The Spa Guy

Alkalinity in pools is an extremely important topic as it’s what helps prevent sudden pH changes. Total alkalinity is a measure of alkaline substances in this case, ionic compounds, that act as buffers that resist pH change.

Don’t worry, this is just a bunch of chemistry and scientific mumbo jumbo that you really don’t need to know. What is important to understand is that alkalinity helps stabilize the pH balance in your pool, and keeping it within normal range can save you a lot of headaches as well as solve a lot of problems.

The recommended range for a swimming pool’s total alkalinity is between 80 and 120 parts per million. Any good pool testing kit will let you determine the range, and it’s important to test often.

So, when it comes to alkalinity there are really only 3 states in can be in: Too High, Too Low and Just Right.

Low Alkalinity
With low alkalinity your pH levels can swing back and forth between too high, and too low. It’s not uncommon for these numbers to shift drastically causing an unbalance in your pools pH.

Some problems that are associated with this include:
-Chlorine inefficiency
-Metal Corrosion
-Pool Staining
-Scale

You can easily raise a pool’s alkalinity by using a chemical called sodium bicarbonate which is, baking soda. The recommended dosage is 1.5 pounds of sodium bicarbonate per 10,000 gallons of water. If you’re unsure how much water you have you can find a good estimate by using this formula:

Average Width x Average Length x Average Depth x 7.5

Add the amount you need with your pump running, to make sure the chemicals are mixing nicely. Do this once every 4 days until your alkalinity becomes stabilized.

High Alkalinity
With high alkalinity your pH will generally be much higher than normal as well. A good sign that you’re dealing with high alkalinity is having cloudy swimming pool water.

Other problems include:
-Reduced pool circulation
-Clogged Filter
-Rough Surfaces

Since your pool is too alkaline the best way to correct this problem is by using an acid. For swimming pools we either use muriatic or sodium bisulfate. You can purchase either at any swimming pool and spa store.

The best approach I’ve personally found with this is to first begin by adding enough acid to bring your pH balance down to 7.0. Then, let the pool sit for awhile until the pH climbs back up to around 7.2. Repeat this process until your pool alkalinity seems to have stabilized, but be sure to follow the directions on whichever acid product you decide to go with so as not to add too much acid.

After a great long summer of enjoying your above ground swimming pool, it’s sad to say, but it’s time to close it. The kids are back in school and the night time is just a little cooler. Closing your above ground pool is easy. I would recommend having somebody help you out.

First you need to make sure you have all your supplies ready:

1. A pool cover
2. A cable and winch to secure the pool cover
3. Winter Chemicals
4. Winter plugs
5. A car wash sponge

There are multiple ways to close a pool but here is the easiest. Drain your pool 6 inches below your swimming pool’s skimmer. Add the winter chemicals to your pool water and make sure you spread them all around the pool. Note: it’s best to buy a winter kit that way you don’t need to measure out your chemicals. Once the chemicals have been added slowly lay the pool cover across the entire pool. Let the cover sit on top of the water and over the sides (you don’t want the cover to be taunt). Now thread your cable in and out of the grommets per the cover instructions and tighten with the cable winch to secure it. Now that you have the cover on place the car wash sponge in the skimmer box in case it fills with water over the winter and freezes. Now on your filter system remove all of the plugs from your filter and place them in the pump basket for a safe place and bring your pump indoors for the winter. That’s pretty simple and quick instructions.

It’s not uncommon for pool owners to notice that water seems to be leaking out of their pool after opening it for the year. But where is the leak coming from? Let’s take a look and see how to find and repair swimming pool leaks.

First of all, you have to make sure that it really is a leak in the first place. What do you think is a leak, may be something else. There are actually three main causes of water loss from swimming pools and they are:

1. Swimming pool plumbing leaks

2. Swimming pool shell leaks

3. Normal evaporation or excessive splash

So before you go any further let’s rule out number three in the list above. It’s important to do this, because actually the sun can evaporate quite a bit of water from a pool on a daily basis without your realizing it, and swimmers can splash a lot of water out of a pool too..

To find out for sure if the water loss is due to evaporation or not, take a fairly large container and fill it with water and place it on the first step of your pool. Then remove enough water from the container so that the water level in the pool and in the container is exactly the same. Now leave the container there for a couple of days to see what happens with no one using the pool in the meantime. If after a couple of days the water level in the pool has gone down, and the water level in the container has gone down the same amount, then you know that the water loss you are experiencing is most likely just evaporation due to the sun.On the other hand, if the water in the pool has gone down farther than the water in the container, then most likely there is indeed a leak in your pool somewhere.

To find a pool leak, the first place to inspect is around your filter and pump. Do you notice any water spots or damp areas there? If so, try to trace back where the water is coming from. Very often, it will be a connection on one of the pipes in this particular area.You may need to turn on the pump for a while and observe it to see if any leaks develop while everything is running. If the leak begins to show, and you feel comfortable with repairing the pool plumbing, then this is a job that you may wish to do yourself. However, for most people it will be a job that is best left to a pool professional.

If no obvious leaks can be found in the plumbing, then perhaps the leak is in the shell of the pool itself. And in this case, it’s almost always advisable to leave any of this type of work up to a well-qualified professional.

As you can see, finding and repairing swimming pool leaks is usually just a matter of eliminating possible causes until you find the real problem. Once the problem is found, your final decision is whether to fix it yourself or pay someone to do it instead.

One of the most common maintenance issues for swimming pool owners is cloudy water. This can be caused by a variety of conditions, but is usually easy to correct. The possible causes and solutions for cloudy swimming pool water include:

• Improper ph levels-One of the most important aspects of swimming pool maintenance is testing and maintaining proper water chemistry. The optimal ph level is between 7.2 and 7.6 ppm. When the levels are out of this range; the chlorine cannot work as effectively as it should in sanitizing the water. Taking the proper steps to correct the chemical balance is the first step you should take in eliminating cloudy water
• Unfilterable Debris-Some particles of waste and debris are so small or fine that they cannot be trapped in the filtration process. Some common sources of this type of debris are: sun screens and oils, makeup products, and hair products. This can usually be eliminated by backwashing and adding fresh water. Once you are sure you’ve got the proper chemical balance, this is a logical next step.
• Poor Filtration or Circulation-To maintain water clarity, it is essential that all components of the filtration system are working properly. Clogged or dirty filters and worn or defective pump and filter components can lead to poor circulation and cloudy water. It is important to regularly clean or backwash the filter and inspect the mechanical parts of the system to insure water clarity.
• High Calcium Levels-This brings us back to proper water chemistry. Calcium hardness is important in protecting the surface of the pool, but high levels can lead to cloudy water. This can be corrected by taking steps to bring the water chemistry within the acceptable range and by adding a water clarifier.

As is the case with other aspects of swimming pool maintenance, the best way to avoid problems with cloudy water is keep up with the proper maintenance of the chemicals and equipment on a regular basis. A little work now can help prevent the need for a big job later.

Your swimming pool is a central part of your family’s relaxation and recreational activities, so you want to keep it a clean and inviting place season after season. One of the important parts of pool ownership is learning how to drain swimming properly.

A part of your regular swimming pool care and maintenance, you are already following proper chemical guidelines to keep the water safe and clean. However, it is still generally recommended that you drain your swimming pool every three years. Over time the chemicals lose their effectiveness in working with your pool water, so it is a good idea to start with a clean slate around every three years.

The process of how to drain swimming pool may seem like a big task, but the good news is there is an easy and cost effective way to get the job done. You don’t need to hire a professional pool care service to do it. Using a device called a submersible sump pump, that is found at most hardware or home improvement stores, will save you a lot of money.

Steps for How to Drain Your Swimming Pool

1.    Connect the submersible sump pump to the sewage drain hole. Your home’s sewer ports found next to the house and are covered by round plastic caps.

2.    Once you have connected the sump pump’s hose to the sewer port, lower the pump itself into the deepest are of your swimming pool, then turn it on. The pump will starting sending the pool water through the hose and into your home’s sewer port, to be reused by the city.

3.    The emptying of your pool will take several hours. Ensure the process is monitored, so that you can turn the pump off once all of the water is drained, otherwise you risk damaging the pump. For this reason, do not allow a pump to run overnight.

Once your swimming pool has been drained, clean out any debris that remains. Then refill your pool as soon as possible, to avoid pool distortion from groundwater surrounding it. Following these simple steps for how to drain swimming pool, will ensure your pool’s water is in great shape for your swimming pleasure!

Whether you own an above ground pool already or are looking to buy one you must think about entering your pool. There are some pools out there with just an A-frame ladder and others have decks. If you already have a pool and are looking for a deck then you are in luck. Even if you pool is old there are many applications you can use to add a deck to your pool.

There is a company out there that makes Connect-A-Deck, which is a universal aluminum pool deck that is made to fit any style above ground pool whether it’s new or old. You can get rid of your A-Frame ladder and install this deck by yourself. It’s extremely easy to set up. Another option if you don’t have a deck is building your own. That’s what we did. We had a 28 foot round above ground swimming pool that we build a nice big cedar deck to with a bench and stairs. It was a sight to see. A lot of people now are starting to build their own deck because of the flexibility it offers not to mention how much life it will add to your pool and just the overall style of your backyard.

If you are thinking of getting an above ground swimming pool built in your backyard then you can get the deck that comes especially made for that particular pool. That’s a nice option because now you can get a large walk-around deck that wraps around the entire pool. They also make big impressive fan decks and best of all they should past all township regulation and permits.