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Water is a touchy subject these days and not far behind that is the cost of electricity. Pool owners have a double whammy on that score, but all is not lost. There are great ways to make swimming fun all year round and with winter just ahead, having a heated pool for the family that won’t add to your bills is a no-brainer. Here are our top three suggestions for heating your pool water at low cost.

1) Hula-Hoop Pool Water Heating

Your initial outlay here is to buy enough hula-hoops to cover the surface of your pool. Cut circular rings of polyethene black plastic and attach with water-resistant glue to the hoop on one side, which will be the side that lies on the surface of the water. You can get decorative by choosing various colour hoops and creating patterns as you fling them onto the pool surface. They’re easy to remove when you want to swim and its fun for everyone to fling them back again afterwards and make new patterns on the water. The hoops serve the double role of reducing pool water evaporation at the same time as warming the temperature.

2) Black PVC Pipe Pool Water Heating

Using 1 ½ black PVC rolled in a ‘tight snake’ formation (obviously to attract the most amount of heat), the idea is to direct the pumped water through the black piping and back into the pool. Hot tips are to use as many rolls as you can afford, paint the background of whatever you’re laying them into black also, to attract the sun’s heat. Some lay the hose on the roof – nice if the roof tiles are black, or on a garden shed, or in homemade wooden frames with a backing that you can also then paint black and mount neatly – as many as you fancy, to place where it will get direct sunlight.

3) Solar Cover Pool Water Heating

One of the most efficient ways of pool heating and evaporation reduction is a solar pool cover – killing ‘two birds with one stone’ for sure! The UV light passing through the cover material warms the water on the surface, which the filtration system circulates. The cover will serve as an insulator for the raised temperatures achieved by doubling up as an insulator against the cold night air.

All in all, swimming pools can be made into valuable recreation resources for families all year round simply with a once off effort to heat the water cost-effectively. Snazzy winter pool parties with brazier fire holders strategically placed, a cast-iron pot of stew cooking on the fire and plenty of cinnamon-laced Gluhwein and you’d be voted the trendiest folk in the neighbourhood.

Because the main function of a swimming pool filter is to keep the water clear and hygienic, many newbie Koi enthusiasts believe a koi pond filter serves the same purpose. This is definitely not the case. In fact, water clarity is a secondary function of a filter. A Koi pond is a completely enclosed body of water that has to deal with a high biological load from the fish that live in it. Without the correct filter, ammonia and other toxic chemicals can quickly build up to dangerous levels, and your Koi can eventually suffocate.

Types Of Koi Pond Filters

There are two types of Koi pond filters – mechanical and biological.  Mechanical Filtration In addition to fish waste, other sources of waste – such as rain run-off, dead insects and decaying plant matter, among others – will find their way into your pond. These need to be filtered out, which is where your mechanical filter comes in. Mechanical filters are usually divided into several stages, each one set up so that particles are carried through smaller and smaller holes. In this way, increasingly smaller debris is trapped. Biological Filtration Successful biological filtration relies on two main things – an oxygen-rich environment, and a large surface area. Oxygen is important, as the nitrifying bacteria are aerobic, meaning they need oxygen in order to absorb the nitrogenous waste from your Koi. You can supplement the oxygenation of your pond with attractive features such as waterfalls, aquatic plants, fountains or diffusers. A large surface area is important because aerobic bacteria live on the surface of your pond, so the bigger your surface area, the more bacteria you’ll have, and the more powerful your biological filtration will be. At Pool, Spa and Filtration supplies, we stock a complete bead Koi Pond Filter Kit that creates an enormous filter surface area, allowing for both fine filtration (to give you clear water) and the harvesting of healthy bacteria for bio-filtration. If you need professional advice or installation of your Koi pond filter, or any other pond or pool equipment, chat with us today.

Any pool owner worth half his weight in wisdom knows that keeping a watchful eye on the rate that water leaves the pool is vital. Testing for pool leaks at home is not as daunting as the thought of it is and getting a handle on common causes is ken worth adding to your expertise. Let’s take a look at the process for leaks in the pools walls or floor and in the underground piping, which will save a lot of time and money even if you still decide to call in the experts. The following will need to be done with the filtration system turned off.

Wall and floor leakage

If you see or suspect a crack line on the walls or floor, turn the pump off and keeping the water still as best you’re able, squirt some food colouring from a medicine dropper in the area and see if the dye is sucked into the suspected spot. Don the goggles and swim slowly to the pool floor with dye in hand for suspected leaks down below. If nothing shows, you’ll need to resort to draining the pool. Wherever the level holds, you’ll know it’s along the wall somewhere at that level. Of course, if the leak happens to be on the floor of the pool, all the water will drain away, which is unavoidable, but at least you’ll know where the problem lies.

Leakage in the filtration system or underground piping

Resist the rising panic, nearly all concrete pools develop leaks at the skimmer somewhere along the line and that’s not a nightmare to fix. Use the food colouring/ pool dye test (pump off) to see where the water is being drawn off. Your worst fears will be that the dreaded leak is in the underground piping and you’re already visualizing your wife’s prize garden being ripped up or your fabulous pool deck cut open for repairs. Underground piping seldom develops leaks but there are factors such a tree roots and even moles, that may compromise the system. You may cause more problems than you fix trying to repair leaks in the piping. The professionals make quick work of locating leaks with pressure tests and will respect your pool surrounds when carrying out pool leakage investigation. Warning: if you have a vinyl liner pool and you’re losing water at a rate of knots, forget all the foregoing tests, start adding water and call the experts in – liner pools need to have water in them at all times. Other than that, congratulate yourself for successfully locating your pool leak, crack open a beer and decide if it’s going be a DIY job or whether the professionals need to be summoned on Monday!

The short answer is, absolutely! Plans are needed to build a swimming pool because whenever the nature of the work involved excavation of land, plumbing, draining and electricity supply, the Local authority has to be informed. There’s no getting around it, so whatever you do, do it legally. Drafting plans though requires more than having skills with a ruler and pencil. Don’t be tempted to get your neighbour’s son who managed a year of architecture to do you a favour. The plans need to get from concept to council for submission and approval. Qualified people can get you there. Short-changing the process is tantamount to shooting yourself in the foot. Don’t do it!

What you’ll need to submit swimming pool plans:

• Application forms – from your Local Authority
• A copy of your title deed
• Your zoning certificate
• Plans
• Engineers form having consulted with one
• Money for fees – payable immediately upon submission to the cashier
• Patience – the waiting time is in the region of 6 weeks minimum

Understanding that by the addition of a swimming pool, you’re adding to the footprint of the land and adding a structure to your property. There are rules regarding building lines, safety fencing, wastewater disposal and if you’re wanting a cool rim-flow pool hanging off the edge of a cliff face, structural support! Once you’ve successfully submitted your application and swimming pool plans to the appropriate powers that be, don’t drop the ball – phone and request updates after about four weeks. Have your reference number on hand and make sure your file is steadily moving through the various departments and not forgotten under a pile of unrelated manilas in the office of someone who has since left. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. The best advice to follow is to get through the legal ramifications and be absolutely in the clear. If you go ahead and build a swimming pool without plans you’ll hit a blank wall when the time comes to sell only to find you can’t. You could very well be told to demolish your pool. The headaches you’ll encounter believing a pal or a pool company that tells you that building plans are not required for your swimming pool will put you off swimming for life. Instead, stay ahead of the red tape by making friends of the Local authority, keep them informed and do whatever you can to evoke cooperation. Pool, Spa and Filtration Supplies will be happy to help you in your process – give us a call on 031 561 6424  

The answer is “Yes”! The question? Should you paint your pool? Without doubt. You know you’re the butt of every comment by family and friends if your swimming pool is anything but sparkling blue at this time of the year. That ideal is not just achieved by treating the water, the state of your pool paint could be a breeding ground for algae.

Pool Painting Pros - there are no cons

• Cleaner pool walls for longer
• Freedom from black algae – forever
• Easier maintenance – creepy-crawler-cleaners love smooth surfaces
• Pleasing swimming experience for bathers – no abrasive surfaces

 

Paint Picking Pointers

• Water-based acrylic pool paint – very tempting because it has such a fast-drying time but it only lasts a year or two and can’t be used on fibreglass or gunite.
• Rubber- based pool paint – best used if the pool was previously painted with it. It has a 2 – 4-year lifespan and great abrasion and chemical resistance.
• Epoxy pool paint – top of the range with a 7 – 10-year lifespan. Epoxy paint can go over pools painted previously with other coatings as well as on newly constructed surfaces.

 

Paint Preparation Procedures

• Drain out the water – of course, you’re going to save it right? Hire a portable storage tank if needed, no excuses.
• Use a power hose to wash the pool walls and floor – take this step seriously. The end result will have a lot to do with how well this part of the procedure went. You’re looking for ultra clean, not a quick fix.
• Repair any cracks or suspected leak points that appear.
• Ascertain what paint you need – this depends on what paint was used before – hopefully, you know, or can find out. Otherwise, ask the paint store if there’s a suitable epoxy paint that will adhere and provide a smooth finish.
• Take your pool measurements with you to purchase your paint and they’ll tell you how much you need. Paint with a sheep’s wool roller if it’s an epoxy- don’t be shy to pop the roller onto a broom handle to make the job a breeze. Hopefully, you get it right with two coats. While we’re sure you’ll pick a sunny day, don’t stress if the wind blows leaves onto the wet paint – you can simply sand that off after each coat dries.
• You’re looking at about 5 days to a week drying time before you refill with your stored water. Add tap water to the right level, treat and you’re done. Send pictures to your friends and organise a pool party.

If you’re painting your pool this summer, and you feel as though you might need some advice to come and chat with us at Pool, Spa and Filtration Supplies.

With the approach of Day Zero now set to arrive this April, Capetonians - and our hearts go out to them - face having their municipal taps turned off. In a quandary as to keeping or closing up their swimming pools, owners have fallen prey to a plethora of enterprises, who bring in borehole water for Capetonian pools, at a price. Drought conditions call for drastic action indeed but we need to see the red flags and know when to call it a day.

First red flag for pool owners

At first, pool owners were permitted to use municipal water to top up swimming pools as long as pool covers were used. A wise move at that stage, considering the average pool level drops 5 cm per week. With pool covers on, evaporation is slowed to a mere 0,5 cm a week. But that was then.

Second red flag regarding swimming pools

Now, pool cover or not, no municipal water may be used for swimming pools. Entrepreneurial thinkers leapt on the borehole bandwagon, sinking new ones, reviving old ones, ferrying water in tankers from farm boreholes to help the city and suburban pool owners offset the drought conditions. While we sympathise all round, according to Section 22 of 1997’s Water Services Act, it’s illegal to sell water from private boreholes.

The borehole business

The water truck transporters claim they’re not charging for the water, just for the transport but on inquiry, customers have been paying anywhere between R 6 - 7 000 to for pool water – we leave you to join the dots. Besides, drawing those quantities of water – even if from your own borehole, requires a license to sell. Gone are the days when you thought you owned the water below your land – it was in apartheid days. Now, it belongs to the state as a national resource to be distributed under watchful eyes.

Thinking of sinking?

If you’re thinking of sinking your own borehole, be warned that you need to apply to the Mother City fourteen days prior to the installation and a meter must be fitted to measure the amount of water drawn. Your borehole must be registered and you need to put up notification signs that you have a borehole. Hopefully, the day doesn’t come when households are held up and mugged for their water! If you do use borehole water for your swimming pool it will need serious treatment - the iron levels will likely be over the top and who knows what else has leached into our underground water sources. Test and treat is the way to go.

Pool doomsday

The worst thing pool owners can do is allow their pools to either stand stagnating – a great attraction for microbes and the associated health risk, or to leave a pool totally empty- causing major cracks and causing it to elevate and lift off the ground. If the day comes and you realize it’s time to say goodbye to the pool, do it with due diligence. A fibreglass pool shell can be cut into with angle-grinders and the gaping hole filled with earth. Beware if the pool is cement though, as simply filling it with soil will turn into a swamp when the rains return - and they will. Make holes in the concrete for drainage before loading in the sand. If you’re needing any advice regarding your pool at any time, don’t hesitate to come and chat to us at Pool, Spa and Filtration Supplies.