Above Ground Swimming Pools, Pool and Spa Maintenance, Pool Opening Spring Start Up

Opening Your Above Ground Pool

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Opening your Above Ground Pools

Above Ground Swimming Pool

Easy Guidelines  for Opening your Above Ground Pool – Spring Start-Up

Think about opening your Above Ground Pool even before summer arrives, plan ahead and start thinking about the process of opening your above ground swimming pool.  Check your inventory of chemicals and the state of your pool equipment.  Winter or spring are the perfect time to replenish your supplies and upgrade or replace worn or damaged pool equipment.  When the time officially arrives to open your pool, you’ll be ready with everything you need.Make the opening of your swimming pool even easier by following the steps below.  You’ll be swimming in no time.

1. First, remove any leaves or debris that have settled on the winter pool cover.  Also, remove any standing water from the cover using a cover pump.  Then, remove the cover itself.

Note: If your winter cover has a hole in it and you use your cover pump to remove standing water, you may actually end up pumping water out of the pool.  This can lead to a drained pool, so be sure to watch for this.

2. After removing the winter cover, take time to clean it, let it air dry, and then store it away for the rest of the season.  The time and effort you spend caring properly for your winter cover will ensure that it stays in top shape for many seasons.

3. Re-insert drain plugs you may have removed from your pump and filter hoses, and re-attach your hoses. Then, add water to your pool until it reaches normal levels.

4. Remove freeze plugs, skimmer guards, or air pillows.

5. Plug in your pump, and make sure that the valve is turned to the backwash position (for sand filters).  Doing so will ensure that any old water left in your filter will not go into your pool.

6. Check for leaks.

7. Assess the cleanliness of the pool itself. If you used a solid winter cover and secured it well, the water will be as clear as it was when you closed the pool last year.  If not, now is the time to remove large debris from the pool with your leaf net, leaf rake, or leaf eater.

8. Vacuum any dirt, sand, algae, or other small debris that cannot be cleared out with a leaf rake or net.

9.  After cleaning the pool, check the water chemistry:

  • Allow the water to circulate at least 8-12 hours so that the water that was added has time to mix with the water that was already in the pool.
  • After that time, test the water thoroughly, then add the necessary chemicals in the proper sequence to balance the water chemistry. We suggest taking a water sample to your local pool professional to have it tested for pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, etc. Be sure to follow the procedure they describe to avoid damaging your pool.

10.  Install the ladder and any other deck equipment.

11.  Go swimming!

Hot Tubs and Saunas

Health Benefits of Home Infrared Saunas

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Infrared Saunas and Health Benefits

Infrared Saunas

Advantages and Health Benefits of Infrared Saunas over Traditional Saunas

What is it about saunas that make them so attractive? The associated health benefits of saunas, especially infrared saunas, make them an appealing addition to many people’s home health programs. Infrared saunas differ from traditional saunas in that they use infrared heaters to heat bodies directly. On the other hand, traditional saunas heat bodies indirectly by heating the air surrounding them.

Here are some of the health benefits that can be attained by using an infrared sauna:

1. Infrared saunas increase circulation in the body, which helps improve the body’s overall function.

2. Infrared waves penetrate the body and provide soothing relief for aches and pains without causing any harmful efffects to the skin.

3. The soothing heat, which can reach up to 141 degrees, helps the body relax and allows stress and tension to melt away.

4. Regular sessions in an infrared sauna can help relieve ailments such as asthma, nervous tension, arthritis, bronchitis, rheumatism, sports injuries, joint stiffness, depression, anxiety, acne, the common cold, migraine headaches, muscle pain, and influenza.

5. Spending just 30 minutes in an infrared sauna can burn up to 600 calories, making it an effective component in any weight loss regimen.

6. Time spent in a sauna helps improve the look, feel, and overall health of the skin.

In the past, many people have paid membership fees to gyms just so they could use the sauna and enjoy its many health benefits. Home saunas, until recently, have been a luxury that only the wealthy could afford. Today’s home saunas, though, are affordable, easy to assemble, require very little space, and offer the same health benefits as saunas found in public facilities.

Besides health benefits, home saunas offer an additional benefit that no gym sauna can — privacy. Many people would agree that complete relaxation is hard to achieve when sharing sauna space with strangers. Whether you choose to use the sauna at home or at the gym, though, drinking plenty of water during and after a session in the sauna is essential for replacing fluids lost through perspiration.

Above Ground Swimming Pools, Pool and Spa Maintenance

Leaky Swimming Pool? Tips for What to Do

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Tips for Leaky Swimming Pools

Above Ground Swimming Pool

Leaky Swimming Pool?  Tips for What to Do

Detecting and Fixing a Leaky Swimming Pool

Have you noticed a larger than average drop in your in ground or above ground swimming pool‘s water level?  If so, your pool just might have a leak.   Determining whether that is truly the case, though, and then locating the source of the leak, can present a challenge.

If your swimming pool uses an automatic fill system that keeps the water at a constant level, you may suspect a leak if you spot any of the following situations:

  • An out-of-the-ordinary increase in your water bill
  • Cracks in the pool deck as a result of settling earth
  • Existance of water puddles outside the pool that cannot be easily explained
  • An increase in your pool chemical usage

First, turn off your pool’s automatic fill system for at least 24 hours and keep track of the water level.  If the level drops significantly within that time, your suspicions may be right, and you may have a leak in your pool.

Another sign that your pool may be leaking is if there is air in your pump that is being blown into the pool. A leak in the suction side plumbing (from skimmers and main drains to equipment), may pull air into the lines where it will show up in the pump or be blown back into the pool through the returns. This condition can also be caused by an obstruction or blockage in the suction lines. Either situation requires immediate professional attention to prevent mechanical damage to your pool equipment.

Considering Evaporation — The Bucket Test

What about evaporation?  Before investigating your potential leak further, consider the possibility that evaporation may be the cause of your drop in water level.  A pool that is not regularly covered with a pool cover loses water over time through evaporation, but the amount of evaporation depends on environmental factors and local climate.  How much water evaporates from a pool can differ greatly from season to season, and from pool to pool.  To test whether your pool’s decreased water level is a result of evaporation, perform a “bucket test.”

Fill your pool to its normal operating level.  Place a bucket filled with water on the first or second step of your swimming pool, but do not completely submerge the bucket.  The water in the bucket should be at the same level as the water in the pool. This ensures that the bucket water is exposed to the same environmental conditions as the pool water.  Mark the water level inside the bucket as well as on the side of your pool.  After 24 hours, measure the amount of water lost from the bucket and from the pool using a ruler or tape measure.  If the bucket and the pool have lost the same amount of water, the cause is most likely evaporation and not a leak.  If, however, the pool shows a greater amount of water loss than the bucket, you are probably dealing with a leak.

Looking for Leaks

Before calling a pool leak detection professional, you can follow a few easy steps to determine if you have a pool leak and narrow the possibilities for where it is located.  Here are some of the more common areas where leaks can occur:

  • In and around the pool equipment (heater, filter, pump, etc.)
  • At fittings (lights, returns, skimmers, etc.)
  • In the liner or shell of the swimming pool
  • In the pool’s underground plumbing system

Any leaks in the underground plumbing will require professional attention, but you may be able to find obvious leaks in other parts of the pool using simple visual inspection techniques.

Check for drips or other signs of moisture around the pool equipment.  Also check to make sure that your multi-port valve is not positioned to allow water loss.

Underwater leaks in the pool fittings or shell can be identified with a dye test. You can make your own dye tester by using dark food coloring and a turkey baster or a plastic syringe. If using a turkey baster, slowly depress the bulb to allow a slow, steady stream of the dye to be injected into the pool.  Place a small amount of dye near the suspected leak. Liquid follows the path of least resistance, so dye will be drawn out of the pool where a leak is present. Test areas where potential leaks may occur, such as cracks in the plaster or tile, and places where skimmers, return fittings, or stairs join to the pool shell. Much of this testing can be done from the pool deck; however, you will eventually have to get into the pool with a dive mask to completely inspect the pool’s structure.

Don’t feel discouraged if you are not able to find the leak; most leaks are not visibly obvious, or they may be in parts of the pool that are not accessible, such as in the underground plumbing system. A qualified pool leak professional uses specialized equipment to find leaks.  This process can take as little as an hour or two, but more complicated jobs may take longer.

The Professional Approach

A pool leak professional will want to know as much about your pool leak as possible.  When did you first notice the potential leak?  How much water is being lost?  Provide the professional with your results from the bucket test, and describe any measures you have taken on your own to determine the location of the leak.

Most jobs will then involve a pressure test of your plumbing lines to confirm whether the leak is in the plumbing or the shell of the pool. Based on the results of the pressure test, the pool professional may use a variety of sophisticated electronic devices and diving equipment to pinpoint the pool leak.

Once the location of the pool leak is determined, the professional will provide you with several repair options that they will perform themselves or refer to someone else.

The longer a pool leak goes unnoticed or ignored, the more complicated and expensive the fix will likely be.  Because of this, pool owners should make a point to routinely check their swimming pools and equipment for any signs of leaking.  Preventive measures always pay off in the end.

Above Ground Swimming Pools

Above Ground Pools, A Winning Combination of Beauty, Price and Durability

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Above Ground Swimming Pools

Above Ground Swimming Pools

The Advantages To Owning An Above Ground Pool

Countless number of people long to spend the sizzling, humid days of summer lounging around a refreshing backyard swimming pool, but the expense of putting in a traditional inground swimming pool is often prohibitive.  Unfortunately, not everyone can spend a large sum of money for a high end backyard inground swimming pool.  Luckily, an economically reachable solution is absolutely obtainable.  Above ground swimming pools are a fraction of the cost to purchase, install, and maintain.  Admittedly, the appearance of an above ground swimming pool has not always appealed to homeowners, but the once lowly above ground pool has gained ground in terms of looks and prestige over the years and now serves as a beautiful and refined focal point in many backyards.

Manufacturers of today’s above ground swimming pools have succeeded in producing materials that combine quality and durability with aesthetic beauty.  Above ground pools, which are often constructed of industrial strength steel or aluminum and super strong resin, are specially coated with multiple layers to resist corrosion, scratching, and UV rays, but they are also accessible in plenty of beautiful, alluring colors and patterns to suit the most discriminating of tastes.

In addition to choosing an above ground pool with an adorning and decorative appearance, a homeowner can further enhance the appearance of an above ground pool by adding a pool deck, and surrounding the base of the pool with brillant and varigated landscaping.  Shrubbery, trickling ponds, and perennials are just a few of the landscaping options that allow an above ground pool to blend smoothly into the natural environment.

Homeowners who may still have reservations about installing an above ground pool in their yards may find comfort in knowing that they can have their cake and eat it, too, so to speak.  The first-class assembly and corrosion resistance of some above ground swimming pools make it possible for them to be installed as semi-inground pools.  Homeowners can achieve the appearance of an inground swimming pool at the undoubtedly more cost-effective expense of an above ground pool.

Today’s above ground swimming pools offer durability and charm at an affordable price.  This winning combination of characteristics can make those long, hot summer days play-out unwinding by your pool even more refreshing.

Pool Accessories, Pool Closing and Winterizing

Winter Pool Cover Accessories

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Pool Cover Pump

Pool Cover Pump

Three Essential Accessories for Above Ground Winter Pool Covers

Winterizing your above ground swimming pool involves a number of important steps such as giving the pool a good cleaning, ensuring proper balance of chemicals in the water, and lowering the water level to below the returns and skimmer.  Beyond this point, there are any number of additional accessories that could be used to keep your pool in good shape until next season.  The sheer volume of products available can feel daunting and confusing.  In essence, once the water has been prepared properly and you are ready to top it all off with a winter pool cover, there are really only three winterizing accessories about which you should be concerned.

Air Pillows

If you live in a climate where winter air temperatures drop below freezing, the first accessory you’ll need is an air pillow.  Air pillows absorb the pressure created by freezing water and protect your pool’s walls and liner. As the water in the pool freezes and expands, it will freeze inward on the air pillow rather than outward on your pool walls. Air pillows are placed under the winter pool cover on top of the water in the center of the pool.  To ensure that the air pillow doesn’t move out of place over the course of the winter, you’ll want to use durable string to tie it to two sides of your pool wall.

Cover Pumps

Next, you’ll want a pool cover pump to drain the water that collects on your pool cover throughout the winter months.   If accumulated water is not regularly removed by a cover pump, the weight of that excess water can damage your winter pool cover or pull the cover into the water below.  Either way, you’ll have a messy situation to clean up.  Cover pumps are available in manual models and automatic models.  Manual cover pumps require that you monitor the pump’s progress and unplug it when the water is drained.  Automatic cover pumps, often preferred by pool owners, sense and automatically start when water is detected on the cover and turn off automatically once the water has been drained.

Bags, Seal, or Clips

Finally, you’ll want to consider how to keep your winter pool cover from being blown around on breezy days, exposing your pool to the elements and ruining the hard work you put into winterizing.  There are many options available for keeping a winter pool cover in place, including pool cover wall bags, winter cover seal, and cover clips. Pool cover wall bags are designed especially for above ground pools and are positioned around the inside perimeter of your pool, fastened to your pool cover’s cable.  Wall bags should be filled only three quarters full with water to make room for the water to expand should it freeze.  Winter cover seal is another way to keep your pool cover in place, and while it looks very much like a large roll of plastic wrap, it’s really a tough poly blend film packed with UV inhibitors. Winter cover seal is wrapped around the covered pool several times to create a tight seal, which prevents wind as well as dirt from getting under the cover and causing damage and premature wear and tear.  Cover clips are a third option for securing your winter pool cover.  Cover clips are exactly that — handy fasteners that hold your pool cover in place. They grip your top rail like a clothes pin and hold securely throughout the winter season.

Keeping the winterizing of your above ground swimming pool as simple as possible will make the process less tiresome and time consuming.  A good quality air pillow, a manual or automatic cover pump, and a means of securing your winter pool cover to the pool are really the only necessary accessories you need to go along with your winter pool cover.  You’ll find that you don’t need any more than this to prepare your pool for winter and ensure that it stays in great shape until next season.