• Mistake 1: Not keeping the pool balanced

  One of the biggest issues we see in our retail stores are pool owners who neglect weekly balancing of their pool water. We are very proud of our customers who come in to our stores each and every week to let us analyze their pool water for free, but very often we will talk to customers who do not realize the importance of balanced water. The biggest misconception with swimming pools is that clear water is good water. This is not necessarily true. For instance, a pool with a pH level of 6.2 will more than likely be clear because with a pH level that low, algae struggles to bloom. But with a pH of 6.2, the water is considered corrosive, and will do damage to many parts of your pool, not to mention what that low of a pH will do to swimmers. And water that is not regularly balanced tends to take much longer and cost much more to correct once a problem occurs or the water is analyzed. By regularly balancing your water (we recommend weekly), you will not only guarantee clearer water for longer, you will minimize the amount of money you spend on pool chemicals due to the water constantly staying balanced.

• Mistake 2: Safety is an afterthought

  You’ve heard the horror stories – a swimmer dives off their diving board, only to injure themselves on the bottom of the pool / pool slope. This is a serious issue, and it highlights a common concern throughout the pool industry: safety has been an afterthought for far too long. The pool industry has taken steps to push for stronger safety regulations, and at Hawaiian Pools we stress safe swimming. Please do yourself a favor and evaluate your swimming pool and backyard to be sure there are no safety hazards: check equipment and plumbing, establish safety rules such as no running or horseplay, and ALWAYS supervise children. If you are unsure on how to evaluate the safety of your backyard and swimming pool, request a consultation with a pool expert.

• Mistake 3: Maintenance is a four letter word

  So you just got your pool balanced and clear, but you know in a week it will be back to cloudy / green water. That’s because sometimes pool owners neglect routine maintenance such as brushing and vacuuming which helps prevent issues from occurring. Running an automatic cleaner such as a Polaris or Kreepy Krauly will help, but it cannot replicate using your pool brush to target the entire pool surface. Algae occurs when regular brushing does not occur, and green algae will begin to form on the walls, slopes, and pool bottom. Even regular shock maintenance will not completely prevent algae without proper brushing and vacuuming. The best schedule is to brush the pool before shocking (and remember to shock the pool at night to prevent the sun from lowering the effectiveness of your shock), then adding the appropriate dosage of algaecide the following morning. This weekly maintenance schedule will prevent algae problems and will keep your pool crystal clear all summer long when applied with a routine pool balancing schedule.

So there you have it, the top 3 mistakes made by pool owners. The great news is that these mistakes are easy to correct and prevent, and are very inexpensive. So be sure to prevent these common mistakes next season by keeping a proper pool maintenance schedule!

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Our answer is not very clear cut. It’s whatever you prefer.

The reason we don’t take a stance is because there is no strong argument for either case, it depends on your attitude towards running and maintaining your pool. So to help you make your decision a little easier, I will outline the pros and cons of both closing your pool for the winter versus leaving it open all year.

Winterizing and Closing Your Pool

Pros

• Less maintenance per year
• If winterized properly, no burst plumbing

Cons

• Potential to open pool in spring to green water
• Cost to winterize and cover pool

Leaving Your Pool Open Year Round

Pros

• Better view of backyard
• No additional winterization and closing costs

Cons

• Ongoing maintenance
• Chance to freeze water in plumbing and damage equipment

Obviously, this is not the entire list of pros and cons. There are several more reasons for and against each side, but this gives you a good base to start with. Do you dread maintaining your pool? Then consider closing it down. Do you hate looking at a cover all winter? Then leave it open / uncovered (just because you winterize your pool doesn’t mean you need to cover it, just keep trees and leaves in mind).

Do you have any more reasons for or against either issue? Then be sure to comment below and we will add them!

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But just because we offer water testing for free doesn’t mean it is right. That is why, in this blog post, I want to go over the most common chemicals our retail stores test for when they run a water analysis, and why each of these chemicals is important.

Free Chlorine

Free chlorine (also called free available chlorine) is the measure of available chlorine in the pool. Even with the proper amount of physical chlorine added (through chlorine tablets, granular, liquid, or chlorine generated from salt systems), there are times when available chlorine levels are lower than total chlorine levels. When this happens, cloudy water can occur. Also, if the free chlorine level is below recommended levels, your pool water will not be sanitized properly. The recommended free chlorine level is 1 to 4 parts per million (ppm).

Total Chlorine

Total chlorine is the total amount of chlorine in the water. This level should be the same as your free chlorine level. If these two numbers differ greatly (measured as greater than 0.2 parts per million), then your pool could have chloramines in the water. Chloramines contribute to cloudy water, and to reduce chloramines it is recommended to shock your pool. The recommended total chlorine level is 1 to 4ppm.

pH

pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Values below 7.0 are acidic, and value above 7.0 is alkaline. The recommended range for swimming pools is 7.2 to 7.6. Incorrect pH levels can cause cloudy water and swimmer discomfort and will lower the effectiveness of chlorine levels.

Calcium Hardness

Calcium hardness is the measure of dissolved calcium in your swimming pool. Low calcium levels lead to pitting and etching in plaster pools, and faded or shrinking liners in vinyl pools. High levels of calcium will lead to scale build-up. The recommended level for calcium hardness in swimming pools is 180-500ppm.

Total Alkalinity

Total Alkalinity (TA), is the measure of bi-carbonates, carbonates and hydroxides in your water. The recommended range of swimming pools is 80 to 120ppm. Low TA will lead to erosion of the surface of concrete and painted pools. It will also cause unstable pH levels, which can result in major shifts in pH with small additions of chemicals. This is sometimes known as “pH bounce”. Lastly, low alkalinity can lead to stained pool surfaces and corrosion to pool equipment.

Cyanuric Acid

Cyanuric acid is the measure of stabilizer levels in your pool. Stabilizer is used to reduce the ultraviolet rays’ effect on your chlorine levels. By increasing your cyanuric acid level, you will increase the effectiveness of your chlorine. But be careful: each chlorine tablet already has cyanuric acid added to it, so you will not need to increase your stabilizer level. High stabilizer levels are bad for your pool and bad for swimmers. Stabilizer levels begin to limit the effectiveness of your chlorine once the cyanuric acid level is above 50ppm. Cyanuric acid levels above 100ppm can cause severe discomfort to swimmers and swimmers should stay out until the level is lowered. Recommended cyanuric acid levels are 20-70ppm.

There are several other chemicals that our retail locations test for, including salt levels, phosphates, nitrates, borates, biguanides, copper, iron, and metal sequestering agents (Jack’s Magic Blue Stuff / Purple Stuff). Each of these chemicals is invaluable to diagnosing certain conditions related to your pool and are tested for frequently. The chemicals detailed above are our main chemicals in our water analysis program that are essential to maintaining a properly balanced pool.

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From GLB:

Applications:

Normal:
Add one tablet per 10,000 gallons of pool water every week or as often as needed to maintain a chlorine residual at 1.0 to 4.0 ppm. Use in a floating dispenser, automatic chlorinator or feeder designed for this product or place in skimmer. Use in a new chlorinating device or any device which has previously contained only this product or trichloro-s-triazinetrione. If placed in the skimmer, run the pump a minimum of eight hours daily.

Water Balance:
To provide optimum product performance, swimmer comfort and crystal clear water, always maintain pH from 7.2 to 7.6, total alkalinity from 80 to 120 parts per million (ppm), and calcium hardness above 200 ppm. Test frequently using a GLB® 4-Way Test Strips that measures all these ranges. Make any necessary adjustments promptly with the appropriate GLB pool care products. Re-entry into treated pools is prohibited with chlorine levels above 4 ppm for risk of bodily injury.

Routine Chlorination:
This dosage may vary depending upon bather load, water temperature and other conditions. Pool should not be entered until the chlorine residual is 1-4 ppm as measured with a reliable test kit. As a preventative treatment, you should shock treat your pool once per week to prevent pool problems. In addition to weekly shock treatment, you should shock treat to remedy problems which may occur when bathing loads are high, water appears hazy or dull, unpleasant odors or eye irritation occur, after heavy wind and rainstorms, or if algae does develop with resulting green color and slimy feeling.

Shock Treatment:
Adjust pH to 7.2 to 7.6 with GLB pH Up or GLB pH Down per label directions. Shock treat weekly with a product such as GLB Oxy- Brite® non-chlorine shock oxidizer, GLB Shoxidizer® non-chlorine shock oxidizer or GLB SuperSonic to kill bacteria, control algae, burn out organic material and to keep water sparkling clear. Follow label directions.

Algae Control:
If pool surface develops algae or feels slippery, follow shock treatment directions. Immediately after shock treatment, thoroughly clean pool by scrubbing surface of algae growth, vacuum and cycle through filter. If necessary, repeat the procedure. Pool should not be entered until the chlorine residual is 1-4 ppm.

So if you are looking for the easiest way to prevent algae, be sure to try GLB DuoGuard Tablets. By simply switching the type of tablet you are using, you can greatly increase the long-term clarity of your pool water. Have you tried DuoGuard tablets before? Let us know how they worked for you in the comments below!

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The sale is this Friday and Saturday, May 27 and 28. Join us at our Cordova location on Saturday, May 28 for free food off of our Primo Grills! Download this brochure to see just what will be on sale this weekend!

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Cleaning a Sand Filter

There are three ways to clean a sand filter: backwashing, using a chemical sand filter cleaner, and changing the sand.

Cleaning a Cartridge Filter

To clean a cartridge filter, the first step is to remove the cartridges from the filter and rinse them off to loosen any dirt built up in the cartridge. After rinsing the cartridges off, it is essential to soak the cartridges in a cartridge filter cleaner. For more in-depth instructions, contact your local Hawaiian Pools retail location.

Cleaning a D.E. Filter

Instructions for cleaning a D.E. filter can be complicated and confusing. This resource on cleaning a D.E. filter should be plenty helpful for those DIYers. For everyone else, we recommend contacting our Service Department.

And there you have it! A guide to cleaning your filter, regardless of what type filter you have. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us directly , visit our Facebook page, or leave a comment below.

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The true benefit to GLB’s strongest algaecide is the fact that it also acts as a clarifier and filter aid. No other algaecide is as powerful and thorough as Algimycin 2000. If used weekly, Algimycin 2000 will prevent all algae outbreaks.

Features:

Applications

Initial Dosage to Prevent Algae:
Add 8-12 oz. per 10,000 gallons.

Maintenance Dosage (weekly):
Add 4-8 oz. per 10,000 gallons.

To Treat Existing Yellow or Green Algae:
Add 16-24 oz. per 10,000 gallons to a pail of water and distribute.

Initial Dosage to Treat Black Algae:
Add 16 oz. per 10,000 gallons to a pail of water and distribute. Brush spots daily.

Preventing algae is much easier than eliminating and removing algae. Be sure to get started on a weekly preventative maintenance schedule with Algimycin 2000. This algaecide is compatible with all types of sanitizing systems, including chlorine, bromine, ozone, salt water pools and biguanide sanitizers.

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In order to qualify for big savings after Pool School, be sure to fill out the form below to reserve your spot on April 22. Once you have signed up, we will send you your coupon for a discount to be used after Pool School.

Sorry, we have concluded Pool School. Please stay tuned for more announcements of any upcoming Pool School dates. To be immediately informed about upcoming Pool School dates, please sign up for our monthly email newsletter.

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It should be mentioned that if there are any doubts or concerns with opening your pool yourself, we recommend calling our Service Department at (901) 754-7058 or scheduling a service call online.

Once again, the list below is not a step-by-step guide to opening your pool. Rather, our list includes essentials that need to be taken care of if you are opening your pool yourself. If you have any questions that are not answered in this post, please consult a professional.

Opening Your Pool – Tips for Success

Once again, please do not use this list as a pool opening guide. These are just steps to include while you open your pool. If you need more assistance in opening your pool, please call our Service Department at (901) 754-7058 or contact them online. Did we leave something out? Need clarification on one of the steps above? Let us know in the comments below, as well as tell us what else you’d like for us to talk about on our blog.

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It is important that you as a pool owner establish rules letting guests know that swimming in your pool is a privilege and that any safety guidelines you enforce must be followed.

Safety Rules and Guidelines for Safe Swimming

• Always have a qualified adult supervising any children swimming.
• Never swim alone.
• No running or horseplay around the perimeter of the pool.
• Dive only in appropriate areas of the pool (in the deep end avoiding other swimmers).
• Keep glass items away from the pool.
• All swimming areas must be carefully inspected and prepared for safety prior to each activity.
• Swim only in pools with high water quality. This means no stagnant water, water with significant algae or foam, or water polluted by livestock and waterfowl.
• Never swim in bad weather. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last lightning flash or thunder before leaving shelter.
• Periodically inspect gate latches and batteries in pool alarms to maintain a secure swimming environment.
• Learn proper mouth-to-mouth resuscitation techniques per your local American Red Cross chapter. Check with your chapter for training opportunities.
• Always keep a first-aid kit near the pool.
• A selected list of emergency telephone numbers should be on hand which includes the nearest available physician, ambulance service, hospital, police, fire and/or rescue unit.
• Teach children how to swim at the earliest age possible.

Providing the safest swimming environment is essential to protecting yourself and your guests from injuries, accidents, and drownings. We are proud to provide you with the resources to educate yourself on improving swimmer safety in your backyard. We will continue to write blog posts about safety advice and tips from our staff and experts within the pool industry.

Please feel free to comment below with any additional tips you have learned, or ask us about any safety information you would like to know. Let’s have a fun summer and swim safely!

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