This guide is created to answer the questions most often asked by our
customers.
Service:
A service record will be kept inside
your time clock which documents the date and time of our service
technicians most recent visit. Swimming should be delayed for a period
of one hour after chemicals have been added to your pool. This is a
standard recommendation for most forms of pool chemicals.
Pool Covers:
Your pool cover should be pulled off on
service day. Our service techs
are instructed to leave the pool uncovered upon completion of service.
The cover should remain pulled back for at least three hours after
service. We recommend that your pool be uncovered at least 50% of the
time. A pool that is covered all of the time lacks adequate oxygen
which can cause chemicals to react abnormally and result in the pool's
water chemistry being out of balance and /or eye irritation. Frequent
removal also helps to prolong the life of your cover.
Water Balance:
Our chemical readings are the same if
not identical to those obtained when conventional chemicals are used.
We strive for the following readings:
pH: 7.2 -
7.4
Alkalinity: 90 - 130 PPM
Chlorine: 3.0 - 4.0 PPM
Conditioner: 100 PPM
These readings, when achieved in
conjunction with the use of our chemicals, are both safe and ideal for
your pool and equipment.
You may feel confident knowing that
our 30 plus years of experience have proven these readings to be the
best and safest for you and your pool.
Access:
Please provide easy access for our
service tech. If you keep your gate locked, please provide the
service tech with a key. Unfriendly dogs should be secured when the
pool is being serviced. If a key is not provided and the gate is
inadvertently locked on service day, or an unfriendly dog is loose in
your backyard, it will be necessary for us to charge for the service not
performed and no extra call-back will be made. Because our low service
charge is based on promptness and efficiency, we do not ring doorbells
to gain access. Also, it is very important for safety reasons that no
one but the service tech be in the yard while the pool is being
serviced.
Cleaning:
We do not brush or vacuum
the pool as part of our service.
Dogs:
We take every precaution to keep your dog in
your backyard. However, if your dog attempts to get out when you open
your gate, he probably will do the same with us. We therefore cannot
assume responsibility for your dog getting out. Our service tech will
not enter your yard if you have an unfriendly dog that is not contained
and it will be necessary for us to charge for that service call.
Spas and Hot Tubs:
Our service does not include spas or
hot tubs. If the plumbing of your pool is connected to your spa,
the chemicals will automatically circulate into the spa.
Algae:
If your pool has algae we
will work to clear it up. Because some types of algae are more
resistant than others, please allow a reasonable period to completely
eradicate it. Black algae must be brushed often with a
stainless steel wire brush. It will turn gray as it starts to die
and will eventually disappear. Keeping the pool clean and properly
filtered will aid in the treatment of algae. PLEASE
DO NOT ADD ANY CHEMICALS OR ALGAECIDE TO YOUR POOL
as
this can cause inaccurate test results and lead to other problems. We
do not store any chemicals at the pool site. Our service tech will
complete all necessary testing and add any required chemicals during
each weekly service visit.
Filter and Filtration:
ADEQUATE FILTRATION IS AS IMPORTANT
AS GOOD WATER CHEMISTRY. With the dramatic increase in
energy costs, some people try to economize by reducing the filtration
time of their pool. This often counteracts our efforts to keep your
pool sparkling clean. We will provide the proper water treatment but
you must see to it that your pool is properly filtered. It should be
noted that our service does not include cleaning or otherwise
maintaining the pool filter. Our office will provide a referral for
these services, upon request.. It is important that each and every drop
of your pool's water is pumped through the filter three times each day
to assure that it has been properly and adequately filtered. To
accomplish complete filtration of the water we recommend the following:
·Sand
Filter 10-12 Hours
·Cartridge
9-10 Hours
·D.E. 8-10
Hours
Increase the time by 50% if you have a
solar heating system. Allow longer filtration periods if the pool
activity is heavy. Ourpersonnel
will advise you, by means of a door hanger on your front door, if your
pool requires more filtration. It is in your pool's best interest to
follow the recommended filtration time. Filters should be cleaned when
the pressure, indicated by the pressure gauge on the top of the filter,
rises 7-10lbs. above the clean pressure.
Cloudiness:
The most common cause of cloudy water is
inadequate filtration. Increase the filtration time and the
problem should resolve itself (see Filter and Filtration). If it
does not, you may have a malfunction in your filtration system. We
recommend contacting your repair company for repairs.
Eye Irritation:
You may have heard that chlorine causes eye
irritation. This is simply not true. The fact of the matter is the eye
irritation is caused by:
·In adequate filtration (most frequent cause)
·Ammonia introduced into the pool water by means of
urine.(One small child urinating in
your pool can cause very heavy eye irritation for up to 24hrs.)
·Organic material introduced into your pool by adding
fresh water before swimming. (Always add
water AFTER you swim - (NEVER BEFORE)
·Leaving a pool blanket on your pool during the
day. Water needs to be exposed to air. Please remove the blanket during
daytime hours.
·Perspiration in pool -- always shower before swimming.
Conditioning:
On our first visit, the service tech will
perform numerous tests on your pool water, including a test of Isocyanuric
Acid, commonly called Conditioner. Conditioner screens out ultraviolet
rays and prevents the sun from taking chlorine from your pool water.
Without it, sunlight will take the chlorine almost as fast as we can put
it in. Once added, it stays permanently as part of your pool water and
does not evaporate or dissipate. It only disappears when water is lost
through emptying your pool, plumbing/pool leakage, excessive splash
out, heavy rain, water overflow, etc. If, on our first visit, we
find that the conditioner level is below 100 parts per million, we will
add only enough conditioner to bring your pool to 100 PPM. The first
twenty pounds of conditioner required each calendar year are free to our
customers. If any more is needed to obtain or maintain the 100 PPM, the
cost is passed on to you at the current wholesale rate. The most an
average size pool would take is approximately 15+ pounds a year.
Chlorine andStains:
There are
many sources that contribute to the accumulation of metals or minerals
in swimming pool water. These often cause "staining" of the pool
surface. It is not possible to guarantee that staining will not occur
in a pool or that the simple addition of chlorine will not cause the
settling of metals from the water once it becomes saturated with metals. Scaling, stains, discoloration and cloudiness in a pool are caused by the
settling out (precipitation) of metals in the water. If the
precipitated metals form a hard deposit on the pool walls it is referred
as scaling. If the precipitated metals have a color and are deposited on
the pool walls, they are called stains. Superchlorination is essential
to proper swimming pool maintenance. When superchlorination is done
with any form of chlorine (i.e. gas chlorine, sodium hypochlorite,
calcium hypochlorite, sodium dichloroisocyanurate, and
trichloroisocyanuric acid), there may be an immediate settling out or
precipitation of metals from the water and subsequent staining of the
pool. Chlorine or acid in and of themselves cannot cause stains.
Chlorine bleaches and acid are used to remove stains from pool
finishes. Therefore, even though staining may seem to be caused by the
chemicals themselves, this is not possible. In other words, iron
stains can only be caused if iron exists in the water. Copper stains,
only when copper is in the water, and so on. Lack of filtration may
cause stains to appear sooner. The pool water needs to be circulated
the recommended time for the type of filter. Otherwise, the
precipitation of the metals on the plaster is accelerated. We highly recommend the use of Sequestering agents to help minimize this
phenomenon. It is not included as part of our regular
service program but can be added. Please call the office for
details.
Colored Plaster Pools:
The swimming pool industry is fully aware that
all colored plaster pools become mottled and blotched sooner or later.
Quite often a light colored ring will appear around the main drain or
the plaster will appear uneven in color. This condition is typical of
all colored plasters and is simply the nature of colored plaster pools.
There is nothing that can be done from a service point of view to
prevent or cure the blotching, streaking, or mottling that will occur.
Blotching may be gradual or appear seemingly overnight even after the
pool is several years old. All pool builders or plaster companies
require their customers to acknowledge that blotching is a normal
occurrence in colored plaster pools.
