How can I determine the number of gallons in my pool?
How often do I need to run my filter, need a new pool filter?
When should I vacuum the pool's bottom?
What is pH and how does it affect my pool water?
What affects the pH level in my pool?
What causes algae and how can I get rid of it?
What is backwashing and why is it necessary?
What does "shocking" do to my pool?
How often should I clean my filter?
How do I select a filter type, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
When should I buy a replacement motor versus an entirely new pool pump?
How do you sanitize/prepare fill water?
What is basic maintenance for spa water?
How large should my pump system be for my pool?
How large a pool heater would I need to effectively heat my pool?
My Pool Leaks! What do I need to do?
My Pump keeps losing its prime!
How do I repair my heater?
What are the common water problems?

My Pool Leaks! What do I need to do?
A: First, don’t be fooled by evaporation which can sometimes seem like a leak. It’s difficult to pinpoint the amount you can expect to lose through evaporation, but anything more than ¼” a day should be cause for concern.

A suction leak loses more water when the pump is off and sucks air when the pump is on (air bubbles will come from the returns). A pressure leak loses more water when the pump is running and depending on the size of the leak will go from a drip to complete saturation of the affected area.

Leaks can also be caused by anything else in the pool. For example, if you have a light, this should be closely examined. In a vinyl liner pool, any small tear can be very difficult to diagnose. A good start would be to turn the pump off and put winter plugs in all skimmers and returns and make note of the water level. Monitor the water level from day to day to determine if the level stays or drops. If the water level holds, one of those plugged lines is usually the problem. If not, the problem is elsewhere. Look at your light(s), main drain, vacuum and/or pool cleaner line (if applicable) and around fiberglass steps in a vinyl pool. If your backwash line is directly plumbed to a drywell, check to see if your multiport may be leaking. This is totally unseen and often overlooked.

Many pool professionals are skilled and experienced in pool leak detection and should be called if the problem is not easily detected.

Air Bubbles:
Air bubbles coming back through your return fittings is a sure sign of a suction leak. All the plumbing from the pump strainer forward to the pool is the suction side. The problem might be as simple as the strainer cover gasket or o-ring or be as complicated as a split in the pipe underground or a fitting failure. Start with what you can easily check. If you have valves on your skimmers and/or main drain, try closing one at a time to isolate a skimmer or main drain and see if the bubbles stop. If the bubbles stop during that test, the skimmer or main drain that you closed to cause the bubbles to stop is the source of the problem. Once the line causing the problem is isolated, that line can be pressure tested to try to pinpoint the problem. Then that area can be dug up and the repair made.

My Pump keeps losing its prime!
A: A pump that loses its prime, while not running, indicates an air leak somewhere in the system. If no air bubbles are returning to the pool through the return lines, the leak is likely on the “pressure side” or return side of the system. The return side is everything from the pumps discharge port through the filter and back to the pool. Any leak on the pressure side of a system shows itself by dripping water. Fix all leaky pipes and fittings and the prime loss will stop.

How do I repair my heater?
A: It is our opinion that all heater-related problems should only be repaired by a licensed professional. And who is familiar with these types of products. The possibility of serious injury exists. Your pool/spa heater should never by touched by anyone other then a trained professional.

What are the common water problems?
A: All pool water clarity and sanitation questions and condition must start with a quality water test. This test can be done by either your local pool professional or by yourself if you have a test kit that performs several basic tests, including Free Chlorine, pH, Total Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness. An alternative to a multi-test kit is the extremely easy and convenient 5-in-1 test strips. The vast majority of water related problems can be resolved within the parameters of these simple tests. A multi-test kit or 5-in-1 test strip might be the best investment you can make for you and your pool!

Proper chemical treatment is needed in order to prevent a wide range of potential problems including scale and stain formation, colored or cloudy water, corrosion of pool surfaces or equipment and to assure proper performance of the sanitizer being used.

There are five chemical factors that affect water quality. These are listed below in order of importance along with their ideal levels:
I. pH: 7.2 - 7.8 ppm
II. Total Alkalinity: 80 - 120 ppm
III. Calcium Hardness: 100 - 400 ppm
IV. Stain Producing Minerals: Absent
V. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): 250 - 1500 ppm
ppm = Parts Per Million

The first three, along with the temperature of the water, determine the overall "Water Balance". Water balance is the term used to refer to the tendency of the water to be either "scale forming" or "corrosive or aggressive".

Water that is referred to as having scale forming tendencies is likely to suffer from problems related to high pH, high total alkalinity, hard water (elevated calcium level) or a combination of these. When these conditions are present, it is common for the water to be cloudy and for scale to form on pool surfaces and in equipment.

Corrosive or aggressive water is most commonly associated with chemical factors such as low pH, low total alkalinity and soft water (low calcium level). These factors can cause destruction of pool walls and corrosion of equipment such as heaters.

By maintaining proper chemical levels or values in the pool water, these problems and other can be easily prevented.

I. pH:
pH is the term used to refer to the degree of activity of an acid or base in the water and is the most important factor in swimming pools. pH is measured on a scale from 1 to 12 with 7 being neutral. Pool water pH is best kept in the range of 7.2 to 7.8 ppm.

A value of 7 to 14 is considered basic with 14 being the greatest base activity. Another word for basic is alkaline; however, this is not to be confused with total alkalinity. pH and total alkalinity are not the same.

A pH value of between 9 and 7 is considered acidic with 0 being the greatest acid activity and getting weaker as it approaches a value of 7.

When pH remains below 7.3, the water is considered to be corrosive. This means etching of plaster and metals in equipment such as heat exchangers will result. In addition, it is more difficult to keep chlorine in the pool because while more effective as a sanitizer at the low pH, chlorine is also much less stable resulting in the consumption of larger quantities of chlorine than would be used at normal pH levels.

Maintaining the pH higher than 7.8 will increase the tendency to form scale or cloudy water. Calcium, the major component in scale, is a relatively unstable mineral and when the pH is high, the calcium is not as soluble and it will have a greater tendency to precipitate or "fall out" of solution resulting in cloudiness or scale. High pH will also reduce chlorine effectiveness resulting in the need to maintain higher chlorine levels to achieve maximum sanitation. If the pH is low, sodium carbonate, otherwise known as pH Up/Increase or soda ash, is added to raise the pH. If the pH is high, pH Down/Decreaser is used. pH Down comes in two forms Liquid acid (muriatic acid) or dry acid (sodium bisulfate).

II. Alkalinity:
Total alkalinity refers to the ability of the pool water to resist a change in pH. The key purpose total alkalinity serves is to help manage or control the pH in the pool. It does this by acting as a buffer so that when materials are added to a pool that would otherwise cause the pH to go up or down, these changes are controlled and do not result in severe changes to pool water balance.

When a substance is added to pool water that could effect the pH, total alkalinity will react to neutralize it and help keep the pH in the desired range. Total alkalinity does not determine what the pH will be, but rather acts to help keep the pH in the ranged desired.

When the total alkalinity value is less than 80 ppm, the water can become aggressive and the pH can swing easily upward and downward and back again. If the value is higher than 120 ppm, the water can become cloudy and scale forming and the pH will tend to drift upward.

In adjusting total alkalinity downward, the same acids used to lower pH are employed. When reducing total alkalinity, it is best to add small amounts of acid, either liquid or dry, over a period of several days as opposed to making large adjustments rapidly. Adding too much acid at once may result in lowering the pH so severely that corrosion of pool surfaces and equipment may result. When raising total alkalinity, sodium bicarbonate is the chemical of choice and the required amount can be added all at once.

On occasion it is possible, especially in freshly filled pools, to find that both total alkalinity and pH need to be adjusted. Typically, if one factor is high or low, the other will be as well.

It is not unusual, however, to have a condition where one factor is high and the other is very low. In such a situation, adjusting the wrong factor first may cause a problem such as corrosion of equipment or precipitation of calcium. If this occurs with a freshly filled pool, it may be worthwhile to wait about 24 hours before making any adjustments. This wait will generally result in some natural balancing of the water without added chemicals. This process is commonly referred to as allowing the water to come in equilibrium. If additional adjustment is still needed, it will require far less time or chemicals.

In cases where the pH is low and the total alkalinity is high, raise the pH first into the normal range of 7.2 to 7.8 and then lower the total alkalinity. When the total alkalinity is low and the pH high, raise the total alkalinity first and then reduce the pH.

In all cases, never add acid to the pool water if the pH is less than 7.2, even if the total alkalinity is high. Instead wait for the pH to rise first before proceeding. If the pH does not come up by itself after a day or two, you will need to add some pH Up before proceeding.

III. Calcium Hardness:
The Sum of all the calcium dissolved in water is referred to as the calcium hardness. Years ago, water with high levels of calcium was described as being hard to wash in. This is because water with high calcium levels does not clean clothes as well as water of a lower hardness. The term hardness is now used only to refer to the level of calcium. The term soft water refers to water with lesser or no levels or calcium.

Calcium is important since high levels are unstable and become even more unstable if the pH or the total alkalinity rise above the normal levels. These imbalances can result in cloudy water and/or scale. In addition, calcium does not like warm water. As water temperature rises, calcium becomes more likely to precipitate out of solution. Calcium is actually more soluble in cold water, which is why scaling of heater equipment is so common (picture the inside of a tea-kettle.).

Adding calcium chloride (hardness increaser) to the water easily raises calcium levels. Conversely, there is no simple chemical addition that can be made that will reduce calcium hardness. The only way to reduce calcium hardness levels in pool water is through dilution with water of a lesser hardness.

Over time, calcium hardness will naturally increase in pool water due to evaporation and possibly other factors unless the pool water is regularly diluted.

While it may be difficult to reduce calcium hardness, it is possible to control is so that a potential problem such as cloudy water or scale formation is prevented. The best way to minimize the effect of high calcium levels is through the use of a sequestering agent.

A sequestering agent is a compound that, when added to water, will chemically bond with calcium and other minerals to make them, in a sense, more soluble. This means that calcium will still be present, but in a form that is less likely to cloud water or form scale if the pH or other factors get out of balance. In addition, since calcium will still be in the water, you will not have the corrosion problems you would otherwise experience with soft water. A further advantage is that elevated levels of calcium (over 400 ppm) can be tolerated without constant need to dilution. This becomes especially important when the pool is located in hard water areas or calcium-based chlorine solutions are used.

IV. Stain Producing Minerals:
The use of sequestering agents becomes even more important in the control of stain producing minerals. Problems of stain formation on pool surfaces or colored water are most often associated with the metals:
· Iron
· Copper
· Manganese
Each of these metals can enter a pool by several means and will react in very different ways. One of the most common ways these metals can enter the pool is via the fill water. Therefore, before filling a pool, always be certain to have the water tested for all three metals in additional to the other chemicals parameters. In this way you will be better prepared to deal with the initial pool treatment, both water balance and stain control.

Iron
When dissolved in water, iron is colorless but will react almost instantly with chlorine and other oxidizers to produce a rusty red color in water, or worse, orange colored staining. As little as 0.1 PPM of iron is all that is needed to result in colored water and stains.

The most common source of iron in pool water is the fill water. However, a simple water test does not always alert you to the possible presence of iron in the fill water. This is because over time, municipal drinking water piping systems gradually build up sediments in the pipes. This is not normally of great concern as the water flow is generally not sufficiently strong enough or of high enough volume to stir up these sediments into the flow of water itself.

Often times when large quantities of water are drawn from municipal pipes, such as when a pool is first being filled, the heavy flow of water can cause iron bearing sediments laying in the pipes to be stirred up, causing the to enter your pool unexpectedly. If a test for the presence of iron were conducted prior to filling the pool, it would only identify iron if it were naturally occurring in the water. Any iron that may ne in the sediments would likely be missed because the small amount of water drawn for the water sample would not be sufficient to stir up the sediments. Thus, the iron would remain in the pipes and not be detected until it was too late. The result could be a heavily stained pool that would then need to be emptied, cleaned or acid washed and refilled.

Copper
Copper is a common cause of green water and stains ranging in color from blue-green to black.

The sources of copper are more varied than iron. Copper can enter the pool water from corrosion or galvanic activity in copper heaters, from copper-based algaecides and from the source water. Copper problems are often indicated by pool water with a true clear green color, whereas green water caused by algae could be green and cloudy. Copper is also the responsible agent when hair or fingernails turn green, not chlorine, which is often blamed.

Corrosion of gas or oil-fueled heaters that have copper coils results in copper entering the water flow, which, in turn, can lead to green water or stains. This type of corrosion is most commonly due to a chemical imbalance in the water such as low pH, low total alkalinity or low calcium hardness or a combination of these factors.

A galvanic action can take place in heaters where the copper metal of the heater coil comes in contact with a different metal such as iron. At points where these two dissimilar metals are in direct contact, both metals can break down and find their way into the water. This particular problem is best solved by use of a "di-electric" coupling. This is typically a pipefitting made from a ceramic or similar inert material that is placed between the two metal components.

Copper algaecides are also frequently implicated in causing stains in pools. In some cases, the copper algaecide may be responsible because the chemical complexing agents in the product used to keep the copper in solution may be of lesser quality and thus allowed the copper to prematurely precipitate. However, a more common cause is likely how the product was applied to the pool in the first place.

Copper algaecides come in several types and some are more prone to staining than others. However, copper algaecides are usually very concentrated, requiring only a very few ounces to be applied for each 10,000 gallons of pool water volume. Often times, label directions are not followed and a significant overdose occurs. In these cases, the chance of stains increases dramatically.

Copper can also come from the source water and will either be present as a normal component of the water or on a periodic basis. Many municipal water systems rely upon reservoirs for their water supply. These reservoirs frequently suffer from algae outbreaks and the algae is treated with copper. The copper level is often as much as 1.0 ppm, and if you fill or add water to your pool with this water, it will be green and could result in staining.

Manganese
Manganese is the final metal that can lead to problems, and will color the water from pink to deep purple depending on the level present. Manganese only enters the pool from the source water either through natural occurrence or after being intentionally added by a water treatment plant in the form of potassium permanganate. The latter causes problems when it is inadvertently overdosed and then arrives at the pool when filling or adding water. Again, the biggest problem is that you simply do not know when the water may contain manganese.

The important thing to understand is that all three metals can easily be kept from causing problems with the regular use of a sequestering agent. As with preventing problems with calcium, the sequestering agent will chemically combine with the metals in the water and keep them from precipitating out of the water to cause staining.

The best time to use a sequestering agent is when the pool is being filled for the first time, and thereafter as part of a regular preventive maintenance program. In this way, any metals that may be present in the fill water will be tied up or inactivated before they can cause a problem. Also, any metals that may find their way into the pool, either when water is added or from corrosive actions in the pool, will be prevented from causing staining. In other words, by adding the sequestering agent as part of the regular maintenance program, the pool will be protected from stains even when you did not expect metals to be present. It is far easier to prevent staining caused by metals than to remove the stains once they have formed.

V. Total Dissolved Solids
Total dissolved solids (TDS) are normally the least worrisome factor. TDS is the sum of all materials dissolved in the water and normally runs in the range of 250 ppm or higher.

There is much discussion over what levels are considered too high, but there is no real lower limit. TDS is comprised of many different chemical compounds, which means that the issue of how much is too much actually depends more on what they consist of than how much there is. For example, sodium chloride or ordinary salt is extremely soluble and is therefore unlikely to cause a problem, whereas, as we have seen, calcium compounds can be a problem even at fairly low levels. in general, when the TDS exceeds approximately 1,500 PPM, problems may begin to occur.

It must be pointed out that pools whose sanitizing systems are based on chlorine or bromine generation equipment will likely have much higher TDS levels. These pools actually have salt in one form or another added to the pool. The salt used is highly soluble and does not cause the type of problems normally associated with high TDS, but never the less, it does add to the TDS level in the pool. When testing water in this type of pool for TDS, the salt intentionally added to the pool needs to be taken into account.

At elevated levels, TDS can lead to cloudy or hazy water, difficulty in maintaining water balance, reduction in sanitizer activity and foaming. Unfortunately, the only way to reduce TDS is to drain a portion of the water and replace it with fresh water. Sequestering agents do not help when high TDS levels are causing cloudy water.