Category Archives: Pool and Spa Maintenance

Innovative Solutions, Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Maintenance

Scumsocks Save You From Skimmer Basket Goop

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If you like interesting surprises, then you might actually enjoy peeking into the skimmer baskets each week to see what mystery items have been collected.  But, for many pool-owners, discovering what the weekly contents of the skimmer baskets are is anything but fun.  On a regular basis, you probably find hair, leaves and grasses, bugs, and even pool toys, but you also may occasionally find an unfortunate critter or a mysterious pile of slimy goop.  Sure, you can attempt to empty the basket’s contents by turning it over and tapping on the bottom.  Inevitably, though, you’ll need to use your hand to swipe out whatever items will not come out with even a vigorous tapping — most often, it seems that what is left are the most disgusting bits.

Scumsock Skimmer Filters provide an inexpensive solution for pool owners (like me) who prefer not to come into contact with skimmer basket treasures.  Scumsocks slip over your skimmer basket to catch debris and prevent it from reaching your pool’s filter.  When Scumsocks get dirty, just toss them away.  Additionally, Scumsock Skimmer Filters provide longer filter cycles and require fewer cleanings.

Innovative Solutions, Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Maintenance

Flossing Removes More Debris From Pool and Spa Filters

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Just as flossing your teeth prevents debris from building up, flossing your pool and spa cartridge filters does the same.  Using a Filter Flosser Deluxe Filter Cleaner allows pool owners to maximize the life of pool and spa cartridge filters while reducing the amount of time, energy, and water spent on regular filter maintenance.

Using the Filter Flosser is easy.  Simply attach your garden hose and spray the filter for a deep down clean.  The unique curved nozzle design provides an extended cleaning area (more than double of other cleaners) helping you to clean 50% faster and use 50% less water. The high pressure water and air agitation reaches deep down between pleats for more thorough cleaning and removes all of the built-up dirt that shortens the life of your cartridge filters.

Hot Tubs and Saunas, Pool and Spa Maintenance, Pool and Spa Safety

Spa Covers: Essential for Spa Maintenance and Safety

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Relaxing in a spa or hot tub after a long day is one of life’s ultimate luxuries.  But, what do you do with your spa or hot tub when you’re not enjoying a toasty soak?  Do you keep it covered?  If not, here’s why you should.

  • Spa covers and hot tub covers prevent evaporation, saving you money on water and chemicals.
  • Spa covers also insulate the water and keep the heat in.  Keeping the water warm when the hot tub is not in use makes it faster and less expensive to heat the water before you use it again next time.
  • Spa covers keep debris and dirt out of your hot tub.  Cleaning your spa takes less time and effort if there is less to clean up.

Walk-on spa covers are recommended for households where children and curious pets live.  Standard spa covers, while they look perfectly sturdy, may not be able to support the weight of a child if he or she thinks the top of the hot tub would be a fun platform for playtime.  Children and pets can become injured or may drown if the spa cover collapses into the water below.  Walk-on spa covers can support not only the weight of a child, but the weight of an entire family.  They come equipped with a locking mechanism, too, so the cover cannot be lifted or moved from the spa.

Even if you don’t have kids or pets, a walk-on spa cover is a good choice if you live in a snowy area.  Accumulated snow is quite heavy, and if not cleared off of standard spa covers regularly, those covers can become damaged.  Walk-on spa covers can easily handle the weight of many feet of accumulated snow.

Whether you choose a standard spa cover or a walk-on spa cover depends entirely on your situation, but covering your spa or hot tub is an essential step in properly maintaining it.

Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Maintenance

Pool Cleaners Make Maintenance a Breeze

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 Robotic Pool Cleaner

Owning a pool is incredibly rewarding experience. It can also be a lot of work if you have to spend your summer days cleaning the pool instead of enjoying it. Automatic pool cleaners take the labor out of pool maintenance. They are a lazy person’s dream come true! There are three types of automatic pool cleaner: suction side, pressure side, and robotic.

Suction side cleaners are basically like a water powered vacuum cleaner. They use your pools own suction, usually from the skimmer, to remove dirt & debris from the bottom of the pool and send it to the filter. The only drawback to these is that you tie up your skimmer while the cleaner is running, which limits your ability to clean the surface of the water.

Pressure side cleaners use one of the water returns or a secondary booster pump to push the dirt & debris into a bag on the cleaner. Fine dirt is stirred up and eventually cleaned by the filter. These cleaners don’t tie up your skimmer so it continues to clean the surface while the machine is operating on the bottom.

Robotic pool cleaners are computer-controlled pool vacuums that can scrub any size pool and operate independently from your pump and filter system. They have an internal microchip that controls their movements. This type of cleaner can either be pre-programmed to a pattern that you select or can use logic to sense the size and shape of your pool and clean every inch. Robotic pool cleaners are generally the most recommended type of cleaner because of their ease and effectiveness.

No matter which type of pool cleaner you choose, you will be making a smart investment. Instead of hours each week scrubbing and working, you can lay back enjoy your pool the way that it was intended to be enjoyed!

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.