Frequently Asked Questions

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Yes, we offer weekly pool maintenance services to keep your pool in pristine condition.

We recommend running your pool pump for at least 8 hours a day. 

We use a specialized tile cleaner and scrub brush to remove any buildup or stains on the tile. This requires a lot of manual labor to hand scrub the tiles. We use this method to help prevent scratches to the tile surface.

 Yes! One thousand times, YES. This is such an important pool care question. Using a pool brush is one of the most commonly overlooked parts of pool maintenance, and it plays an important role in making sure your pool stays clean. Brushing the pool agitates the water, prevents algae spores from taking a hold on pool surfaces, and helps prevent unsightly stains and waterline scale. Make it a part of your maintenance routine to brush the pool at least once or twice per week. An automatic pool cleaner that scrubs the floors, walls, and waterline can greatly reduce the amount of time needed to manually brush each week. Even so, it’s extremely important to also scrub the corners and other areas of the pool that may not get much circulation. These areas are notorious harbors for algae growth.

More often than not, the answer to this pool care question lies in the water balance ... or lack thereof. Poor circulation can also play a role in your murky water woes. There are a few steps to take to clear up the cloudy water. Test and balance the water, shock the pool if needed, check to see if the pool filter needs to be cleaned, and make sure the pump and skimmer baskets are clean and clear of debris. All else aside, sometimes your pool just needs a good clarifier every once in a while.

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The best way to eliminate algae is to prevent it from taking over your pool in the first place. This can be done with healthy water balance, brushing, and circulation. If you find yourself grappling with an algae bloom, don't worry! We can help! First, you need to know which type of algae you’re dealing with. Green algae is the most common, followed by yellow algae. Thankfully, they’re both fairly easy to get rid of. Black algae is much less common, but its deep roots make it much more difficult to eliminate. 

1. Clean or backwash your filter.
2. Turn on the pump and let it run for at least 36-48 hours during algae treatment.
3. Adjust water chemistry before adding algae removal products.
   
   1. Adjust the pH to 7.8 or higher
   2. Adjust the Total Alkalinity to 80-120 ppm depending upon the type of primary sanitizer used. (80-100 ppm for sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite or lithium hypochlorite; and 100-120 ppm for dichlor, trichlor and bromine tablets.)
   3. Adjust the Cyanuric Acid level to 25-75 ppm
   4. Adjust the Free Available Chlorine level to 2.0-2.5 ppm
4. Thoroughly brush all pool surfaces, including the steps, walls, and floor. When finished, leave the brush attachment on the first step while you complete the algae treatment. This will remove the algae from your cleaning attachment, as well.
5. Treat your pool with the correct algaecide. Read and follow all label instructions for dosage and application. Add half of the prescribed amount of product around the perimeter of the pool, starting where the algae is thickest, then add the remaining half over the problem areas. Wait five minutes before proceeding to the next step.
6. Shock the pool with calcium hypochlorite shock. Use two pounds of shock for every 15,000 gallons of water, and shock your pool three times, waiting 12 hours between each round of shock. Remember to always read and follow the label directions when adding any pool chemical.
7. Wait 12 hours after the final shock application before turning off your pool pump. Now is the best time to check your pool’s phosphate level. If phosphates are above 300 ppb, use a phosphate reducer to bring the level down below 100 ppb.
8. Backwash or clean your filter, then turn the pump back on and resume regular run time.
9. Once sanitizer levels are below 5 ppm, add a clarifier to remove the dead algae.

Removing algae from the pool can be a costly and time-consuming process. It’s important to keep up with the weekly preventive measures to keep the green out of your pool and save some “green” in your pocket. If you need help testing your water or would like more information about algae, call us for personalized treatment.

To keep algae from taking over your pool, there are a few things you can do as part of your regular maintenance routine.

1. Keep Free Available Chlorine (FAC) levels between 2.0 and 4.0 ppm, and maintain proper water balance.
2. Brush the entire pool at least once a week.
3. Run your filter pump at least one hour per every 10°F of air temperature. Variable speed pumps should run longer based on the speed.
4. Phosphates are algae food; keep phosphate levels below 100 ppb.