Swimming Pool Blog
Tips on Operating, Care, Installation & Maintenance
Preparing Your Above Ground Pool for Winter
The end of swimming season is near, and it’s time to begin preparing for winterizing the above ground swimming pool. Here is a handy guide for preparing your pool for the winter season:
Step 1
Before closing your pool, make sure the water is chemically balanced. Adjust the chemical levels if necessary. Chemically balanced water protects the pool from corrosion or scale buildup that can occur while the pool is not in use. Your chemical levels should be as follows:
- pH: 7.2 – 7.6
- Alkalinity: 80 – 120 parts per million
- Calcium Hardness: 175 – 250 parts per million
- Chlorine: 1 – 3 parts per million
Step 2
Remove all deck equipment, including ladders, stairs, etc.
Step… Continue reading
Keep Your Winter Cover Firmly In Place
If you have an above ground pool, you probably have a winter cover. Now is the time to start thinking about the best possible ways to hold your cover in place this winter to ensure that your pool stays clean and protected. There are several methods available to hold your cover securely in place. Here are the tools that we suggest:
- Cover Clips – These handy fasteners are tough! They grip your top rail like a clothes pin and hold your cover on tightly. Cover clips keep your above ground pool’s cover in place and helps reduce the wear and tear on a winter cover from wind damage. Use two clips per upright or approximately every 16 to 18 inches.… Continue reading
Prevent Autumn Leaves from Turning into Springtime Mess
Now is the time to start thinking about getting a leaf net, if you don’t already have one. What is a leaf net? Leaf nets are lightweight covers made of an open weave material that fits over your winter cover or solar cover and helps you avoid accumulations of wet, heavy, saturated leaves and twigs on top of your swimming pool. Leaf nets ensure faster removal of leaves and help prolong the life of your winter or solar cover.
Leaf nets can be used in any season, but they are especially helpful in autumn when leaves are the most problematic for swimming pools. The open weave allows water to pass through the… Continue reading
Updating Your Sand Filter
Is it time to change the sand in your filter? If its has been longer than 5 years since your sand was installed, it definitely is. While replacing the media, why not consider switching to a powerful sand alternative? There are several products out there that offer filtering capabilities that are far superior to regular sand. Zeobest Sand Filter Media is one great option. Zeobest has nearly 9800 times more square footage than sand which it enables it to small particles down to three microns for exceptional water clarity. Sand usually filters down to only 30 microns. You also use only 1 lb of Zeobest for every 2 lbs of sand required. Half the product equals half the work! It… Continue reading
Not Too Soon to Prepare for Winterizing
Yes, summer is still with us, and thinking about winterizing the pool right now probably seems premature. But, now is actually the best time to make sure that your winter pool cover is in good shape and that you have all the necessary accessories to keep your above ground pool properly protected over the winter months.
Once the pool water has been prepared properly for winter 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… Continue reading