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 Accessories, Pool Fun

Pool Slides Add Spice to Swimming

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What’s more super cool than having a swimming pool in your backyard?  Having the twirliest, whirliest pool slide on the side.  It doesn’t matter if you have an in ground pool or an above ground pool, you can still give your family a homestyle water park experience with the right pool slide.  Pool slides spice up any standard swimming pool and offer built-in fun when it comes to family get togethers or neighborhood parties.

Look for pool slides with rugged, sturdy construction and non-skid steps to ensure safety when climbing with wet feet.  Most high quality pool slides will come with a plumbing kit that connects to your pump/filter system and deck anchors that allow you to secure the structure to the surface surrounding the pool.

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.

Outdoor Entertaining, Pool Accessories

Upgrade Your Pool Furniture for Better Value

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Getting your pool ready to open up in Spring can mean more than just preparing the water for swimming.  It can also mean sprucing up your pool side with some new pool furniture.  Pool furniture takes a real beating over the course of a season — wet bodies, wet towels, standing water, tanning products, and harsh weather can take a toll on your standard variety pool furniture.  Upgrading to a better quality furniture has a number of advantages over pool furniture you find at local big box department stores or home improvement warehouses.  High-quality pool furniture is good-looking, durable, able to withstand all kinds of pool side abuses, and (best of all) is easy to clean and maintain.  It’s hard to deny the value of high-quality pool furniture when compared to its cheaper, flimsier, and significantly shorter-lived competition.

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