Author: Pat Pace

Testing Your Pool Water

Posted on by Pat Pace

Water samples should be taken from (a) the most convenient location or (b) 18″ below the surface?  The answer is (b)!  While your pool is running, test the water 18″ below the surface, then hold the strip for the recommended time (no shaking the water off!!) for an accurate reading.

Dogs In Pools

Posted on by Pat Pace

Dogs love to swim in swimming pools.  However, there are some drawbacks by allowing them to do so.

Chlorinated water is not good for dogs.  The chlorine can remove the natural oils from the dog’s body and cause dry, itchy skin.  A dog’s eyes, nose and ears are more sensitive than a human’s and the chlorine can be irritating.  Also too high a sanitizer level can irritate the dog’s esophagus if it drinks the pool water.  Your pool’s sanitizer level should be kept below 3.0 ppm if you allow your dogs to swim in the pool.

Dogs in swimming pools are hard on the filter, chemistry and equipment.  Dog hair can clog a skimmer or pump basket very quickly, especially from a hairy dog.  A repeatedly clogged pump basket can cause pump damage.  Dog hair can also get behind the baskets and clog the impeller.

Pool use by dogs drastically reduces the chlorine level in the pool.  If the chlorine drops to 0.0 ppm, it leaves a pool without sanitizer which is dangerous for anybody, even your dogs.  If your dog ingests non sanitized pool water, it can get sick.  Your pool also can quickly turn cloudy or green.

Always shock the pool when your dogs are done swimming.  We frequently need to shock the pool at our weekly service to raise the depleted chlorine level.  This could bring your chlorine to above 3.0 ppm which a dog should not swim in.

 

A TIGER IN THE BACKYARD!

Posted on by Pat Pace

If you read the Arizona Republic newspaper, you may have seen this editorial in Sunday’s (4/23/17) edition. By Phil Boas: “IF SWIMMING POOLS WERE TIGERS, WE’D ALL UNDERSTAND. My father, who was a Phoenix pediatrician and later pediatric radiologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital, saw way too many child drownings and the terrible aftermath of near drownings. He used to say people in Phoenix have a tiger in their backyard and don’t even know it. In fact, he said, we might be better off with tigers than swimming pools. At least then parents would always be alert to the threat. As we enter swimming season, fear the tiger in the backyard.”

Types of Pool Filters

Posted on by Pat Pace

 

There are 3 types of pool filters – Sand, DE and Cartridge.  Keeping these filters maintained will keep your pool clean.  Backwash Sand filters every 4-6 weeks and change the sand every 5 years.  Backwash DE filters quarterly and clean and inspect the grids and manifold yearly.  Clean and inspect Cartridge filters every 6 months and replace the cartridges every 3-4 years or as needed.  Don’t forget to make sure the pressure gauge is in good, working condition!