| How Do I winterize My Pool?: |
Winterizing your pool is as simple as following
the steps we have outlined for you:
Proper Winterizing Technique |
| My Pool Leaks! |
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 the Prime! |
| 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. |
| That Darn Heater: |
| 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. |
| Water Problems: |
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:
- pH: 7.2 - 7.8 ppm
- Total Alkalinity: 80 - 120 ppm
- Calcium Hardness: 100 - 400 ppm
- Stain Producing Minerals: Absent
- 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:
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.
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