Archive for the ‘Pools & Spas’ Category

Five Important Salt Water Pool Care Tips

Monday, December 7th, 2009

If you have a salt water pool, caring for it is extremely important. Most commercial pool items and products are not made for pool care, so taking some time to learn what to buy and how to go about taking care of your pool is important. They can be a joy, but only if you learn proper maintenance techniques. Here are five important care tips that every owner should know:

1. Check salt levels regularly. In these, it is important to understand what your salt levels should be and how you can remedy it if there is a problem. Most companies recommend that salt concentration should be at 2,500 to 3,000 parts per million. This is where the chlorination comes from, so if you levels dip too low, the pool water will be unhealthy.

2. Never use more chlorine as needed. Occasionally, you may have to add a bit of granular chlorine to the pool. This is only necessary in your daily salt water pool care routine if you have excessive rain or a large number of swimmers. Under normal circumstances, you shouldn’t use chlorine at all.

3. Read salt instructions carefully. These products are all meant to be used a bit differently. In a normal one, you have to use salt regularly. Most manufacturers recommend that you dump this salt directly into the deep end of the pool. However, this is not how every product is used. Read the back label of the salt water pool care product before just dumping it into the pool.

4. Use products to remove salt from the bottom of the pool. As the salt settles to the bottom, it can create a brownish or yellowish look to your pool. Commercial pool care products can be used to remove these stains.

5. Seal your pool steps to prevent rusting. The salt in the water can cause rusting, especially in pools that are converted from typical water to salt. First, use commercial care product to remove the rust. Then, you can use protective and restorative products to seal off the steps so that this doesn’t happen year after year. This salt water pool care tip is best done at the end of the swimming season, when you can partially drain your pool in order to apply the sealant.

Care is extremely important if you want to ensure that your pool continues to run optimally. While there is tons of information regarding typical pool care, it can sometimes be a bit more difficult to learn about pool care. Many of the products available for pool care are not made for a salt water pool. Before using products and certain care methods on your pool, make sure you take some time to learn proper care tips like those listed above.

Please visit us to see the problems with salt water swimming pools and chlorine generators

Pool Products Information

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

Whether or not you own an in-ground or above-ground pool, owning a pool alone simply isn’t enough if you want to get the absolutely most out of your swimming pool. Whether you are looking for equipment to help you with your pool’s upkeep, or adding hours of fun to the whole pool experience, there are literally hundreds of accessories and other products that you should definitely look into getting.

Many of the products that are available for any swimming pool have to do with maintenance and the upkeep of your pool. Water pumps and water heaters immediately come to mind. Vital components that is essential to the smooth operation of your swimming pools’ systems. These types of products are what you will most likely want to spend the most time researching, as some of these components can cost upwards of several hundreds of dollars. You don’t want to find yourself buying a piece for your pool, only to find the same unit from a competitor costing a hundred dollars less, after all.

In addition to these vital components, you will also want to look into some other, more basic maintenance equipment. You may be in need of a good hand skimmer for your outdoor spa or a long-handled skimmer for your larger pools in order to clean out the fallen leaves from the trees in either yours or your neighbor’s yards. Perhaps you may be looking for scrub brushes to help clean your pool’s walls and floor after the water has been drained. You will also probably want to look into a pool tarp to keep your pool water clean when the pool is not in use, as well as to keep your children safe.

However, odds are you are probably looking for accessories to add fun to the swim time experience. There is no limit to what you can find to provide you with countless hours of entertainment. Many home improvement stores carry a small selection of inflatable slides, foam tubes and beach balls, which have always been staples at both the beach and at poolside. However, these barely scratch the surface of the countless poolside products designed to make your time at the pool more entertaining.

An excellent place to find pool and poolside products are at your local toy store, especially if you have small children. Toy stores often carry dozens of pool products designed especially for the younger children, with everything from “floaties” to underwater masks. But not all poolside toys are for the young children. There are many toys and activities that both children and adults can enjoy. Many outdoor retailers both online and off offer accessories and games that everyone, regardless of age, can enjoy. Floating ping pong tables, volleyball nets and a bevy of underwater pool games are just a few of the many products designed for fun times for everyone, aged six to 60.

If nothing else, there are always floating chairs and other relaxation products for sale to let you simply sit back, unwind, and enjoy your time outside.

Please visit us to see the problems with having a salt generator and a chlorine generator

Pool Construction – Take The Plunge

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

You’ve already decided to put in a swimming pool. You’ve even selected the location, the size and the design of the pool. The contract with the pool builder has already been signed. You’ve discussed all the particulars and voiced all of your concerns. The only thing left to do now is to begin construction.

Pool construction can be broken down into three phases: before, during and after. Here are some important things to remember during each phase to keep pool construction running smoothly.

Before

Before the pool construction begins, decide who will be your contact person. This could be anybody from the sales associate, pool designer or the construction coordinator. Your best bet is to remain in contact with all three because they all have a role in making sure the pool construction is successful.

A good salesperson should offer to be available should any issues arise during construction, while a construction coordinator handles the scheduling of all the work. They are continually in contact with workers, onsite superintendents and inspection agencies.

During

During pool construction, you want to stay on top of what is happening day to day. Keep a copy of the contract on hand so that you know exactly what the expected timeline is. You want to keep in mind how long the pool construction should take, from the time you write the contract to start the pool construction to the time the dig is complete and right up to the day the water is put in the pool. That way you can make sure the construction is staying on schedule. If construction should fall behind, you will be able to refer back to the contract. Keep in mind that most swimming pool contractors have shorter construction windows during the months of August through January. As for February through July, you should count on having a longer construction window because of the longer daylight hours and more reasonable working conditions.

You can talk with other customers who have had their pool built by the same company to confirm the legitimacy of the construction schedule. Ask them how long pool construction took and if the pool contractor stayed on task. Ask them if you should be aware of any tendencies or problematic situations.

After

After the pool construction is complete, your pool contractor should offer a follow up consultation for feedback. Use this opportunity to point out any instances in which you felt they could have done a better job. If they take their customers opinions to heart, they can remedy the issue before they work on someone else’s pool.

Every reputable company has built up their reputation through referrals from satisfied customers. If their work is high-quality and you are satisfied with the end result, you should refer the company to someone else. Finding a good pool contractor isn’t always the easiest thing to do. By recommending one, you can save other family members or friends a lot of extra work.

Please visit us to see the problems with a salt chlorinator and chlorine generators.