Category Archives: Pool and Spa Equipment

Prevent Spring Surprises

Surprises can be fun, but not when it comes to the backyard swimming pool.  A cracked or damaged skimmer is one unwelcome surprise that most pool owners have had to experience over the years.  If you prepare for the possibility of a wintertime freeze before it happens, though, you can save your skimmer and prevent unwanted surprises in the spring.

When water in a skimmer freezes, it expands outward and often cracks or damages the skimmer.  The Skimmer Guard is a product designed to absorb the expansion of the freeze, allowing your skimmer to last throughout the winter undamaged.  Place a Skimmer Guard inside each of your pool’s skimmers to absorb any expansion caused by freezing water. The freezing water will actually compress the Skimmer Guard instead of expanding outward and cracking your skimmer.

The Importance of Cover Pumps for Winter

Be sure to make the swimming pool cover pump a priority when you winterize your swimming pool this year. A swimming pool cover pump drains the water that collects on your winter pool cover over the off-season months. If accumulated water is not regularly removed by a cover pump, the weight of that excess water can damage your winter pool cover or pull the cover into the water below. Either way, you’ll be in for a messy clean up when spring rolls around again.

Cover pumps are available in manual models and automatic models. Manual cover pumps require that you monitor the pump’s progress and unplug it when the water is drained. Automatic cover pumps, often preferred by pool owners, sense and automatically start when water is detected on the cover.  They also turn off automatically once the water has been drained.

By simply adding a cover pump to your regular winterizing procedure, you can extend the life of your winter pool cover and save yourself money and effort at the same time.

Preventing Mosquitoes Around Your Home and Pool

No Mosquitos

Late summer and early fall are the prime time of year for mosquito breeding. With West Nile Virus being carried by these insects, it is very important to safe guard your home and family. All mosquitoes need water to pass through their life stages. Did you know that your swimming pool can turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes? It is very important to keep your pool chemicals at their proper levels even when the pool is covered. Proper chlorination prevents stagnation that cause draw mosquitoes in. Mosquitoes will develop in any puddle that lasts more than four days. Even water that pools on top of your winter cover can provide the right conditions. Using an automatic cover pumps to keep pooling water off your cover is a great way to prevent this. Below are more tips on protecting your family against mosquitoes and West Nile Virus during the early fall months.

  • Remove tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, discarded tires,  or similar water-holding containers and areas that may have accumulated on your property.
  • Drill holes in the bottom and elevate recycling containers, garbage bins, etc. that are left out of doors to prevent pooling water.
  • Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in bird baths, ornamental ponds, or other water features around your home.
  • Clean clogged roof gutters. Gutters are easily overlooked but can produce millions of mosquitoes each season.
  • Repair leaky pipes and septic systems or outside faucets. Do not let air conditioner run off water collect in shady areas.

Pool Heat Pumps for Cold Weather Swimming

Heat Pump
If you are looking for a way to heat your pool this fall, you have probably checked out our solar heating options. They are great for increasing temperatures 10-15 degrees, making fall swimming possible. So what if you want to keep your pool open during the colder winter months? Pool heat pumps are a fantastic heating option for cold weather swimming.  They draw heat from the surrounding air to warm pool water and will function in very low temperatures. Automatic defrost allows heating with outside temperatures as low as 35 degrees! They are also much less expensive to operate than natural gas heaters. You will be pleased all around with the efficiency and power of a pool heat pump.

New Pool Signs for Safety, Humor, and Practicality!

Now is a great time to make sure that your swimming pool signs are up to date. Use them to post pool or spa rules, add humor for your guests, or state that your pool is closed for the season. Here are a few of our favorites!

Pool Closed
Swimming Pool Closed Sign

Spa Warning Sign
Spa Warning Sign

No Skinny Dipping Sign
No Skinny Dipping Sign

No
No “P” in the OOL Sign