health issues to consider with regard to your pool cleaning system. Many people are sensitive to the old style chloride and bromide chemicals. These days there are tons of alternatives. You can use products that replace those swimming pool chemicals completely such as an Ionizer or Ozonator system. Or you can combine a cholrine system with a mineral purifyier such as Nature2.

The old style pool chemicals work by inhibiting bacterial growth in the pool. The chlorine is used up in the process of neutralizing these bacteria. This is why it is important to recharge the chemicals on a regular basis. But as everyone knows who has gone to a pool, these chemicals tend to dry out the skin and hair, and irritate the eyes and nose of swimmers.

The newer methods such as the Ionizer and the Ozonator are a great way to reduce the need for chlorine pool chemicals. Ionizers release silver and/or copper into the water. These two metals typically don’t cause any irritation to people, but are very tough on bacteria. Ozonators usually create ozone by using UV light, or Corona discharge. Ozone is very reactive and bacteria are not able to withstand coming into contact with the Ozone. With both of these methods, you will still likely want to continue to use chlorine as part of your pool cleaner system. However, you will be able to greatly reduce the amount. And this will allow your sensitive pool users to be much more comfortable.

All these methods mentioned require one final step to complete the process. This is the process of adding pool shock to your pool. When your swimming pool chemical has done its duty and reacted with some bacteria, the resulting material is still in the pool. The pool shock removes the spent chemicals from the pool. And these pool cleaners have both a chlorine and chlorine free option to them as well.
Hopefully, this information will help you to make the right decisions about what kind of swimming pool chemicals to use to help you maximize the enjoyment for all your pool users. (And remember to keep the ducks out of the pool.)

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…