Tag Archives: Pool and Spa Chemicals

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 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!

Pool and Spa Chemicals, Pool and Spa Maintenance

Maintaining Balance Through All Kinds of Weather

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Pool Chemical Balance

Did you know that a heavy rain shower can throw the chemicals in your pool water out of balance?  When the amount of water in a pool changes, whether due to heavy rain or evaporation, the balance of pool chemicals must be adjusted to maintain ideal levels.  Here’s why it’s important:Pool Chemicals

  • Ideal levels of pool chemicals prevent dangerous bacteria from thriving in pool water;
  • Water that is chemically out of balance can actually damage parts of a pool;
  • Eyes and skin can become irritated easily when pool chemicals are not balanced.

Testing your pool’s water frequently is highly recommended, and using the appropriate amount of pool chemicals to bring the water back into balance is an important step in keeping the water safe and your pool in good working order.

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

Winterizing Chemical Kits Make Pool Closing a Cinch!

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Winterizing Chemical Kit

 

Sometimes, owning a pool can be confusing! Like many pool owners, you are probably looking for easy solutions to answer your pool related questions. One question that many pool owners have been asking lately is “what chemicals do I need to add to my pool to close it for winter?”, and I have the perfect solution to share with you. You can now buy winterizing chemical kits that come premeasured for your pool size! They are the ultimate in hassle free pool closing. Available in chlorine and chlorine-free varieties, you can get them for any pool size. They even come with pool closing instructions. These are so handy that you will wonder why you ever worried with buying individual products.

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