All things Hot Tub, Spa, & Swimming Pool Blog
Spa Season Off to a Strong Start!
Spa Season Off to a Strong Start!As cooler temperatures signal the return of "spa season" (as if there's really a time not to enjoy luxurious, therapeutic relaxation!), now is prime time to consider owning a hot tub if you don't already. In this blog we'd like to take the time to highlight two great spa models from Strong™ brand [...]
Pool Pump Failure: Common Causes and Prevention
Sooner or later even the best, quality-made equipment will reach the end of its useful life, break and need replacing. Really, when you think about it, any machine that runs 12 hours a day, every day (for however long your season is) at 3450 RPM’s (revolutions per minute) will eventually end up in the scrap [...]
Green Pool – Gotta Be Algae…Right????
Green Pool – Gotta Be Algae…Right???? For the most part, when we hear that someone has a green pool, we immediately think of algae. And for the most part we’d be right, but as I learned many years ago the two are not necessarily synonymous. Algae which is an airborne plant has many strains which can [...]
What is a “Good” Free Chlorine level?
What is a “ good” free chlorine level? Should I swim in a pool with a “low” free chlorine level? Free chlorine is the most important number to monitor in your swimming pool water. You want it between 1.0-3.0 ppm. Free chlorine keeps the water clean and safe from harmful bacteria. Question: Should I be swimming [...]
Ideal Chemical Ranges for Your Swimming Pool
Ideal Chemical Ranges for Your Swimming PoolPeople often ask me, “What’s the big deal with testing and balancing pool water? Does it really matter?” I think sometimes people expect me to look around to see that there’s no one within earshot, and slyly whisper, “Nah, it doesn’t matter. None of these chemicals really do anything [...]
Chlorine Tabs & Shock Tips to Keep your Pool Clear
- Not all Pool Shock is Created Equal! Read your Labels!A quality chlorine tablet; 99% available and 1% inert qualifies as quality tablet. Always read your label. Generally speaking, one tablet treats 5000 gallons of pool water, soIf you have a 20,000 gallon pool you will use on average 4 chlorine tablets per week. [...]
Switching Your Pool from Baquacil to Chlorine
Switching Your Pool from Baquacil to ChlorineBaquacil, the chemical trade name of a non-chlorine pool system, is a product used by a fairly small percentage of pool owners to sanitize their pools. The main active ingredient in this system is biguanide (the generic chemical name), and you may see this type of chemical sold under [...]
Sand Filters 101 – How Important is Sand Quality? – Changing Your Filter’s Sand (Part 3 of 3)
In part 2 of the 3-part blog on sand filters we got all the way through emptying the tank of the old sand and inspecting internal parts for damage. In this final blog of the series, we’ll work on re-filling and re-assembling the filter to get you back in operation. Although you will want [...]
Sand Filters 101 – How Important is Sand Quality? (Part 1 of 3)
Sand Filters 101HOW IMPORTANT IS SAND QUALITY?Sand filters are a common choice for many pools due to their user-friendly method of operation. Precisely because of this ease of use, it is also very easy to overlook the importance of the main component of the filter, namely the sand itself! It is for this reason I’d [...]
What are Phosphates in Swimming Pool Water?
Have an Algae Problem? Your Pool is BalancedYou Shock WeeklyYou Use ChlorineYou Still have Algae?Let’s talk about Phosphates.WHAT ARE PHOSPHATES?Phosphates are food for algae. If you have had persistent trouble with algae- and it always seems to come back, you may have a phosphate problem in your pool. When excess phosphates are present in a swimming [...]