FAQ's

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How soon should I schedule my Opening?

When should I schedule a closing

Should I do anything while my Pool is closed for the season?

What is Water Balance?

Can you tell me what are some of the chemicals and what they do?

I have Algae in my pool Green Black Mustard or Yellow

My Pool is Yellow or Mustard Color

My Pool is Green in Color

My Pool is BLACK in Color

My Pool Looks Cloudy?

I Have Stains around and in my Pool

Some Terms I need to know.... PH Alkalinity Calcium Hardness Stabilizer TDS OZONE

ANSWERS

How soon should I schedule my Opening? Openings are starting to be scheduled beginning the first week in March

When should I schedule a closing? Closings normally start after Labor Day Weekend and go through the end of September. This is dictated by the weather and if you have a Heater.

Should I do anything while my Pool is closed for the season? Check you water level periodically if you have heavy rains or Snows. Call to add pool chemicals to help with a cleaner opening.

Can you tell me what are some of the chemicals and what they do? Back to Top

The two most important things to remember about the health of your pool are that it must be sanitized and it must be balanced. The best way to sanitize your pool is with chlorine. Keeping your pool balanced, which means keeping the five basic pool water components (pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids and stabilizer) within their proper ranges, helps your sanitizer work more effectively and protects your pool's finish and equipment.

Total Alkalinity: In simple terms, total alkalinity refers to how much alkaline is in the water. But you can't fully know the importance of total alkalinity without referring to the pH, because the two go hand in hand. High alkaline water leads to low pH. Low alkaline water leads to low pH. For now, just remember that most swimming pools should have an alkalinity reading of around 100 ppm.

pH: Keeping your pH level within it's proper range is not only important for swimmer comfort, it's also important for keeping your equipment and pool finish in good condition. pH refers to the acidity or baseness of your pool water. All you need to remember is that a proper pH level is around 7.4 to 7.6 on a pH test kit's numeric scale. 0 to 7 reflects a low or acidic pH, 8 to 14 means the pool has a high pH level. Low pH readings mean your chlorine will dissipate quickly. High pH levels make chlorine inactive. And that means you're using more chlorine than you really need and algae may still form.

Calcium Hardness: Anyone who has ever washed their hair in hard water knows that hard water doesn't do much for getting up a good lather. But in your pool, just the right amount of calcium is essential. Too little and your plaster can erode. Too much and your water could become cloudy, scale and stains could form. 200 to 400 ppm is the general range for calcium hardness, while 300 ppm is ideal for the average pool.

Stabilizer: Stabilizer is to chlorine like your home's insulation is to keeping in hot or cold air - it helps retain your chlorine longer just as insulation helps retain heat or air conditioning. Stabilizer is even added to some chlorine compounds to protect them from the effects of sunlight. When your stabilizer level is low, you'll use a lot more chlorine. When it's too high, you may need to dilute your pool water to bring it back into the 40 to 70 ppm ideal range.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): Like calcium, there are many other dissolved elements in pool water. Unless it's distilled, all water contains dissolved minerals. As pool water evaporates, minerals remain behind and become concentrated. The more concentrated these minerals become, the harder it is for chemical additives to work, algae is more prevalent, and stains can form. If you have 3000 ppm or more total dissolved solids (TDS), you may need to drain some water and add fresh water.

More Useful Chemical Descriptions Back to Top

Alternative Sanitizers: Alternative sanitizers can help eliminate the stinging eyes, skin irritation and strong odors associated with traditional sanitizers.

Ozone Generators: Ozone works as an oxidizer, breaking down or altering nonliving bather wastes or organics such as body oils, suntan lotions, cosmetics and amines, such as urine and perspiration. Ozone also degrades dead algae and bacteria.

I have Algae in my pool

CAUSES: There are many contributing factors that can lead to algae, but the most significant is not having enough sanitizer (chlorine), coupled with poor water circulation. Below is a short list of the most common influencing factors that allow algae spores to grow:

· Pool is not shocked recently leading to too many chloramines

· Pump and filter are not running long enough

· Not enough stabilizer creating a low chlorine level

· Not enough chlorine

· Improper pH & total alkalinity

· Too much phosphate in the water

· Pool finish that is very porous

SOLUTION

Test water and balance pH and total alkalinity if necessary.

If you are unsure of which product is right for you, or you have an extremely severe case of algae, just call for technical assistance at 1-732-286-1262.

MUSTARD

Description
Yellow or Mustard algae is a common type of algae, especially in the south. It comes in varied degrees of severity, but most often is seen as patches of dark yellow dust that covers various parts of the pool walls and floors. It usually starts in corners of the pool, near the steps, by the ladder, and other areas where the water circulation is not good. Unless the algae gets into cracks, pits or crevices of the pool surface, mustard algae will brush off easily.

GREEN

Description
Green algae is a normal type of algae found in swimming pools. Its severity can be as minor as a green tint to the color of your water, or as harsh as dark green fuzzy growths all over the walls and floor - the water tint being so dark that you cannot see the bottom of your pool.

BLACK

Description
Black algae is not the most common, but unfortunately is the most difficult type of algae to remove. Its severity can vary most difficult type of algae to remove. Its severity can vary from as minor as a few small black spots, to entirely covering the pool's surface. Black algae usually grows in clusters creating large blotchy areas of black. Black algae is difficult to kill because its roots grow deep into the pool's surface and black algae has a tough outer coating, like the shell of a turtle, which makes it difficult for chemicals to attack.

Cloudy Water

Cloudy water is a common situation for even the best cared for swimming pools, but the causes are not necessarily as common. Below is a list of scenarios that can lead to cloudy water. It's important to identify the cause of your cloudy water so that you can prevent it from coming back. Although water clarifier might be part of the solution, by itself it will not keep your pool from getting cloudy water again.

Possible Causes for Cloudy Water...

· Low Chlorine

· Algae Present (even though it might be dead)

· High Combined Chlorine (Chloramines)

· Tear/Rip/Hole/ in DE filter grid/element

· Broken Filter

· Undersized Filter

· High Ph, Total Alkalinity, and/or Calcium Hardness

· Pump and filter not operating long enough

I Have Stains around and in my Pool

Causes
Most stains are caused by improper water balance and/or substances that get into the pool such as metal objects and fertilizers. Your pool water can also contain minerals and metals that lead to stains even when your water is in balance. Sooner or later you will get a stain.

Prevention
If stains are a concern for you the first step in prevention in maintaining proper water balance. Test your pool water regularly. The second step is to maintain the sequestriant level.

Solutions
There are many different combinations of stains and pool surfaces. Luckily there are a series of different treatments that can be used to reduce the amount of stains in almost any pool. All solutions start with proper diagnosis.

Stains in pools are like stains on clothes. Some stains can be removed and some cannot.