Author: Trey Collier

About Trey Collier

Grew up as a Military Brat. (Thanks Dad. Hats off to my Mom too as it took a special person to be married to someone in the military) Was a competitive swimmer in high school and in college. 11 years a Red Cross Volunteer, teaching kids & adults how to swim. ARC Water Safety Instructor and WSI Trainer, CPR Instructor/Trainer and Advance First Aid Instructor. Proud Dad of two beautiful girls.

Pool Fun

Up the Fun with New Pool Floats!

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Pyramid Pool FloatStarfighter FloatOversized Cooler Couch

Adding some new floats to your pool setup can provide fun and excitement for every member of your family, young to old!

For the small ones in your family,  you could purchase a Pool Cube Pool Float! It can provide protection from the sun and hours of fun in two different ways. Place it in the pool to provide a covered float for children to relax in or swim in and out of or place it out of the pool to provide a special splash pool for younger children to enjoy. Either way, it is sure to be a hit!

For older children, consider adding a float that promotes play time and will entertain for hours. The Starfighter Float is a ride-on float that comes complete with a squirt gun. It measures a full 45 inches across and is sure to be a hit with every child at your pool. They will be begging for their turn on the spaceship!

When it comes to adults, relaxation is also the best “fun” available. You should consider the Oversized Cooler Couch to enjoy the peaceful relaxation of floating in your pool while also impressing you friends and family. At 64 inches long and 40 inches wide, you will sit high above the fray while taking in the summer rays! It even comes equiped with a built in cooler that stores cans and ice and two drink holders. With this float, you will certainly be the hit of any party.

Pool and Spa Equipment

Choosing a Swimming Pool Filter Type That’s Right for You

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Hayward Filter Filter Cartridges

Swimming pool filters are an essential part of your pool maintenance. They filter out fine particles and dirt to ensure that you are swimming in crystal clear water, day in and day out. Choosing a filter can be confusing because there are several different types on the market. The three basic kinds of pool filters are sand filters, cartridge filters, and diatomaceous earth (or DE) filters. Below is an outline of the different choices on the market and the benefits of each. Hopefully, using this information will help you choose the best option for you and your family.How Sand Filters work.

Sand Filters – Sand filters use a specially graded sand, or a similar synthetic alternative, as the filter media. The water enters the tank and travels down through the bed of sand. During this process, the dirt and debris is trapped between the grains of sand. When the water reaches the bottom of the filter, it enters the laterals and is returned to the pool. Sand filters filter out debris down to about 40 microns in size. These are great for pools with light to moderate use that do not receive a large amount of dirt and debris. To the right is a brief demonstration of how sand filters work.       Edit:  There are now alternatives to filter sand.    Replacing the filter sand with half as much Z-Media (a type of volcanic ash or synthetic volcanic  ash product) can bump up the effectiveness of sand filters to filter debris down to 4 microns,  now making this type of filter the best of these 3.

Cartridge FilterCartridge Filters – Cartridge filters use a paper-type cartridge as the filter media. They filter down to approximately 40 microns, making them basically equal in capabilities to a sand filter. Cartridge filters have, in the past, had a bad reputation.  They were considered hard to maintain because of the need to clean and change the cartridge frequently. However,  manufacturers have recently come up with new filters that have increased surface area and only need cleaning once or twice each year. This actually makes the maintenance issue a positive aspect of this type of filter. Replacement filters are readily available and easy to change.

DE FilterDE Filters – DE filters use diatomaceous earth as a filter media. The DE filter has plastic grids covered with a plastic type of fabric. A layer of filter powder (Diatomaceous Earth) covers the grids and filters. Diatomaceous Earth is a porous powder with microscopic openings. When magnified, it looks like tiny sponges. Water passes through the DE and debris down to 5-8 microns is filtered out. The DE is finer than sand and is, therefore, able to filter much smaller particles from the water. Because of this, DE filters are considered the best type of filter by most pool professionals. If you want top of the line filtering and crystal clear water, you will want to choose the DE filter.

Pool and Spa Chemicals, Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool Opening

Tips for Opening Your Pool

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It’s that time again, pool owners! Time to open your pool for the season and get ready for swimming. I always look forward to this time of year. To make opening your pool easier, I have compiled this list of steps that you will need to follow to ensure that you are swimming in no time!

  1. Remove your winter cover, dry, and store away for next season.
  2. Remove all expansion pillows, plugs from the skimmer and wall returns, etc.
    Filter Flosser
  3. Next, you will want to check your filter and pump to make sure that they have not sustained any damage during the winter months. Replace any damaged or worn out parts, including replacing pool filter cartridges. If your filter needs to be cleaned, but not replaced, consider using a filter flosser, which sends high pressure streams of water into your filter in order to blast out dirt.
  4. Check lighting fixtures inside the pool for cracks and loose wiring. Replace any damaged parts.
  5. Check the surface of your pool. If you have a fiberglass or concrete pool finish, you will want to check for cracks, scratches, and coping issues.  Contact a pool repair professional for any problems. If you have a vinyl liner pool, you will want to check for tears, leaks, or discoloration. If you notice any tears or excessive bubbling and fading, you will want to consider purchasing a replacement vinyl liner.
  6. Next, reinstall any rails, ladders, slides, etc. that were removed during the winter months.
  7. Add water to fill the pool until the desired level is reached.
  8. Clean all leaves, twigs, and debris from the pool. You can use a manual brush and leaf rake or an automatic pool cleaner. Make sure that your floor, walls, and surface are clear or dirt and debris.
  9. Now, turn your pool on and run the filter for 12-24 hours to mix any old water with new water added to the pool.
  10. Test the water, “shock” the pool with high levels of chlorine, and adjust the alkalinity, calcium hardness, and chlorine levels as needed using specialized pool chemicals. Add stain and rust remover, super shimmer, and algaecide as needed. You can even purchase a start-up chemical kit that has everything you need to get started in premeasured doses! Remember to wait 24 hours (and test again) before swimming!

 

Start-Up Chemical Kit

Innovative Solutions, Pool and Spa Maintenance

Discover How Wind Affects Your Pool

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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, backyard swimming pools lose energy in a number of ways, but evaporation is the most significant source of energy loss. In fact, 70% of energy loss in swimming pools can be attributed to evaporation.

Four factors determine your pools’ evaporation rate.  Temperature, on air temperature and humidity, and on the wind speed at the pool’s surface. The higher the temperature of the pool, the higher the wind speed, and the lower the humidity, the greater the rate of evaporation. If you live in a windy area, you should install a wind barrier like strategically planted trees, or a tall fence, evaporation. The wind break should be high enough and near enough to the pool so that it doesn’t create turbulence over the pool, which will increase evaporation. You also don’t want the windbreak to block the sun from the pool; the sun helps to heat the pool and keeps it warm over time.

Creating an environmentally friendly swimming pool is achievable, important and simple to do. First, use Solar Covers, also known as solar blankets, to cover your pool. Solar Pool Covers or Blankets resemble enormous sheets of bubble wrap. The bubbles trap heat from the sun and convey the heat to the pool, keeping the water temperature warm and comfortable. The solar cover also helps to trap the water’s heat and prevents heat loss in the cooler air at night or on cooler days. Solar covers float freely on top of a pool without the need for tie-downs or anchors to secure them. Solar covers are usually folded and stored or rolled up in a large roll and wheeled out of the way. Solar Blankets are perfect for use in sunny climates because the more heat they can trap, the longer they can extend the swim season. Solar pool covers can increase water temperatures by as much as 10-15 degrees.

Besides offering energy savings, pool covers also do the following:

  • Save water by decreasing the amount of make-up water needed by 30%–50%;
  • Reduce the pool’s consumption of chemicals by 35%–60%;
  • Reduce cleaning time by preventing dirt and other debris from entering the pool.
Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Safety, Uncategorized

Factors to look for when purchasing a pool alarm

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While pool alarms may come with many more features than are presented here, the following is a list of recommended features to look for when deciding on a pool alarm for your own backyard swimming pool:

  • Easy installation
  • Tamper proof
  • Includes a remote receiver with a range of up to 200 ft or more
  • Low battery indicator on alarm and on receiver
  • Recommended for the size and shape of your swimming pool
  • Able to detect an object as small as a 1 year old child, approximately 18 pounds
  • A loud and distinct alarm should sound within 20 seconds when a child simulator is dropped into the pool.

After you decide which pool alarm you need, performing regular tests of the alarm’s effectiveness will ensure that your alarm continues to function properly over time.

Finally and most importantly, no swimming pool alarm is totally infallible no matter how many technologies and features it has and no matter what claims are made by the manufacturer. Pool alarms should be considered as one of many layers of protection in the effort to halt children from drowning, along with protective barriers, door alarms, and safety pool covers.