Frequently asked questions
The main difference between a saltwater and chlorine pool are the methods of sanitizing. A saltwater pool has a generator that works to convert salt into chlorine. A chlorine pool has the chlorine added manually by chemical use. A salt water pool is maintained regularly with ensure the salt level is between 2700 ppm and 3400 ppm. A chlorine pool is treated weekly with chemicals. The end result is the same, the way in which we treat the pool differs.
You should regularly change your sand in the sand filter every 4 years. The filter sand starts out course and loose; overtime the filter sand turns into a finer, mud-like structure. This transition makes the filter sand less capable of completing its' job successfully.
You should always check your water with a test strip weekly, and if you have had a large amount of people in the water (Ex: After a pool party). If you notice something needs to be corrected on the test strip and are unsure, always feel free to take your water test in to our store location for a free test and advice.
One of the first steps for a green pool should always be a water test to check if the levels require balancing. It is important to balance water before treating algae, as it will allow the water to clear easier. Once you have ensured water levels are correctly balanced you will begin the algae cleaning process. You will begin using adequately amounts of chlorine to "Shock" the pool, and an algaecide.
You might notice the water become cloudy, this is normal. As algae dies it goes from green to milky-white, to cloudy then clear.
If you pool was green, was treated, and went cloudy, this is normal. When an algae filled pool is being cleaned it will go from a green -> milky-white -> cloudy -> clear. In many occasions the algae can use up your chlorine at a rapider rate than anticipated. This leaves the pool in that transition state of cloudy water. The first thing to do is use a test strip to test if the chlorine is above 5 ppm. If so, be patient for chlorine to work its' way through the water more before moving on. The second thing to do, if your chlorine levels are below 5 ppm is to bring a water test into our store for advice on how much more chlorine to add.
When our clear pool starts to become cloudy this is a warning sign of low sanitizer (chlorine). This can happen due to hot days with strong sun, pool parties, improper sanitation and more. The first thing you should do is check your chlorine levels and treat or if you are unsure bring a water test in for advice.
The first is to check that your water is balanced. Then you should check your records to see if you have had a sand change in the last 4 years. Filter sand starts out as a course, loose substrate but, becomes a heavy, mud-like substrate overtime, making it harder for your sand filter to trap unwanted particles suspended in the water (making it cloudy). If the filter sand is old are two options. You can either try using a chemical to temporarily clean your filter sand but, due to this not being a full solution you can also look at a sand change. Our company can either do the sand change or you can contact us for advice on a sand change yourself.
When filling your water in the pool, you should fill between the third and forth screw from the bottom of the skimmer face plate. If your pool water is spilling out of the skimmer, it is too full and should be drained. If the skimmer is "sucking air" or making a strange sound, the pool needs more water.
This depends on many factors: how often is the pool used, how many people are in the pool, is there a cover, is there a heater, how hot is it outside and how high is the water temperature. Considering all these factors, you might need to top the pool water up anywhere between 1-2 times per month.
The return jet is the part of the pool that shoots water into the pool. The circular part in the centre is what we refer to as the return eyeball, This should be facing the opposite direction of the skimmer. Also, the return jet should not heavily disrupt the surface of the water, if your eyeball is pointed upwards you might need to loosen the ring around the eyeball to adjust it.
There are many reasons why your pressure might be low. First you will need to check your water levels, the waterline should be between the third and fourth screw from the bottom. The ball valves (blue or red handles) sometimes get stuck between positions if a pin fell out. You can close and open these again to see if it might be stuck. You should also check that your skimmer and pump baskets are clean of debris, debris can reduce pressure. Lastly, you can do a backwash. If you have tried all recommended above and still have issues, you can book a service request.
We do not recommend using liquid shock or bleach to your pool. This will severely alter your other pool levels, may cause bleaching of fabric or dyed hair, wear your liner down quicker and potentially the equipment. Liquid shock is also very dilute so you need significantly more to do the same work.
Most normal pools should "shock" or do their regular chlorine treatments weekly. Normally you pick a day of the week easiest for yourself and treat the pool the same day every week.
For salt water pools, we recommend you treat the water once a month. Yes, you should still shock once a month even if you are salt.