Pool and Spa Chemicals, Pool and Spa Equipment

Save Swimmingly During Off Season Sales

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Off Season Pool

Did you know that the best time to buy pool supplies is during the off season?  Most suppliers experience a dip in sales once the swimming season has ended, so they hope to keep their business going strong through the winter months by lowering prices.  Pool owners can often find everything from basic pool necessities like pool chemicals to upgrades in equipment at significantly lower cost than if they wait until spring or summer to purchase.

Take some time in the next few weeks to make a wish list of pool supplies and equipment upgrades you’ll need for the upcoming season.  Then, compare prices online, and you may be surprised to find that you can save a bundle by buying now rather than later.

Hot Tubs and Saunas, Outdoor Entertaining

Summon Your Inner Snow Monkey

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Japanese Snow Monkey

While most people I know look forward to lighting candles and decorating trees in December, I look forward to summoning my inner snow monkey.  Japanese macaques spend a good deal of their time soaking in naturally steamy volcanic hot springs, but since I live nowhere near a hot spring, I count on my portable hot tub to whisk me away to snow monkey paradise.

There’s really nothing quite like lounging in a hot, bubbling spa when the surrounding air is cold enough to turn breath into ice crystals.  Falling snow and winter bird activities make for relaxing entertainment while basking in warm Portable Hot Tubwaters.  At night, clear winter skies spread out a blanket of stars to which no holiday light show can compare.

Japanese snow monkeys know that the secret to enjoying cold winter days is to spend as much time as possible in a steamy bath, preferably with friends.  Following their example, with the help of a portable hot tub, makes for a truly happy holiday season.

Pool and Spa Chemicals, Pool and Spa Maintenance, Pool Closing and Winterizing

Check and Balance Your Pool Chemicals

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Pool Chemicals

Making sure that your pool chemicals are balanced during the winter is very important. Chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and stabilizer levels should all be checked and regulated so that spring opening is easier. The following levels should be maintained throughout the winter.

Chlorine: 2.0 ppm

  • To raise the chlorine level, you should shock the pool.
  • To lower the chlorine level, you should turn down your chlorinator.

pH: 7.8 ppm (or 7.4 ppm in summer)

  • To raise the pH level, add soda ash.
  • To lower the pH level, add muriatic acid.

Total Alkalinity: 80-100 ppm

  • To raise total alkalinity, add baking soda or sodium bicarbonate
  • To lower total alkalinity, add muriatic acid

Calcium Hardness: 250-500 ppm

  • To raise calcium hardness, add calcium chloride.
  • To lower calcium hardness, drain your pool and refill.

Stabilizer:

  • To raise stabilizer level, add cyanuric acid.
  • To lower stabilizer level, drain your pool and refill.Aquacheck Digital Reader

To test your chemical levels, you can either take a sample of pool water to your local pool retailer or save time and money by testing it yourself. With an Aquachek Digital Reader, you can test your pool water quickly and accurately on your own. It takes only 15 seconds to get a clear and precise reading.

Pool and Spa Safety, Pool Closing and Winterizing

When Safety Covers Are Not Safe

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Pool Safety Cover Repair/Replacement for Solid and Mesh Safety Covers

Many homeowners prefer to use a safety cover rather than a winter cover when preparing the pool for the winter months.  Safety covers protect the pool, but they also help prevent submersion and drowning accidents should a child or pet wander out onto the cover.  A proper safety cover can support a minimum of 485 pounds per 5 square feet, according to the American Society for Testing and Materials’ (ASTM) standard F1346-91.  If that safety cover is torn or in any other way damaged, though, it is no longer a reliable barrier.

Purchasing a new safety cover to replace a damaged one is not always necessary.  Safety covers can be repaired for much less than a new cover would cost, so investigating this as a viable option is recommended.  Make sure that the company who will perform the repairs is well-recognized for quality workmanship.  And, use a company that will pay for the shipping of your safety cover in both directions — from you to the company, and then back to you again once the repairs have been made.

If damage to a pool safety cover is beyond repair, then purchasing a new one is necessary.  A safety cover cannot be trusted as a reliable safety barrier if it is damaged in any way.

Pool and Spa Chemicals, Pool Closing and Winterizing

Winterizing: Don’t Miss This Important Step!

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Pool Anti-Freeze Concentrate
There are many important steps in shutting your pool down for the winter. If you live in climate with harsh conditions, making sure that you pool plumbing is protected with anti-freeze might be the most important! After lowering your water level and capping off your return lines, you should always add an anti-freeze agent through your skimmer to protect your pool from frigid temperatures. As a standard rule of thumb, you should use one gallon of anti-freeze per every ten feet of distance from the pump to the pool. Pool Anti-Freeze Concentrate is the perfect freeze prevention product because it is both effective and safe. It is non-toxic and is designed for all types of swimming pools. Because it is super concentrated, one quart mixes with three quarts of water to make one whole gallon of anti-freeze. It will protect your pool down to negative forty degrees farenheit! You will never have to worry about frozen pool plumbing again!