Pamper Mom at the Pool Side!

Posted on May 11, 2012 by premier

If you have a pool, and you’re a mom, you probably spend a large portion of time either at the pool side or in the pool supervising the kids. I know I do. And since Mother’s Day is just two days away, I thought a list of nice things for Mom to use pool side would be fun. And if you need a gift idea for Mom, maybe this will help.

An Automatic Pool Cleaner

Who cleans your pool? When I was younger it was my mom. She would spend a few hours every Saturday morning scrubbing and vacuuming our pool. All the while my brother and I were impatiently watching and waiting for her to be done (notice our lack of helping). I’m willing to bet that she really liked the Kreepy Krauly we eventually decided to purchase. So if the mom at your house cleans the pool, and she digs practical gifts, this might be the way to go. If you’re wondering what pool cleaner would be best, check out the blog article about just that.

A Space for Mom!

Give Mom a space of her own by the pool! If money is no object I recommend a cabana. I think the bar in the picture is a nice touch. Just don’t forget to stock it. Premier Fiberglass can design and build a cabana, pergola or gazebo just for your mom if you so desire. We can also design an outdoor kitchen or fireplace if your mom likes to entertain and spend her free time outdoors. Let Mom sit down and put up her feet while the rest of the family whips up a tasty meal.

For those of us who are on a smaller budget, maybe Mom would like a chair that is all her own and super comfy. I think I’d like some really nice, fluffy, quality towels. And if they were white, I could even pretend I was at a spa resort, and that those hollering kids belonged to someone else. But I digress. And as long as we’re making a space for me, I mean Mom, to lounge by the pool and feel like a queen, how about a garden or patio mister to keep cool. These handy things make those hot afternoons not quite so hot. Or a nice patio umbrella that can do double duty for the picnic table for outdoor dining and entertaining, and always look great by a pool. Any way you go, I’m sure Mom will feel appreciated in a space lovingly put together for her.

Mom’s in the Pool!

Is your mom always in the pool, either with the kids or for fitness? Maybe Mom would appreciate a pool lounger, and if it’s big enough, she could even have some snuggles with the kids while floating. Or have a relaxing solo float after the kids are in bed. Does Mom like to swim laps? Maybe some new goggles or even a swimming tether would be appreciated. Celebrate Mother’s Day with a family game of water volleyball, or a water fight.

Whatever you choose to do, be sure to tell Mom that you love her. Because, really, that’s all we moms really want for Mother’s Day.

Hard Water Problems and Fiberglass

Posted on May 4, 2012 by premier

“Hey, there’s this area of white discoloration on my practically new fiberglass pool. What gives?” I’ve gotten a few calls about this lately, and apparently I’m not the only one. Leisure Pools recently sent out a technical release to their dealers regarding the issue. So what is the problem? Turns out it’s your standard hard water staining/scale. I’ve addressed this before, in relation to using Bead Blasting to clean up tile work and other fixtures, but let’s revisit the topic with a mind specific to solutions pertaining to a fiberglass gel or color coat.

Most pool owners first notice an issue with the finish at the waterline, especially if it happens to be lowered. It appears as an inconsistent white discoloration. This is caused by calcium leeching out the water in the pool and clinging to the walls, steps and/or floor of the pool. It’s especially noticeable when the calcium deposit becomes exposed and dries. This will happen more frequently in some areas of the country than others depending on the hardness of the water in that particular community. If there’s a high amount of calcium in the water it will tend to leech out of solution more than an area with less calcium. Pool water chemistry also plays a part in the ability of calcium to come out of solution. When the PH level is between 7.2 and 7.4, the calcium is in balance. However, if the PH rises above 7.4 the calcium will leech out of the water, and as the PH gets higher the deposits will become more pronounced.

Treating the deposits is easy if the situation is caught early, usually within one to three months of occurrence. At this point they can be treated by a chemical solution: first the PH in the pool is lowered to 6.5 and the pool is treated with muriatic acid or calcium treatments. I would recommend consulting with your pool store guru to make sure it’s done properly, especially as some pool equipment will need to be protected from the chemical treatments. After the treatment is done the PH can be raised back up to 7.2 to 7.4 and if those levels are maintained the deposits shouldn’t reappear.

The the problem is more sever, or the pool has been left with a high PH level for an extended time, the calcium deposits will combine with the chlorine in the pool and create a salt called Calcium Chloride. The salt will attach itself to the pool surfaces and cause areas of the gelcoat to look white. There are two stages of this advanced calcium chloride. The first, and easier to treat, stage is less advanced. If the gelcoat returns to normal when it’s hydrated (or just wet), then you can treat it using the same chemical solution as the less sever case mentioned above. However, it will take up to 6 months for the treatment to totally dissolve the calcium chloride. Due to the time this takes, and the fact that the water will be very acidic in this time, we recommend that this treatment be done in the off season.

If, perchance, the salt deposits are visible even when they’re hydrated, the treatment is not as easy. An effective chemical treatment hasn’t been found or developed so the recommended solution is to remove the salt is to buff and polish the surface to return it to its previous condition.

If your pool needs the gelcoat touched up give Premier Fiberglass a call. We’d be happy to help you restore your pool to it’s former beauty.

New “Green” Option for Filter Media?

Posted on April 27, 2012 by premier

In the past, pool owners wanting a more “eco-friendly” filter media with great filtering capacity would use a Diatomaceous Earth (DE) filter (more info about those here). But a growing trend of using glass as a filtering media is giving the DE filter a run for its money. Using glass in a filter isn’t really anything new, as it was used in slow filters in England as early as the late 1700’s and was the basis for several early patents.

Glass filter media is compatible with many water sanitization systems, including ozone, saline, UV, traditional chlorine and bromine systems as well biguanides and aqua catalyst mineral platforms. Glass is designed to be backwashed every 5th week, unlike typical DE or sand filters that require weekly backwashing. And because it requires fewer backwashes, you can reduce the amount of water you use, some technicians report as much as a 100,00 reduction per swimming season per pool (according to April 2012 Pool & Spa News). And if it’s important to you and the maintenance of your pool, it is possible to vacuum through the filter with this media.

Part of what make the glass a great filter media is that the surfaces of the glass pieces have a slightly negative charge which helps it to capture fine particles and hold them until backwashing. The glass grains made from bottle glass, as opposed to plate or window glass used in the past, are prove a fine particle separation, and since the grains are very angular they have a more open packing space and greater permeability than a standard sand filter. Glass grains are also more resistant to breakdown through backwash cycles and they don’t provide a toe-hold for bacteria to resist flushing during the backwash cycle because of their homogeneous shape.

Filters using glass media need a multiport valve instead of a slide valve, and require a pea gravel base (like most sand filters) above the laterals. Purging the entire filter bed depth, which is larger than the typical 6” depth of a sand filter, does require a different method than your standard sand filter so make sure your pool technician is aware of it and familiar with glass media. In residential pools, the estimated life of the glass media is about five years, but may require a bag to restore the bed depth after two or three years.

If a glass media filter has peaked your interest, give Premier Fiberglass a call and we’ll be glad to help you out.

Cyanuric Acid Problems?

Posted on April 13, 2012 by premier

This past week I received a call from a customer about high cyanuric acid levels in his pool. And after doing some research and talking to him I thought maybe some information for general consumption would be good.

First off, let’s look at what cyanuric acid does and why it’s in your pool in the first place. Cyanuric acid is a “conditioner” or a “stabilizer.” It helps protect the chlorine from the sun’s UV rays, which will destroy the chlorine. In the appropriate proportions, it will help keep your pool looking sparkling clear and pretty. It is a necessary part of pool maintenance and should be used as a routine part of your chemical regimen. Ideally, cyanuric acid readings should be between 30 and 80 parts per million (ppm). Unlike chlorine, cyanuric acid doesn’t evaporate out of the pool water, so it can build up over time. This is common when using chlorine products that contain a built-in stabilizer chemical. It’s common for chlorine tabs to contain the stabilizer, which means you could be adding extra cyanuric acid every time you put more chlorine in your pool and not eve be aware of it. Problems arise with cyanuric acid when the levels get too high. 110 ppm is considered excessive for this chemical. If you have high levels of cyanuric acid, your pool will probably look dull, and chlorine tests will probably show very high levels of free chlorine.

Unfortunately, there is no chemical you can add to your pool to reduce the amount of cyanuric acid in the water. We at Premier Fiberglass do recommend a few things though.

Drain at least 1/4 of the water out of the pool and refill it with tap water. If the acid is reading exceptionally high you will have to drain more water. Tap water contains almost no cyanuric acid, so the fresh water will help dilute the concentration of the acid and you should be able to get it back within tolerances.
Check your chlorine product. Get the kind that doesn’t contain stabilizer or conditioner, if possible.
If you can get chlorine without the stabilizer or chlorine, you will need to purchase a package of cyanuric acid and add it that way.
Check the cyanuric acid regularly. The test kits can be kind of expensive, so you certainly don’t have to do it weekly. Once a month would probably suffice.

Please remember to handle chemicals safely, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and instructions, and check with a pool care professional when in doubt. We always recommend having your water tested by a professional before you make any large adjustments to the chemistry. If you’d like to do some reading on cyanuric acid, I recommend Pool Manual. Their page was very helpful to me and has tons of information.

So here’s to a summer of fun in a beautiful, sparkling and well-maintained pool!

Backyard Season is Almost Here

Posted on February 24, 2012 by premier

We had lots of calls on Wednesday here at the Premier Fiberglass office. I think it was the beautiful weather that made people want to go enjoy the outdoors, and once out there, they realized that their pool and equipment had been neglected all winter. Or if they didn’t have a pool, they wanted one, or their backyard was looking a little drab.

Now’s the time to contact your pool professional and get working on that pool and equipment. Swimming season will be here before you know it and you don’t want to miss out on more of it than you have to just because you discovered equipment needing repairs too late. Premier Fiberglass can evaluate your system and let you know what needs repairs, and get it scheduled.

If your pool is looking worse for the wear after the winter our technicians can refresh the look of your pool by resurfacing. There are several options available ranging from just painting the surfaces in the pool, which is relatively inexpensive, to using a plaster with quartz aggregate or a pebble finish which is much more costly, to resurfacing with fiberglass. Fiberglass is the preferred method for resurfacing a pool. In addition to eliminating cracks and leaks in the pool shell, fiberglass will add structural strength to the pool. Fiberglass will typically last longer than a plaster resurfacing and has a non-porous surface that is easy to clean and maintain and works great with a saltwater system. Premier can also help you freshen up your deck or patio and even design an outdoor kitchen or fireplace to expand your entertaining and living area!

Give us here at Premier a call and we’ll help you make your backyard the oasis you’re dreaming of!

Taking Care of a Saltwater Pool

Posted on February 17, 2012 by premier

Many pool owners have discovered that salt is a low-cost, low-maintenance and easy way to sanitize pool water. Owners with an Electrolytic Chlorine Generator (ECG) don’t have to handle chlorine but get the same sanitization benefits. They are able to avoid the worry of transporting and storing expensive chlorine cleaners, stinging eyes, irritated skin and bleached out bathing suits. An ECG, or salt chlorinator, uses less than a teaspoon of salt per gallon of water to sanitize a pool. That salt is converted to pure chlorine as it passes through the generator cell and is distributed through out the pool. The chlorine is then recycled back into salt by the system to be used again and again. No more constant replenishment of costly traditional chlorine chemicals.

Owners of a salt system do need a good effective maintenance regimen, just like folks with a traditional chlorine system. The most important and fundamental maintenance point for a saltwater pool is the salt. Make sure to use a good, high quality salt. Mechanically evaporated salt is a good choice for a salt system because it has fewer impurities and contaminants than sola evaporated salt or mined salt to come out of solution and create scale deposits or stains in your pool.

And speaking of scale deposits, as a saltwater pool owner you should be on the look-out for them. If scale builds up on the cell plates it can reduce the chlorine out-put. If this occurs you can clean the plates by soaking them in a solution of muriatic acid and water for 10 to 15 minutes. Scale preventatives should be used regularly to help prevent scale deposits from forming (or reforming, if you’ve already cleaned them). Products that contain phosphonates should be avoided, as well as dry acid, because those products can breakdown in the saltwater and actual contribute to problems with scale deposits. Also, treatment products designed for traditional chlorine pools often contain chemical compounds that are less effective in a saltwater pool, or compounds that breakdown entirely and cause more scale issues.

As with any pool, owners of a salt system should test their water chemistry regularly. Many service pros recommend weekly testing for PH and chlorine. During the swimming season, monthly testing for total alkalinity, stabilizer and calcium hardness as well as salinity levels.

Have a question about your salt system or want to upgrade to one? Give Premier Fiberglass a call.

Don’t Neglect the Filter

Posted on February 10, 2012 by premier

Now that spring is on its way (sooner for some than others), we’d all like our pools to be sparkling clear. Pool & Spa News Magazine reminds us that filters are a big part of that sparkling, clean pool. They trap the fine dust and particulate matter that isn’t picked up in the skimmer baskets and the hair-and-lint pot. A filter’s efficiency is measured by a micron rating, which tells you how many microns can pass through the filter; so the lower the micron rating, the smaller the particles are that are trapped by the filter.

The filter with the best micron rating is the Diatomaceous Earth (DE) Filter. A DE filter can strain out particles as small as one to three microns. Diatomaceous earth is a white powder made of the tiny skeletal remains of prehistoric sea creatures called diatoms. This filter works when the DE coats the grid forms that are inside the filter, creating a “filter cake.” This cake acts as a screen that traps the fine particles. While the DE doesn’t compact, allowing the water to pass easily, the filter cake will pack and restrict the flow. This can be partially cleaned by backwashing and then adding more DE to recoat the grids. Periodically, it is necessary to open the filter and clean the grids individually. The separation tank used in conjunction with a DE filter should be cleaned each time the filter is cleaned to keep everything functioning properly.

Although Sand Filters have the highest micron rating (40 to 20, over time), they are very simple to use. Even the Ancient Romans used sand filters in their famous baths. Sand filters work by trapping dirt and other particles as water passes through tiny openings and in a sand bed. It has been said about sand filters that “they start to clean better the dirtier they get.” Sand filters are very low-maintenance, and a good one can go for years on backwashing alone, provided it’s done right, without having to add material or clean grids.

The most recent development in swimming pool filters is the Cartridge Filter, which was developed in the 1950s. Cartridge filters are the simplest ones to maintain which is part of the reason why they’re so popular. A cartridge filter functions similarly to a car’s air filter (in fact, they even look similar): water passes through a pleated polyester cloth and traps dirt and debris. Like a sand filter, the micron rating (20 to five, over time) on a cartridge filter usually gets smaller as it gets dirtier. Cartridge filters cannot be backwashed. To clean it, you simply remove the cartridge and hose it off. Inspect the cartridge pleats and molding for signs of damage or wear and replace it when needed.

The Perfect Pool Cleaner

Posted on February 3, 2012 by premier

Installment number three in our equipment series.

How do you clean your pool? Do you use a manual vacuum or a Kreepy Krawly? Cleaning your pool is that inconvenient necessity that every pool owner faces so let’s talk pool cleaners. The four most common types of pool cleaners you’ll find are manual, suction-side, pressure-side and robotic.

A manual vacuum is a vacuum head attached to a telescoping pole and a hose that connects to a special vacuum fitting on the pool wall. The pool owner then maneuvers the vacuum over the pool surfaces, sweeping up dirt and debris. That’s the most economical way to clean your pool, but then you spend your Saturday morning vacuuming the pool. If you’re on a budget it may be the way to go as manual vacuums usually run between $100 and $200. The trade off is you spend your time cleaning your pool instead of money.

Now lets talk automatic cleaners. They come in suction-side, pressure-side and robotic. Suction-side automatic cleaners, like the Kreepy Krawly, connect to the pool’s skimmer or a dedicated suction line via a hose and use the filtration system to suck up dirt and to provide the power to scoot around the pool. Suction-side cleaners are great for small particles like dust, dirt and pollen. Large debris can cause a bit of a problem since things like leaves can get stuck in the hose and the vacuum head won’t go over pebbles or other such items. If your pool is under an oak tree, this may not be the cleaner for you. These cleaners will typically run you between $200 and $500.

So what would work better for you if you have an oak tree to drop acorns in your pool? May I suggest a pressure-side cleaner. These cleaners roll over the pool surface on wheels and vacuum up debris into a bag mounted to the top of the unit. It is common for these types of cleaners to have their own booster pump and dedicated pressure line to power them. These cleaners usually have an opening for 2.5 inches which makes it perfect for cleaning up large debris. While the tail on these pressure cleaners do stir up the water to facilitate cleaning, it leaves your skimmers and filter to take care of the smaller debris like dust, sand and fine dirt, which may not be ideal if you have a lot of that in your area. Pressure-side models can cost anywhere from $425 without a booster pump up to $900 with.

Can you get the best of both worlds? Is there a cleaner that can do both fine particle and large debris? Yes, Virginia, there is one. Robotic cleaners are the most expensive of the four options starting at $600 and going up from there. What comes with that price tag? These small, self-contained bots move themselves around the pool sweeping up fine particles through two intake ports and large debris through an 11-inch opening. They also have brushes or rollers that scrub the surface as it moves around and some even have power-washing jets. These cleaners are usually operated by a battery or a water-safe cord plugged into your standard GFCI outlet, and they are the only ones that can be operated while the filter system is turned off. They work well on porous surfaces and can even handle seams and corners that other cleaners miss.

Those are your standard pool cleaners that you can find in any residential pool. But there are some more exotic ones. If you want something “green” or eco friendly you might look into a solar powered cleaner. These new robotic cleaners eliminate cords, hoses and batteries and can clean your pool all day and a few hours into the night without added cost to your utility bill. They work by skimming the top of the pool to remove leaves, dirt and other debris which gives organic matter less of a chance to decay and reduces the need to run the filter or clean the bottom of the pool as often as a standard cleaner. They are approximately $500 but can practically pay for themselves with energy savings. Looking for something even more high-end? Try an in-floor cleaning system. You can set the system and forget it and let these little pop-up jets do the cleaning for you. The jets shoot streams of water in specific zones to direct large particle debris to the main drain while the finer particle debris are stirred up and removed by the pool’s filtration system. When the cleaning cycle is complete the jets drop back down into the floor. Of course high-end isn’t without the appropriate price tag. These types of systems start around $3000 and involve a lot of plumbing within the pool floors so they are best reserved for a new installation project.

Quite the plethora of options. If you need more information on pool cleaners, automatic or otherwise, please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Premier Fiberglass. We’ll be happy to help you figure out what will meet your needs and fit your pocket book.

Testing Water Chemistry and Getting Accurate Results.

Posted on January 24, 2012 by premier

Continuing in the theme of preparing for spring and pool opening season, I offer a quick refresher on water chemistry practices.

As Patricia Fitzgerald pointed out in the August issue of Pool & Spa News, faulty readings aren’t always the fault of the testing equipment, lots of time it’s operator error. But getting reliable results is easy if you follow a few guidelines.

1. Always read the instructions on your test equipment and follow them.

2. Use a clean sample container.

3. Try to take your sample from the mid-point of the pool and at the depth indicated in the instructions.

4. Don’t let the sample sit too long as water chemistry can change.

5. Measure properly: the bottom of the meniscus (curved surface of water in a container) should sit on the fill line marked on the sample container.

6.Mix the chemicals thoroughly. Make sure there are no bits of solid reagents floating around or stuck in corners if you have a square sample container.

7. Avoid contamination. Don’t swap the caps on reagent bottles around and don’t touch the reagents. Keep it clean.

8. Read the test results in natural light without sunglasses on.

Most importantly, once you have all that done, enjoy your pool!

Pool Equipment: Variable Speed Pumps

Posted on January 19, 2012 by premier

It’s starting to head into the busy season for us here at Premier. We have several customers who are starting installations of new pools here in the next few weeks, and after the great turn-out at the Austin Home and Garden Show this past weekend we hope to add to that number. So I figured that now may be a good time to talk about some pool equipment. Our New Pools generally come with your standard 1 HP pump, but can certainly be upgraded. If you like the idea of an upgrade, or are thinking of a more energy-smart option, I’d like to introduce you to the idea of Variable Speed Pumps.

Variable Speed Pumps (VSP) can help you reduce your energy bill (and consumption). Running the pool on a low speed all day can give you a clean pool at lower operating costs than running it at a higher speed for only part of the day. You can save up to 60% on energy costs compared to a traditional one-speed pump, they are more efficient and quieter and can be programmed to run at different speeds for different tasks. One of the more common programs is to run it at a low speed for 22 hours a day and then for two hours run it at “skimming speed” which is the speed a traditional pump usually runs at. That’s enough to run an automatic cleaner, heat the pool if you have a heater, and to run a spa spillway or other water features. A VSP can even be installed on a spa and then programmed to run a therapeutic program, which may be a perfect application for someone needing physical therapy. The best part is that if you live in an area where you are charged more for peak-time energy usage, you can set your VSP to run at the higher speeds at off-peak time and save on your energy costs.

The City of Austin is currently offering a $300 rebate if you install one of their qualified variable speed pumps. Check out Austin Energy’s Rebate Program page for details on the rebate and their list of qualifying pumps. If you are interested in more information on how to get a VSP for you pool, contact us here at Premier Fiberglass and we will be more than happy to talk to you about finding the pump that’s right for your set up.

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