Just visited 3 pools today all that have filled up above the skimmers and in desperate need of draining .. Please take the time to check your water level and if its to high drain some water out before it causes you expense. If this is something you cant do because your pool has been Winterized please contact us and we can advise or come out and do this for you
Believe it or not this time of year is the best time to give your pool surround a good spring clean.
I would first suggest you brush any debris of the surface then wet it all down with the hosepipe, this will allow the paving cleaner to spread easily across the surface . Next you will have needed to either mix some shock chlorine granules ( around 2 cup fulls into a 5 gallon bucket ) up in a big bucket or buy some liquid chlorine and pour it into a bucket mixing about 25 % chlorine to 75 % water. Then carefully brush the chlorine mixture around your paving .. This kills the algae spores that grow in the paving giving that horrible blacken or dark green look that ages tour pool . Once you have brushed the chlorine mix into the paving leave it completely alone . There is no need to rinse it off as it will keep working when it next gets wet. This is a better way of cleaning your paving than power washing as the chemicals dont take the surface of the slabs off nor do they ruin the jointing between the slabs Some plant equipment is ok outside such as heat pumps, pool pumps and filters. If yours is outside don't worry in about it getting wet from the rain unless your garden is liable to flood as this equipment isn't meant to be submerged ..
If it gets cold again although the equipment is built to be outside it does'nt hurt to wrap it in a tarpaulin or better still to box it in with some insulation board (the insulation wool type is no good as it will absorb water which will freeze causing more problems). Now we have had the snow we are all hoping for a nice quick thaw .. This will mean more water in the pool which if you haven't already drained some and added chemicals will cause you more problems besides looking further to the weekend we are in for some very heavy rain for a sustained period.
So firstly let me explain why this water is such a problem . 1. the water entering your pool will no doubt carry some hidden nasty s which will use up what little chlorine you have left in your pool .. snow sitting on the winter cover is especially good at this as its been there for longer so has had more time to pick up these hidden nasty's, with the chlorine all used up the ater will quickly turn green and algae will grow and once it starts its hard to get rid of without re connecting the filtration system which is not what we want to be doing at this point in the year with the possibility of more cold weather . 2. if the water level is left to increase we will find your pool will "overflow" and water will begin to go behind your liner. This is a very bad thing indeed, the water will float your liner when it all soaks away the liner wont sit correctly and will have creases all over also withe the liner having moved it will allow small stones and other objects to travel to the floor of your pool and can cause leaks and punctures to your liner at a later date . In extreme cases the water behind the liner can be such a force that it will tear the liner away from the flow fittings in the pool which means you will be looking at a very expensive bill to repair your pool. None of us in the swimming pool trade especially us here at Southwest Swimming Pools want to see this happen so we offer great prices for Mid winter visits starting from just £30 excluding travel and chemicals. We will come and drain your pool to the correct level vaccume out the pipework for the skimmer to help avoid that from freezing in further cold snaps and we will correctly balance your chemicals in your pool so we can open your pool clean and clear for you in the spring/summer Pool Already green ? The earlier this is sorted the cheaper it will be in the long run on chemicals and time so give us a call and we can either advise you on how to tackle this yourself or we can come vist you pool and get rid of that nasty green for you Our number is 01278 423652 or simply fill out our contact form and a member of the team here will get back to you As ive mentioned in previous blogs you need to keep your Chlorine and Ph levels correct so your pool water stays clear ready for spring/summers open up. But what i diddnt mention is that in this cold weather its best to have some sort of float in your pool and skimmers. I tend to half fill a uses chemical container with water an leave that in the pool and use a small .5l drinks bottle in the skimmer half full. This is to prevent the ice that may form in theis cold weather from damaging either the plastic skimmer body or your liner as these are expensive to fix for the sake of a half full container
Now the snow has melted your pool will have moire water in which may need to be drained a little .. i suggest either giving myself a call to drain some of the water and chemical check your pool or alternatively you can do it yourself if you have a simple submersible pump.
1st Carefully set up your submersible pump making sure you keep the electric lead that you are plugging into well away from the pool water itself 2nd Drain the water untill the level is back to around 4 inches /100mm below the bottom of the skimmer mouth 3rd Check your chemical balance .. The most important is that the Ph is Around the 7.4 mark and that your chlorine is well above normal usage levels ideally at around 8ppm ( the level of chlorine is higher during the winter when the pool is closed as the pump and filter are not running and the water is stagnant, the high level of chlorine helps to keep the water clear ready for when your pool is opened for swimming in the spring/summer WHEN ADDING CHEMICALS NEVER MIX THEM TOGETHER AND ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOUR CHEMICALS ARE FULLY DISSOLVED BEFORE ADDING TO YOUR POOL SO NOT TO DAMAGE YOUR LINER 4th take the hose off of your submersible pump place back in pool and switch on .. This will stir the chemicals around your pool 5th Be sure to fix the winter cover back down correctly so its safe and that its fitted well so as not to let leaves and other objects into the pool If you are short on any of the chemicals or even need a winter cover fitting please do give us a call we are always happy to help Weather today has not been so great for swimming pools .. snow will fill or displace the water in your pool so be sure u have enough depth below your skimmers still otherwise when we get a freeze you will have water in your pipes which is of course a potential leak . also at this time of year it dosent hurt to add a little more chlorine to ensure your water is still clear when you open up
| AuthorHi im Adam . ive been in the pool trade as an engineer and pool builder for 15 years ArchivesCategories |
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