Technical
Check here often for helpful hints and tips for how to maintain your pool. Select an item below to view the text:
Check here often for helpful hints and tips for how to maintain your pool. Select an item below to view the text:
As a general rule of thumb, run your pool circulation pump 1 hour for every 10 degrees of ambient air temperature.
For example, if it’s 80 degrees outside, the pump should run approximately 8 hours.
Maintain your pool water level halfway up the skimmer box opening.
Normally, a pool should lose no more than 1/4 inch of water per day. If you notice a greater loss, suspect a leak.
Loose tiles or cracks in the pool deck may be an indication of a leaking pool.
Cracks and gaps in the bond beam may be an indication that your pool is leaking. If you notice water-saturated soils in the area around the pool, pool pumps or plumbing, your pool may be leaking.
If you see bubbles in the return water when the pool's pump is running, it's likely there's a leak in the suction side of the filtration system.
Interested in a solar blanket? A Solar Pool Cover is the least expensive kind of swimming pool cover. They are also called solar blankets. Solar Pool Covers or Blankets resemble giant sheets of bubble wrap. The bubbles trap heat from the sun and transmit the heat to the pool, keeping the water temperature warm and inviting. The solar cover also helps to trap the heat of the water and prevents its escape into the cool night time.
This is a question that we receive quite often and the answer is: It All Depends.
Solar Systems - Solar panels are a very efficient way to heat your pool/spa. Ideally it would be great if everyone could utilize solar power, but that’s not the case. Many times the shape of the roof and/or the available space with a southern or western exposure is not adequate for solar. Additionally, some roofs are shaded throughout much of the day. You also have to consider when you want to heat your spa. Solar certainly won’t be able to help you in the evening time.
Heat Pumps - Electrical heat pumps are now very efficient. Obviously, they cost more to operate than a solar system, but they are considerably cheaper to operate than gas heaters. Heat pumps are a real good choice to supplement a solar system. The one drawback they have is that they aren’t very efficient in weather below 40 degrees. We don’t have to worry about that too much here in Central Florida.
Gas Heaters - Gas heaters are a great source of quick and reliable heat – regardless of the weather. The cost of the heater is relatively inexpensive, but the cost to operate can be a little pricey. Propane can be a little expensive.
Call us if you’re considering adding a heating system. We’ll be glad to assess your situation and make a recommendation.
There is nothing more important with respect to your swimming pool than making sure it’s safe. In recent years, the swimming pool industry has worked hard to develop products to protect children from accidently falling into the water or becoming entrapped by a bottom drain.
Unfortunately, every year we continue to hear on the news that another child has drowned in a swimming pool. This is totally preventable!
If you have concerns about pool safety or would like to find out more on how to protect your family, please contact our office.
Based on the new national and state regulations, beginning March 15, 2012 the installation of pumps/pump motors must comply with the requirements found in the 2010 Florida Energy & Conservation Code. The code requires that when a pump/pump motor (larger than one horsepower) needs to be replaced, it must be replaced with a pump with two or more speeds.
We conducted testing on the Pentair variable speed pump (pictured below) and we are very impressed with its performance. Based on our calculations (see attached worksheet) homeowners in central Florida will save approximately $400.00 per year in electrical expenses. These savings could be significantly different (higher or lower) based on the manner in which the pump is used. The real key to the savings is to set the pump to run for a long period of time at a very low speed.
The new variable speed pumps are considerably more sophisticated than the one speed pumps and consequently cost more. Based on our research, homeowners will recoup through energy savings this additional expense within a 2 year period.
Please feel free to contact our office for additional details.
We often think about the pool area as a nice place to entertain guests and enjoy time with our families. But the pool can provide you with a great health benefit as well. A study by the University of South Carolina led by Dr. Steven Blair was conducted over the last three decades and it shows that swimming improves overall health. It can also be a factor in extending the longevity of your life. In fact, with data on more than 40,000 men, swimmers had the lowest death rate when compared to runners, walkers, and sedentary peers. Dr. Blair concluded that “swimming provides a healthful alternative to traditional modes of exercise for improving cardio respiratory fitness and health for the general population, as well as for patients suffering from chronic diseases.” [Florida Pool Pro – March 2009]
So get out and enjoy your pool and reap the health benefits!
Water Level - Be sure to always maintain the water level in your pool up to the middle of the skimmer box opening. If your water level gets too low, your pump will draw air and run dry causing damage to your equipment. If your pool level gets too high, your skimmer will not clean the surface of the pool and you are probably wasting water.
Animals in your pool - It is always fun to have your dog jump in the pool with you, but it is not good for the pool chemicals, baskets or filter. Animal coats contain dirt and oils that can eat up the chlorine in the pool. You can compare it to 10 people in you pool. Their coats also shed heavily while in the water which can clog up baskets and filters.
How long and when to run your pool - As long as there is water in your pool, you must run your system once a day in order to properly circulate and filter all the water in a 24 hour period. NuWave Pools recommends running your system in the summer months; 8-10 hours* depending on the size and/or the equipment being used.
*Residential customer only
Sounds provide valuable feedback - Normally the sounds from the pool and the pool equipment are about the same each day. We get used to the sounds and really don’t notice them all that much. If you notice any odd noises (i.e. bubbling from the jets, motor running loud, etc.) please contact our office so that we can have a technician check things out.
