Tag Archives: Pool Closing and Winterizing

Pool and Spa Chemicals, Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool and Spa Maintenance, Pool and Spa Safety, Pool Closing and Winterizing

Preventing Mosquitoes Around Your Home and Pool

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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 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!

Innovative Solutions, Pool and Spa Equipment, Pool Closing and Winterizing

Winter Cover Accessories Explained!

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 Cover Pump

If you own an above ground pool, you probably use a winter cover. With the abundance of options available with your cover, you might find yourself slightly confused about what to buy. I am here to help! Below is your guide to winter pool cover accessories for above ground pools!

Pool cover pumps are used to remove water that builds up on your pool cover. They are available in manual models, where you will have to monitor the pumps progress and unplug it when the water is drained, or in automatic models, which sense and automatically start when water is on the cover and cut off automatically! While cover pumps are not absolutely necessary, they will drastically reduce the amount of time it takes and the burden of removing your cover.

Air pillows are placed under the cover on top of the water. They absorb freezing water’s pressure to protect your pool walls and liner. They also reduce excess rain, snow, and leaves on your winter cover. Using an air pillow under your winter cover will make draining the water off the top of your cover much easier.

There are also several option available when deciding how to keep your cover in place. Pool cover wall bags are fillted with water and used to hold your cover in place during times of high wind. They are designed to lie on top of the cover around the inside perimeter of your pool.  Winter cover seal is very much like a large roll of plastic wrap. It is wrapped around the covered pool to keep wind from getting under your winter cover and causing damage and premature wear and tear. It is easy to apply and can be done by one person. Cover clips are handy fasteners that hold your pool cover in place. They grip your top rail like a clothes pin and hold throughout the winter season. The cover lock system is similar to cover clips, but more secure. It involves a two-part system that snaps together to ensure maximum hold, even in the highest winds.

With you understanding of these accessories, you will be thoroughly prepared to close your pool this season!

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.