5 Swimming Pool Products You Might Not Be Using (But Should Be!)
March 09/2020 Stabilizer – If you are using a form of a non-stablilized chlorine, it is IMPERATIVE that you use a stabilizer in conjunction with your sanitizer. Non-stabilized chlorine is not able to effectively work if there is no stabilizer. Think of stabilizer being like “sun block” – it prevents the chlorine from burning off too fast before it has a chance to even work. Without the “sun block” the chlorine that is in your pool will not be capable of producing an actual chlorine reading. If you are currently using a stabilized chlorine, NEVER add additional stabilizer – if too much stabilizer is present in the water, the chlorine can be “locked up” and unavailable to kill the bacteria in the water. At that point, the only way to fix it is to drain the water out of the pool.
Filter Cleaner – It is very important to clean your pool filter at least once throughout the season and again at the end of the year. Whether you have a cartridge filter, sand filter or a DE filter – a filter cleaner is always recommended. This product is added directly into your pump pot basket while the unit is shut down. Once applied and you have the pump pot lid on, kick on your filter system for just a few seconds, so the product is able to get from the pump pot into your filter tank and then shut down the power to your filter again for 12 hours (or overnight). This allows the product to absorb and eat away at all of the deposits in your filter and allows you to flush it out the next morning. This is key to preventative maintenance. Filtration is everything – without your filter working properly, you will be unable to keep a crystal clear pool.
Shock - Should be used once per week, only in the evenings after dark for the most effectiveness. The shock is added to help finish the kill of the dead bacteria that is left in the pool once the chlorine has killed it. Without this burnoff, your level of free chlorine that would be available to kill more bacteria would be very low or non-existent, causing a continually low chlorine level which would be hard to get to the correct range. It’s important to always sprinkle this shock around the outside of the pool and near the return jet, so that the shock does not settle all in one area. ALWAYS add this product to the water, not water to the product (this is important information if you like to pre-dissolve your shock before pouring it in – never put the shock in a bucket and then add water to it or it will cause an extreme amount of gas fumes that can be very dangerous.)
Heat Saver – Tired of those cool nights sucking the heat out of your pool? Adding Heat Saver on a daily basis provides a protective barrier across the surface of your pool! This will retain the majority of your heat in your pool, even at night – allowing you to swim longer throughout the season! You can not see it, taste it, touch it or smell it – it is practically invisible to the naked eye, however you WILL notice a difference when you jump in!
Skimmer Socks – Surround your skimmer basket with a skimmer sock to pull finer particles out of the water! Easy to clean and reuse, just rinse off with the garden hose! This prevents your basket from becoming to clogged which can then cavitate your pump and crush your basket.
Want more information? Contact us. Aqua Palace is family owned and operated, offering above ground and in-ground pools, hot tubs, spas and saunas specializing in pool design, installation and repair in Council Bluffs and Omaha metro area and long distance residents (within the US). We are the only Marquis dealer in the Omaha Metro Area with the largest showroom east of the continental divide. If you are looking for your perfect Omaha hot tub store, look no further! Check out our online store for pool and spa chemicals, supplies and accessories.
5 Swimming Pool Products You Might Not Be Using (But Should Be!)
March 15/2020 Metal Remover - This product goes in at the first of each spring before any other items are added to insure that all the metals (iron, copper, rust etc) are protected and taken care of before any chlorine is introduced into the water. In the Omaha metro area we have a high metal content even in our city water and especially in the rural and well water systems. Once this product has been added, it’s important to wait 24 hrs before adding any chlorine, shocks, clarifiers, or pH adjusters to the water. This will eliminate any issues with rust, iron, cooper, calcium, etc.
Clarifier - Using a clarifier on a regular basis helps to aide your filter in pulling out finer particles in the water that otherwise would pass right thru and back into the pool. This product is most effective by adding it directly down your skimmer, so that it can adhere to the sand particles or paper cartridges of your filter. This item will need to be replaced after each backwash or after rinsing off your cartridges.
Phosphate Remover – It is important to keep your phosphate levels in your pool water as close to (zero) as possible. Phosphates are food for algae to feed on. If we take away the algaes food source, it will not be able to breed. This product is added directly thru your skimmer on your pool on a weekly basis to remove any phosphates that are present. Phosphates come from many sources including: leaves, debris, rain, and pesticides among many others.
Natural Clear – This product should be added weekly to help break down enzymes in the water including body oils, makeups, lotions, sun tan lotions, and many other inorganics. Using this product on a weekly basis will prevent the water from being foamy or sudsy, and will eliminate the waterline ring that occurs at your water level on your pool liner.
pH Adjusters - The ideal pH range is between 7.2-7.4. It’s important to have both pH Up and pH Down products on hand at all times. You will typically go through one more than the other, but after rainfalls and other unforeseen circumstances, the pH in your pool can turn the opposite direction. Low pH is very acidic and is very harmful to not only you as a swimmer, but also your pool liner, structure, and equipment. With high pH you will have a more prominent issue with calcium and hard water deposits on your liner and equipment.
Want more information? Contact us. Aqua Palace is family owned and operated, offering above ground and in-ground pools, hot tubs, spas and saunas specializing in pool design, installation and repair in Council Bluffs and Omaha metro area and long distance residents (within the US). We are the only Marquis dealer in the Omaha Metro Area with the largest showroom east of the continental divide. If you are looking for your perfect Omaha hot tub store, look no further! Check out our online store for pool and spa chemicals, supplies and accessories.
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