Zodiac 2011 Automatic Pool Cleaner Rebates are here!!!

Instead of continuing pouring money into your old swimming pool cleaner, Now is the time to upgrade into a new one. Zodiac 2011 Automatic Pool Cleaner Rebates are here. Great savings on the following

Polaris 3900 Sport $100 Trade Up
Polaris 380 $100
Polaris 360 $50 Rebate

Zodiac G3 $50

Polaris ATV $75

Don't miss these savings and more at Swim Clear Pool Supply.

How Cold Weather Effects Swimming Pools (Part 2)

Freezing temperatures and non circulating swimming pools is a bad combination. One of the most common problems found with freeze guards is that the thermostat is not registering the freezing temps or that the thermostat is registering incorrectly. Either way if it is below freezing and your pump is not running, costly freeze damage is likely to occur. Note that it is common for the freeze guard to register about a 5 degree difference from the outside temperature. This is why the freeze guard should be set to 38 to compensate. If set properly and you have to set the thermostat 10 degrees higher just to turn the pump on, it might be time to replace the thermostat. The good news is it is generally an easy replacement that the average handy home owner can do.

How Cold Weather Effects Swimming Pools (Part 1)

As the cold winter blast hits North Texas, pool owners should be aware of the effects on the swimming pool equipment. As the water temperature drops salt systems are impacted. You may have already noticed your salt system say something like "chlorinator off, low temp." Most Salt systems are designed to shut down between 50 and 55 degrees. For example, if you have an Aquarite Salt system, your system will turn off at 50 degrees per the manual. This is usually not a problem because bacteria and algae stop growing at this temperature. You can override
this low temperature cutoff by switching to SUPER CHLORINATE for a day. The important thing to remember is that even though it takes longer for the chlorine to dissipate, monitoring the chlorine level and adjusting as need should still be done.

You Get What you Pay For When Shopping for Chemicals.

This is a message to all the swimming pool owners trying to save a buck.

Pool chemicals are pool chemicals so it does not matter where I buy them from right?

This could not be further from the truth. Here is an examples of this. Recently a customer was trying to find out why they kept having algae in their pool. When they let me know where they received there chemicals from it was obvious. This particular "Big Box" retailer had a watered down version of the chemicals needed. Their Calcium Hypochlorite (shock) had a 45% available chlorine. The normal out there is 60-65% and higher from the smaller retail shops.

So whats the difference, all you have to do is add extra right? With that thought process, where did your cost savings go and secondly what is in the remaining 55%. The remaining 55% is calcium and fillers that saturate a swimming pool causing a need to drain the swimming pool earlier than it should have been.

understand, it does not stop with the shock, tablets and most other chemicals are the same. Our suggestion to you is to do your homework when it comes to chemical shopping and not just buy the cheapest but go for quality.

ARMING FOR BATTLE

Getting ready to battle with the Fall leaves in your swimming pool? The best way to make this Fall less of a leaf-ache is to be prepared. Of course the the best thing to do would be to cover the pool. As we spoke in the previous blog, there are many different types of covers for in ground and above ground pools such as the mesh, leaf and solid covers. Maybe you are not planning on covering your swimming pool or maybe you are just a bit late and looking for a useful item to clean out the pool. Try the Jandy Leaf Master , easy to use, just attach a pole and a garden hose and your off. The trick on the Jandy Leaf Master is to move slowly. Swim Clear Pool Supply has these and more useful Fall items on sale now.

Getting ready for Fall

Swim Clear Pool Supply is getting you ready for Fall with some great savings!!! Check us out at http://www.swimclearpoolsupply.com/ to make your Fall swimming pool cleaning cheap and easy. Sale items on Pool cleaner bags, Leaf rakes, Brushes and more.

Time to Think About Covering the Swimming Pool

It is hard to believe but fall is right around the corner. Which means the falling of leaves and seeds is almost here. This year why not save the hassle of netting the leaves and acorns and Cover your swimming pool. Visit our previous blogs of "Are you ready for Fall" for great tips to get you prepared for Fall. You can also find information on the many varieties of Swimming Pool Covers Swim Clear Pool Supply has to offer. Don't know which cover to get? Search "Choosing the right winter cover" in our blog and get detailed descriptions to make the best decision.

Give yourself time to enjoy the Fall!

September Filter Cleans

Keep your swimming pool crystal clear and have your filter last longer by doing the proper maintenance on your Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) filter. At Swim Clear Pool Supply we follow the manufactures recommendation of performing filter cleans every six months. It is now time for the September filter cleans.

See our previous post DE Filter Tip #3 for more detail on filter cleans.

Follow this blog and we will remind you each six months about your filter cleans.

Steps to Determining The Location of a Swimming Pool Leak

If you determine that your pool is losing water, first identify if your circulation system is the cause or is the water loss through a crack in the pool. This can be done by runing the pump for 24 hours, then leaving the pump off for 24 hours and noting how far the water dropped during each scenario. Waterfalls and fountain play a large role in water loss so leave them off during this process. If water loss is the same in both scenarios you have determined a leak in the pool structure. If water loss is significantly greater or less when pump is running, there is a good chance the leak is in the plumbing or pool equipment.



Step two.

• If in the above scenario you determine the pool itself is leaking, simply shut off the pool and allow the water to drop. Once the water level stops dropping, look for cracks or gaps in plaster.


• If water stops at the light, the lines behindthe fixture could be cracked.
  If the water drops below the light, then there may be a leak in the drain at the bottom the pool.

Step Three.

• If you suspect you have a leak in the filtration system these clues may help you pinpoint the location:


• If you see bubbles in the return water when the pool's pump is running, it's likely there's a leak in the suction side of the filtration system.


• If the pool is losing more water while running the pump, then water is being lost on the return side of the system.

If you have moved into step three and the leak is on the suction side of the system, have your swimming pool proffetional come out to identify the problem. Remember if you are local to Dallas you can contact Swim Clear Pool Service.

If you have moved into step three and the leak is on the return side but you do not see any evidence of leaks around your equipment, we at SCPS recommend contacting American Leak Detection

Swimming Pool Leak or Normal Water Loss?

With 100 degree temperatures water loss in a swimming pool is inevitable. However, are you loosing water due to evaporation or a leak?

A typical pool will loose about a 1/4 inch of water a day due to evaporation. Other factors that can play a role in the loss of swimming pool water is splash out, waterfalls and fountains. If you are loosing more water than you believe you should be, here are some tips on what to look for.

• Algae or other persistent water quality problems indicating imbalances in the chemistry can occur when a leak prevents the water level from staying constant;
• Loose tiles or cracks in the pool deck;
• Cracks inside of skimmers;
• Cracks and gaps in the Plaster (sometimes followed with rust spots coming from the cracks); or
• Water-saturated soils in the area around the pool, pool pumps or plumbing.

One of the most common ways to identify if you have a leak is the bucket test.

The bucket test: Place a bucket filled with pool water on a pool step (weight it with a rock or brick). Mark the water level on both the inside and the outside of the bucket. The starting point levels should be about the same. Keep all fountains and waterfalls off and pool unused for 24 hours. Check the mark 24 hours later. If there's a greater drop in the line on the outside of the bucket, a leak in the pool is indicated.

Follow our post for steps on determining the location of your swimming pool leak.

These posts brought to you from Swim Clear Pool Supply and Swim Clear Pool Service