Keeping a swimming pool clean is hard work. You need to balance the water, keep chlorine levels up, and occasionally shock the pool. Or so it seems. But a new type of pool began to pop up the 1980s. Its growth has been steady in Europe, but only recently has it made its way to…
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We’ve all become familiar with the basic tenets of pool maintenance. Skim daily. Brush and vacuum regularly. And for goodness sake, maintain a healthy chlorine level. Whether you use a salt water generator, an automatic chlorinator, or just good old fashioned liquid chlorine, your pool absolutely needs chlorine. Green hair? Red eyes? That “clean pool”…
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One of the most common tasks involved in pool maintenance is keeping your water balanced. Typically this means maintaining effective chlorine levels and balancing pH. However, another measure, total alkalinity, is also critical to keeping your pool water balanced. Many pool owners are confused about the difference between pH and alkalinity. This is not surprising,…
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Whether you’re a beginner who just got their first pool or a seasoned pool owner, having the right tools is essential to caring for your pool. If you’ve been doing this for a while, chances are you have most of these tools. If you don’t, you need to look at what you’re doing and decide…
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We all know that there is a big difference between a swimming pool and a pond. A pond may be full of wildlife, including algae and other impurities in the water. The water in a swimming pool, on the other hand, should be clean and clear. One of the ways that this is achieved is…
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Traditionally, if you wanted to heat the water in your pool, you had to use a gas or electric heater. Just like heating your house, the cost of energy can quickly add up. Electricity is expensive. And if you’re heating your pool in the summer, when you’re also running your air conditioner, your electric bill…
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Saltwater pools exist as an alternative to a traditional chlorinated pool. Often they are sold with the promise of minimal maintenance and significant cost savings on chlorine. Some people assume that saltwater pools will be easier on the skin, eyes, and clothes because there is no chlorine. Neither of those promises is entirely accurate. In…
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If you have spent any time on swimming pool blogs or talked to anyone at a swimming pool store or just chatted with other swimming pool owners, chances are you’ve heard about phosphates. The truth is that there is a raging debate around phosphates. Are phosphates necessarily a problem in your pool water? How much…
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The third Saturday in September is National Pool Closing Day. However, here in the Southeast, we have several more weeks of warm temperatures, at least. However, as the leaves begin to fall and the temperature begins to drop, it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll do with your pool over the winter. Unlike in…
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In the past, there have been some remarkably sad and even disturbing stories about accidents involving main drains. The problem stemmed from the fact that a main drain, by definition, creates suction at the bottom of a pool. The tragedies occurred when a swimmer got stuck in that suction. Swimmers have drowned, unable to escape…
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