Tag Archives: swimming pool cleaners

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!

Pool and Spa Chemicals, Pool and Spa Equipment

Pool Chemicals Made Simple

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Pool Chemicals Dictionary

 

Which pool chemicals are which and what pool chemicals are what????

It is that time again, every year opening your swimming pool can sometimes leave you confused and frustrated.  Understanding all these chemicals is quite an undertaking.  We are providing a list of major chemicals and their meanings, hopefully to make your pool opening easier this year.  Let us know if this helps……..

ALGAECIDE A natural or synthetic chemical designed to kill, destroy or control algae.

ALKALINITY Also called total alkalinity. A measure of the pH-buffering capacity of water or water’s resistance to change in pH. Composed of the hydroxides, carbonates and bicarbonates in the water. One of the basic water tests necessary to determine water balance.

BALANCED WATER The correct ratio of mineral content and pH level that prevents the water from being corrosive or scale forming.

BROMINE A halogen element in the same group as chlorine and fluorine. Also a common name for several chemical compounds containing bromine that are used as disinfectants to destroy bacteria and algae in swimming pools and spas. Most commonly available as organic bromine in a tablet or granular, or as sodium bromide, a granular salt.

CALCIUM HARDNESS The calcium content of the water. Calcium hardness is sometimes confused with the terms water hardness and total hardness. Too little calcium hardness and the water is corrosive. Too much calcium hardness and the water is scale forming. One of the basic water tests necessary to determine water balance. Minimum level is 150 ppm. Ideal range is 200-400 ppm.

CHLORINE A term used to describe any type of chlorine compound used as a disinfectant in swimming pool and spa water or to kill, destroy or control bacteria and algae. In addition, chlorine oxidizes ammonia and nitrogen compounds (swimmer and bather waste).

CLARIFIER Also called coagulant or flocculant. A chemical compound used to gather (coagulate or agglomerate), or to precipitate suspended particles so they may be removed by vacuuming or filtration. There are two types; inorganic salts of aluminum (alum) or water-soluble organic polyelectrolytes.

CONDITIONER Also called stabilizer or cyanuric acid. It is a chemical that slows down the degradation of chlorine in the water by sunlight. The minimum effective level is 20 ppm as measured by a test kit. Very high levels of Cyanuric acid (above 300 ppm) can slow down chlorine activity or effectiveness. Conditioner does not protect bromine from sunlight.

COPPER ALGAECIDE  A chemical compound that contains the element copper. Copper sulfate was one of the original copper algaecides. Too much copper in the water can cause green-colored stains or water. Newer copper algaecides contain an ingredient that prevents the copper from staining but does not affect copper’s ability to kill algae. These special copper algaecides are called chelated copper algaecides.

CYANURIC ACID Also called conditioner or stabilizer, this chemical compound protects chlorine in the water from being destroyed by sunlight. The minimum level is 20 ppm. Very high levels of Cyanuric acid (above 300 ppm) can slow down chlorine activity or effectiveness. Cyanuric acid does not protect bromine from sunlight.

HYPOCHLORITE The name given to a family of chlorine containing compounds, including calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite and lithium hypochlorite, that are used as disinfectants and sanitizers in pool and spa water.

NON-CHLORINE SHOCK A term given to a class of chemical compounds that are used to oxidize or shock the water (destroy ammonia, nitrogen and swimmer waste). They contain no chlorine or bromine and do not kill living organisms. swimmers may re-enter the pool in only 15 minutes after adding a non-chlorine shock.

OXIDIZER A shocking or sanitizing compound that removes or destroys built-up contaminants and chloramines in pool water. Most chlorinating, brominating, and oxygenating compounds are considered oxidizers. Usually the fast dissolving oxidizers which contain chlorine, such as hypochlorites, are typically used to “superchlorinate” the water.

pH A term used to indicate the level of acidity or alkalinity of pool water. The pH being too low causes etched plaster, metal corrosion and eye irritation. The pH being too high causes scale formation, poor chlorine efficiency and eye irritation. The ideal range for pH in swimming pools is 7.4-7.6

SCALE The precipitate that forms on surfaces in contact with water when the calcium hardness, pH or total alkalinity levels are too high. Results from chemically unbalanced pool and spa water. Scale may appear as gray, white or dark streaks on the plaster, fiberglass or vinyl. It may also appear as a hard crust around the tile.

SHOCK TREAT The practice of adding significant amounts of fast-dissolving oxidizing chemical to the water to destroy ammonia and nitrogen compounds or swimmer waste.

STABILIZED CHLORINE A family of chlorine pool sanitizers that contain conditioner (cyanuric acid) to protect the chlorine from the degrading UV rays in sunlight. Most common types are sodium dichlor and trichlor. The granular form is dichlor, which is fast-dissolving and can be used for regular chlorination or super-chlorination by broadcasting into the pool or spa. Tablet or stick form is trichlor (which is usually used in a chlorine feeder- either the floating type or an in-line erosion type) used for regular chlorination only.

TURBIDITY The cloudy condition of the water due to the presence of extremely fine particles in suspension that cannot be trapped by the filter because they are too small. Adding a clarifier will coagulate the particles and make the filter more efficient.

WATER CLARIFIER Also called coagulant or flocculant. A chemical compound used to gather or to precipitate suspended particles so they may be removed by vacuuming or filtration.

 

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

Time and Money Savers….Let Your Robotic Pool Cleaner Do Your Dirty Work

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Robotic Pool Cleaners

It is amazing how technology is constantly changing our lives. We hope for the better – creating more conveniences to everyday life. From computers to cell phones, to programmable thermostats to robotic pool cleaners, people have saved precious time and money.

Most people would like have a swimming pool in their backyard , but sometimes the maintenance that goes along with one is not very appealing. In the past, cleaning our pools typically has been either a significant time commitment on our part, or, if we could afford the luxury, a service we would pay a “poolman” to provide for us.  These days, a pool owner can benefit from the automation technology that is now available. Cleaning your pool has never been as easy as it is now if you chose to invest in a Robotic Pool Cleaner. It is amazing what these cleaners can do. With the variety of quality robotic pool cleaners now on the market,you can finally spend more time swimming in your pool than cleaning it.

Although these cleaners have proven to be very effective, many people have been hesitant to invest in one.  The main reason being that they are typically higher priced than other types of pool cleaners.  As the technology of these units has improved, the costs have gone down significantly. That is great news for pool owners. The time you save is definitely worth the expense. These cleaners have so many advantages and features that make them the envy of pool owners everywhere. A robotic pool cleaner, once you put it in you pool and turn it on, will independently vacuum up all the debris, dirt, and green algae it comes in contact with on the bottom, walls, and the steps of your pool. It will even work around drains and ladders.The newer models are smart enough to be able to detect the size and the shape of your swimming pool. Some even have internal memories, and after the first cleaning will be able to recall your pool’s shapes and curves making subsequent cleanings even more effective. Finally, many robotic cleaners have self-progamming software that scans and calculates automatically the most effective pattern of cleaning that is needed.

Overall, a robotic pool cleaner is an effortlessly and efficient way to keep your pool crystal clean so that you can get on with enjoying your swimming pool.  Now, you will have time to lounge by the pool with family and friends. Isn’t that the true reason we desire to have a pool in our backyard anyway?