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In the height of our South African summer, taking a dip in your home swimming pool is pretty much as an enjoyable and regular an occurrence, as firing up the braai, if not more. Depending on where you live, South African’s are generally lucky enough to be able to swim comfortably between October and February. Besides the pleasure it brings, owning a swimming pool is fairly big responsibility, and given the effort it takes to maintain, one really needs to consider their options during the cooler months. Will you make adjustments to be able to continue using your pool, or does it make more sense to close it up until swimming season returns?

Just Keep Swimming

In order to continue swimming comfortably, especially if you live in a colder part of SA, the addition of a pool pump will allow you to increase the temperature of your swimming pool to 25°C, and keep it there. While simple enough to do, keep in mind that this will increase your running costs. There are however cheaper alternatives that can be explored such as solar heating, or the more creative “Boer maak a plan” which involves pumping pool water through a series of strategically placed pipes on the roof of your home, which absorbs the heat of the sun and warms the water as it travels on through. Although swimming pools don’t generally ice over in South Africa, the changes in weather and blown-in debris can make the water turn green faster and more frequently. Be prepared to embark on routine tasks if you have decided against covering the pool up and ignoring it until swimming season returns. In the colder months, you will require at least six to eight hours of daily filtration. Adjust your timer to suit. Backwash the pool once a month, or if you notice the Kreepy has lost its groove. Stormy weather conditions may require you to backwash more frequently. Add one cup of dry chlorine twice a week until the end of May and correct the pH level weekly. Up the chlorine to once a week during mid-winter – continue to check the pH.

Preparing your Pool for Winter – the Cover Up

If keeping the pool accessible for a dip sounds too much like hard labour, then you need to prepare your pool for winter before covering it up and putting it into hibernation. If you close up your pool correctly, when spring arrives, it will good to go. These are the guidelines to follow:

1. Clean your pool and vacuum thoroughly
2. Backwash for five minutes
3. Check the pH and correct it to the lower end of the ideal range
4. Check the alkalinity
5. Check the hardness
6. Shock treat your pool with three cups of dry chlorine / or use a shock treatment formula
7. Lower the water level to the appropriate level below the skimmer opening
8. Clean, dry and pack away pool fittings and automatic cleaners
9. Cover the pool – making sure the cover is still in good condition.

Whatever your concerns, and whatever your needs, our expert team at Pool Spa have the answers. Chat to us on +27 11 793 1381 or visit us at www.poolspa.co.za.

There is something entirely satisfying and calming about watching water flow, especially when it streams over an interesting or beautiful surface – like one that shimmers and glints in the sunshine. It is thus not surprising that spheres, created in a variety of both natural and man-made materials, have become highly sort after components of water features, as an interesting focal point for any home or garden. Used individually, or coupled in varying shapes, designs and sizes to create unique sculptural forms, sphere balls can turn an otherwise fairly unassuming water feature into a piece of contemporary art. In areas where no open water is wanted, a highly visual and tactile sphere water feature is the perfect solution. Water can be made to gently bubble from the top of the globe and cascade down its sides, running into a hidden reservoir, which then returns the water to the top of the sphere to keep the magic flowing. Some sphere water features are self-contained with their own reservoirs, which means that there is no need to dig holes in your garden, making this type of water feature not only very easy to install, but it can be moved around until you find the optimum position for it. Also available are spheres that are topped or tailed with concealed LED lights which serve to illuminate the cascading water, and add a tranquil glow to a night time setting.

Stunning Stainless Steel Spheres

A stainless steel sphere is not only striking to look at but the way the highly polished surface catches the light and reflects the world around it, adds a sense of movement and wonder to your home or garden which serves to delight and inspire all who visit. Constructed from a highly durable grade of stainless steel, these spheres are both rust proof and water resistant which means that they can be enjoyed outdoors, all year round, for years to come. Pool Spa and Filtration Supplies stocks a wide range of stainless steel spheres to suit any taste, or imaginative water feature design. Why not speak to one of our friendly experts about which sphere design would best suit your home or garden?

Swimming at hotels, resorts, apartment complexes or any other commercial swimming pool can be a lot of fun on a hot day, but how often do you wonder whether the water is clean and sanitary, knowing that you’re sharing the water with numerous bodies? Just because the pool may look sparkling blue and attractive doesn’t necessarily mean that the water is safe to swim in. There are many contaminants that pool water is exposed to such as dirt, sweat, body fats, faecal matter, oral and nasal discharges, hair, as well as rain, windblown debris and other materials from the air and pool surrounds.

A Clean Pool Benefits Everyone

Pool safety and creating a healthy environment for swimmers starts with you, the accommodation owner or manager. It is your responsibility to ensure your guests have a positive and overall enjoyable experience – catching something nasty from a public pool is neither positive nor enjoyable. Looking after your guests’ health has added benefits in that the steps you take, will also ensure that you will be safeguarding the quality and durability of your commercial swimming pool, while at the same time promoting the high standards of your facilities.

The Elements that make up a Balanced System

Chemicals and Chemical Checks The number one thing is chemical balance – test the water once or twice a day to make sure the chlorine and pH levels are acceptable. If the water balance is off, the pool can become cloudy and sometimes become contaminated by black algae, which is very tough to get rid of. Safe chemical and microbiological levels will mean that swimmers are protected from unsafe bacteria, as well as from possible chemical burns that can affect their skin and mucous membranes. By maintaining the correct chemical balance in your commercial swimming pool, you are not only protecting your guests, but you also minimise the risk of damage to the pool and any associated equipment. Purchasing your pool chemicals from a reputable local supplier should come with some degree of valuable technical support and possibly some training. Pool chemicals are hazardous products, and caution must be exercised at all times for the safety of both the staff and the guests. Filtration Filtration is an important maintenance element. Not looking after your filters will result in your chemicals going to waste. Monitor the back pressure of the filters and run a backwash cycle to clean them when the pressure builds up beyond the desired, or normal PSI. When backflushing no longer achieves the results it should, it’s time to change the filters. Water Flow and quality Optimum water quality depends greatly on the efficiency of both the mechanical systems and the chemical treatments you have in place for your commercial swimming pool. It is very important that pool equipment and water quality be checked on a daily basis. From a management perspective, it’s advisable to have at least two staff members who are trained to handle chemicals, water balance, monitoring, maintenance, pressure, filters, vacuuming, scrubbing and other related pool cleaning issues. It is not a good idea to have too many people involved in this responsibility, as it could affect the consistency of the pool care. Cleaning and maintenance Vacuum the pool every morning before opening. Make sure to consistently check that the vacuum hoses and related equipment are in good repair. Scrub the edges and bottom of the pool, before vacuuming, every other day. Every two to four years, the pool should be drained and given a proper clean - such as an acid wash of the sides and bottom. Any necessary repairs to the surface of the pool can be carried out at the same time. Make use of an outside contractor for expertise on repairs, resurfacing, system upgrades and pool equipment. Don’t forget that the area surrounding the pool is just as important to keep clean, safe and in good repair. It also helps by lowering the number of containments that could be tracked or blown into the pool. Bather or usage level Becoming more aware of how many people would be likely to use the pool at any one time, and then planning for maximum use on any given day, will greatly assist you and your staff in adjusting chemical treatment levels accordingly. Pool Spa has expert staff who can help you keep your commercial swimming pool in pristine condition. Why not chat to one of our friendly team members today. Visit us at www.poolspa.co.za

Have you ever opened your eyes underwater in a swimming pool only to have to close them again quickly because they instantly start to burn? Contrary to what a lot of people think, this burning sensation isn’t caused by too much chlorine in the pool, but by too much acid. The measure of how acid or alkaline your swimming pool is, is called pH. It is one of the most important factors in pool water balance and should be checked at least once a week. You can buy easy-to-use pH testing kits at your local pool shop or supermarket, and the process takes less than a minute – yet it makes a huge difference to your enjoyment of your pool. The ideal pH for a swimming pool is 7.2. This is also the exact pH of our eyes, so water that is correctly balanced between acid and alkaline won’t burn when we open our eyes under water. Pools that are too acidic (i.e. they have low pH) may not have any visible symptoms, and can be deceptively clear, blue and sparkling, but acidic water can have many detrimental effects:

• Acidic pool water corrodes Marbelite or plaster finishes, creating rough surfaces on which algae just loves to grow. The same thing can happen to the grouting in between pool tiles.
• Acid neutralises the sanitising effect of chlorine, so you have to use more and more to keep your pool healthy. This is just wasting time and money.
• Acidic water causes your automatic pool cleaner, pump connections, hoses and other fittings to corrode and ultimately perish.

It is equally as much of a problem when the pH in the pool is too high, resulting in the water being too alkaline:

• Water can become cloudy or murky.
• Calcium in the water combines with carbonates and forms scale, just like inside our kettles. Over time, this collects at the waterline, trapping dirt and dust and turning an unsightly black colour.
• Over time, this same calcium carbonate effectively turns your pool filter sand into cement, reducing its ability to filter debris from the water.

At Pool Spa and Filtration Supplies, we stock a wide range of swimming pool pumps, filters, automatic cleaners and other equipment to replace those damaged by incorrect pH levels. We can also advise you on how to keep your pool at its optimum pH balance, so why not have a chat to us today. We’d love to help.

Unlike swimming pools, which usually have automatic pool cleaners to suck up sunken debris off the bottom before it rots and affects the quality of the water, ponds need to be regularly skimmed of surface leaves, twigs, grass and other debris before they sink to the bottom. A pond is a closed system, and therefore a dirt trap, so any foreign matter will affect the water balance if not timeously filtered out. Sunken debris soon fouls the water and becomes pond scum, which is almost impossible to remove without draining the entire pond. This is where the careful placement of a pond skimmer will save you a lot of time and hassle. A skimmer can be place anywhere in your pond, as long as the current in the water encourages debris to float naturally into it. As it does so, it gets captured and left behind in the filter basket. There are certain factors to consider when installing a pond skimmer, including: Ease Of Access – if you have a lot of trees close to your pond, you will need to empty the skimmer basket fairly frequently. Make sure you can get to your skimmer easily in order to do this. Flow Rate – choose a skimmer with a similar flow rate to your pump. This has two benefits: firstly, to ensure that it can keep up with your pump, and secondly, if you decide to increase the size or your pond, or add a waterfall, for example, you have a little wiggle room in your skimmer capacity. Durability – although not such a critical consideration in South African conditions, low quality plastics become brittle in cold weather, and can perish easily. Buy the best pond skimmer you can afford to ensure long-lasting and trouble-free service. Fish Safety – if you’re going to have Koi or other fish in your pond, you must install some kind of protection at the skimmer intake to stop fish getting sucked into, and caught inside. It’s definitely worth taking the time to properly assess your needs and make sure you pick a pond skimmer that is best suited to your particular pond. It really is the best and most efficient way to reduce maintenance and keep the water safe for plants and fish. Pool Spa and Filtration Supplies stocks a variety of pond skimmers to suit every need. Why not ask one of our friendly and expert staff which one is best for you?

A pond is a beautiful and tranquil way to transform your static garden into an oasis of colour and life. Whether you decide to add goldfish or Koi to your pond, or just choose to have water plants to attract birds and insects, your pond will give you endless hours of pleasure. There are, however, a few careful considerations you need to make before you begin the big dig! Detailed planning concerning the shape, depth and location of your pond, as well as what building materials to choose, will help make sure you end up with the perfect pond.

Safety First

Depending on the size of your pond, and where you’re hoping to put it, there may be certain municipal by-laws and building regulations that come into play. How far from your boundary wall will be pond be, for example? You will also have to have the pond fenced or secured in some way, in the same way as you would a swimming pool. Make sure you make allowances for this in your planning.

Size Matters

One of the most common complaints from people who have built ponds is that they made it too small, so think very carefully right from the beginning what you want to use the pool for, and design its size according. A Koi pond, for example, should be at least 4000 litres in volume, and a minimum of a metre deep, although 1.5 or even 2 metres would be better. Koi hibernate in the winter, so it’s very important that your pond is deep enough to allow them to do this.

Location, Location, Location

The idea of having a pond is for you to be able to see and enjoy it. So, it’s not much good if the only suitable place is far from your house where no one will ever go. The pond also needs to be positioned so that rain water run off won’t flow into it, as it could carry fertilisers, organic debris and chemicals into the water, all of which are potentially harmful to the fish. If you’re only having fish in your pond, then it’s fine to put it in the shade, but if you want to grow water lilies, for example, the pond will need at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sun every day. You also need to make sure that your soil is stable enough to support a pond, and that the area you’re going to be digging in is not transversed by water pipes, electric cables or sewer lines. Pool Spa and Filtration Supplies has been helping people build ponds and pools for over 30 years. We stock a variety of pond supplies, including liners, planting baskets, filtration systems and many more. Come and chat to us about plans for your pond – we’d love to help.