Author page: admin

When you were little perhaps you had a fish bowl with a lonely little goldfish. However, as a fully-fledged adult, you have made the decision to have something – well – a little bigger. Yes, a large home aquarium is a statement piece which brings a rare beauty, light, and the wonder of the natural world right into your living space. If you’re researching a home aquarium, then you’ve no doubt realised that this is no small undertaking and you may need to get the professionals in. Fortunately, this is one of our specialities at Pool Spa, and we are here to help. Before we begin, though, let’s double check the setup to make sure that this addition to your home is going to be practical, and you’ll get exactly what you want.

Home Aquarium Size and Placement

Your first decision will be whether to choose a marine or a freshwater tank. Typically, a marine tank will require more equipment such as heaters, pumps, filters, lights, etc. This would obviously impact the setup cost but will also require sufficient space – preferably away from your immediate living area – for this equipment to be situated. The tank itself should be set up away from heaters, doors, vents or windows which can affect the temperature of the water. It should also be away from foot traffic to avoid knocking or bumping but still have enough room around it to sit and just drink in the beauty. As a rule of thumb, it’s always better to go a little bigger so that you have the option to add more fish at a later stage. Chat with your fish specialists to determine which fish are happy to live together, and how many you can have in the tank size that you want.

Cleaning and Maintenance

A big aquarium is a big responsibility, and care needs to be taken to stick to a schedule of cleaning and maintenance to keep your fish happy, and your tank beautiful. However, choosing the correct filters pumps and sterilizers for your tank at the outset will go a long way toward making your life significantly easier down the line. A home aquarium is an uncommon addition to a home, but one that guarantees hours of tranquillity and learning. If you are considering one, we’d love to chat with you and offer our expertise. Call us today.

How often do we go about our lives doing things the way that they’ve always been done, but never questioning why? If it ain’t broke…right? In the interests of education, we’d like you to question why you use chlorine to keep your swimming pool clean. Knowing how it works will also benefit you when things start to go pear-shaped and your pool is totally the wrong colour.

What Exactly Is Chlorine?

Chlorine is far more than an element on your periodic table. Most often used in a liquid or granular form, when added to water it forms a weak acid. This acid is known as hypochlorous acid (HOCI) and is a fast-acting weapon against bacteria present in your swimming pool. It works by breaching the bacteria cell walls and wreaking havoc within the cell’s internal structure. This process begins within seconds of adding chlorine to your swimming pool, and once it has done its job it gradually breaks down into single atoms which render the chlorine inert. Clever stuff, don’t you agree? However, there is more that you can do to help our valiant element do its job even better.

How Can I Keep My Pool Clean For Longer?

Chlorine is a chemical which means that you have to be careful to get your dosage right in your swimming pool. Too much will cause skin irritation for some swimmers, and will also start to bleach your swimwear and towels. Too little means the bacteria are likely to have a pool party of their own. Therefore, keeping a healthy pH balance of between 7.4 and 7.8 allows the chlorine to get its job done effectively while not affecting the sensitive skin of your family. Encourage swimmers to shower before jumping in. Why? Simply because certain pathogens are carried in human sweat, urine and faeces which have a hardy outer membrane. This means that chlorine will have a tough time breaking down the bacteria and allow it to take root in your pool. It can also result in diseases like e-Coli. Remember too that sunlight speeds up the breakdown of chlorine, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on your pH levels during peak swimming season. So there we have it, folks. Now you know how and why chlorine works in your swimming pools. If you have any other questions please give your friendly Pool Spa team a call.

Just as in our bodies, our swimming pools need good circulation in order to maintain their sparkle. If you find that your pool gets cloudy pretty quickly, or your suction cleaner seems to be working overtime to keep the walls and floor clean, you may well have a problem with your pool circulation.

The Importance Of Circulation in your Swimming Pool

The direction and flow of water in your pool is an important element in maintaining its cleanliness. All too often, pool owners blame their pool equipment for the murky water, but the issue lies elsewhere. Your filter – a key line of defence in keeping the lurgies out of your pool – can only clean water that actually runs through it. Obviously, you may say. Yet if your pump is not working efficiently (or may be the wrong size for your pool), or if the flow of your water doesn’t allow for most of the water to be circulated, then logically there will be “patches” where dirt and debris will collect. A properly functioning pump and filter work seamlessly to suck and clean water, as well as effectively spread the chemicals throughout the pool. So, what can you do to ensure efficient pool circulation?

Pool Circulation Checklist

Jets and skimmers

Ideally, your jets, which return clean water to your pool, should be multidirectional. If you only have one return jet, then try and angle it to push the water towards the skimmer and downwards. This will push the water from the floor of the pool upwards to be circulated and cleaned. If you have two or more jets then position them to reach as much of the pool water as possible, while pushing it toward the skimmer.

Dead areas

Depending on the shape of your pool, you may have areas of poor circulation which tend to get mucky pretty quick. These “dead zones” will need regular brushing in order to keep them clean.

Suction cleaners

While your Kreepy may well be your best friend, it can put a strain on your pump as it limits the water flow into the circulation system. It’s always a good idea to let your pump just run without the attachments for a few days in the week, and let the water run through the filter uninterrupted.

Keeping up a regular maintenance schedule and making sure that your pool circulation is optimised will mean less work for you, and a sparkling pool for the family. Happy swimming!  

Once winter rolls around each year it is very easy to lose interest in your pool. After all, it’s now just an ongoing “job” to keep clean with no benefits to anybody. You also can’t just leave it to become a “winter pool” because that looks terrible and probably won’t fly with the wife. So, what’s to be done? We’ve prepared a list of steps that you can take to keep your pool looking presentable during winter with less of the hassle it takes in the summer.

Preparing Your Pool for Winter

1. Give your pool a solid clean. Scoop out the floaties and give the sides a scrub down. The Kreepy can do the rest. Just make sure there is no algae left anywhere to breed quietly over the cold winter months.
2. Buy a testing kit to check the PH, Alkalinity & Calcium levels in the water. Add increasers or decreases as needed.
3. If your water is cloudy (which its probably will be after all the summer activity) it needs to be “shocked.” This milky effect is caused by chlorine binding with the bacteria in the water.
4. Give your pump and filters a good clean. Every pump is different so check the owner’s manual for the best method.
5. Put your pool cover on.

Save Time & Money in Winter

Regardless of whether your style is to allow your pool to turn into a winter pool (i.e green and gross) or you usually just keep up the normal maintenance work, by preparing your pool for winter you will save yourself a lot of time. As an added bonus though, you can also save some money during the winter months. Because your pool isn’t being used you can get away with cutting back on certain things.

1. Halve the time you usually run your pool pump from the average 6 to around 3 hours a day.
2. With the pool cover on less water will evaporate preventing the need to top it up.
3. Check on your water every couple of weeks to test the PH, Alkalinity & Calcium levels. You won’t need to add nearly as much chlorine, but you don’t know if a critter has downed itself and upset the balance.

Taking a bit of time to prepare your pool for winter will prevent you from having to spend tons of time and money restoring a winter pool when the heat returns, and your family will be able to enjoy a crystal-clear pool on the first hot day of Spring. Go Dad!

Most pool owners know how to maintain their swimming pools, and they do a jolly good job. However, most don’t know why they do the things that they do in order to keep their pool looking pretty. Sand filters may not be a thrilling thing to discuss, but wouldn’t you like to know more about the operating system of your pride and joy?

How Do Sand Filters Work?

The cover of your pool pump and filter system tends to hide the clever systems which work busily to keep your swimming pool clean and hygienic. However, you’ll be interested to know that the filtering of water stretches as far back as ancient Egypt where the use of porous clay bowls was commonly used to filter drinking water. Various grasses have also been used to sieve water to separate out debris. Gravel, charcoal and sand are still used today in water purification devices in the home.

But, you may ask, “Surely the chemicals in my pool keep it clean?” Certainly. The chemicals that you add to your pool kill harmful bacteria and prevent algae from developing. But what they can’t do is remove the actual debris from your water. This is where your filter comes in.

Sand filters are an inexpensive and durable choice for swimming pools, making use of a special, fine grain sand to trap particles as small as 0.02 mm.

Dirty water is fed into the filtration system through the inlet pipes which can be either from the wall mounted inlet where the skimmer will usually sit, or from the pool cleaner which sucks water and debris up from the sides of the pool. Either way, larger particles such as leaves, insects and other debris are caught in the net, and the rest of the water is fed into the tank.

Gravity pulls the water through the sand in the tank, trapping small particles and expelling the clean water out the other end. Obviously, the larger the volume of water in the pool, the stronger the pump and the larger the sand tank would need to be.

Cleaning Your Sand Filter

It stands to reason that all the dirt and debris collected over weeks and months will eventually start to clog up the sand filter, and you may find that the pump is not working as efficiently as it once was.

It’s time to backwash. Reversing the flow of pipes allows pool water to be pushed upward through the sand and runs off into the sewer or into your garden. Yes, this does waste a fair bit of water, but it’s the only way to clean the sand and get your system working again.

So now you know how your sand filter works in your pool. If you have any questions or need any help in maintaining your swimming pool, we’d welcome your call.

So, you’re thinking of building a swimming pool? That’s awesome news and those of us who have access to a sparkling pool to while away those sultry summer days will be nodding vigorously in agreement. The next question you should be asking yourself is, “Which pool design will suit my needs best?”

How Big Can I Go?

If you have a huge garden, then this isn’t a problem for you. The only factor is the upkeep of a super-sized pool in terms of chemicals, maintenance, and water and electricity usage. However, if space is limited then the size of your pool will be your first consideration.

What Shape Suits My Family?

A rectangular or oval shape is traditionally the most practical and offers the length for laps or training, as well as the space and depth for a bunch of overexcited kiddies. If space is limited, then an L-shape will serve a similar purpose, still allowing a longer section for more serious water-based pursuits. Freeform pools are perfect if you would like to work around natural features in your garden, and if the aesthetic is more important to you than training for the Olympics. These curvilinear designs offer a gentle slope into the water which is great for little children who like to splash in the shallows and ideal for grown-ups with a Martini and a bikini.

Where Can I Put My Pool?

Ideally, a swimming pool which is a few meters from the entertainment section of our home is ideal. Some gardens may be steep or an odd shape, which means the pool has to be further from the house. While this may be practical, it’s often not ideal when you want to keep an eye on the small people. In this case, you may want to consider a splash pool in a deck which would get more use. Consider, too, the amount of space you have around your pool area. A good sized paved area around the pool will reduce debris and grass getting into the water and allow everyone to have enough space to interact safely.

Pool Safety

Whatever pool you choose, current legislation says that it needs to be safe. So, a pool net or a surrounding fence needs to be factored into the design and budgeted for. Our team at Pool Spa are all about practical design and creating beautiful spaces for families. Why not chat with one of our friendly staff today?