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First rule of thumb when it comes to testing your pool for leaks, is not to jump to conclusions. A fair amount of water will be lost via evaporation and if family and friends have had a great time splashing water about, loss is ‘par for the course’. However, if you find that you’re routinely having to top up more than two inches of water per week, then investigation is called for. Here is your Pool Leak Testing checklist to work through and fix yourself. The process ranges from simple to tedious, so like any smart detective, spare no effort, be patient and ‘tick off the troubleshooting boxes’ by process of elimination. Many of the following will be asked of you by the expert you may need to call on, so nothing is in vain.

1. The Bucket Test - so that you’re not worried you have an overactive imagination, first assess evidence of a leak by measuring your pool’s evaporation rate.
   • TEST A: Turn off the pump and any other auto-refill device. Fill a 5 lt bucket with pool water and mark both the pool water level and the level in the bucket. Leave the bucket on the second step of the pool for 24 hours, then check the loss of both. If the pool loses more than the bucket does, there is a leak.
   • TEST B: Repeat the above test, this time with the pump on. If the water level of the pool is greater with the pump on, the leak is likely in the plumbing somewhere.
2. The Ink Test – leak-finder ink is best but food colouring will also do.
   • The most common leaks occur due to separation of plastic skimmers and the concrete pool. Easily remedied with pool putty. Drop some test dye near joins while the pool pump is off and watch if it gets sucked into a leak.
   • Another common leak spot to test in pools are the underwater light fittings – especially in the conduit to the junction box. Fill the opening of the conduit in the back of the light niche with pool putty, black butyl tape, or a cord stopper.

Pools are meant to be water tight but it’s the sealants that will deteriorate first. All pool fittings and accessories are trouble spots to regularly inspect. It’s not a mistake, as part of pool leak checking, to don a pair of goggles and inspect the walls and floor of your pool. Testing is never as wasted exercise, so make the choice to always have a handle on it. Pool leak testing: Part 2 will cover the worst-case scenarios of leaks in the walls of the pool or in the underground pipes.

Put on your science cap for a moment and be prepared to be blown away by the performance of the humble ingredients of hth. Humble does not mean less potent, make no mistake. In its elemental form, Chlorine is so poisonous, it could be used as a WMD (weapon of mass destruction). Nature takes the lead though, in rendering it harmless by attaching other elements, which turn it into various salts. After all, plain old table salt is nothing but sodium chloride. Be herewith introduced as to what hth is, it’s make-up and its marvels. First, a quick science lesson – we all need help unless you know the low down of Chloride, chlorate, hypochlorite? Thought so. Bottom line, the “-ide” suffix in a two-word chemical name refers to the second element being is in its simplest form (without extra elements attached). So, calcium chloride, for example, is one calcium ion, bound to two chlorine ions. Now that that’s sorted, let’s get familiar with the five pole players in the hth family.

1)Calcium Hypochlorite (Ca(ClO)²)

The key active ingredient in hth’s chlorinating granules, calcium hypochlorite is the Grim Reaper of fungi, algae, slime, bacteria, and other swimming pool nasties. It kills through oxidation, which disrupts the cellular processes of microorganisms.

2)Calcium Chloride (CaCl²)

We now know the make-up of calcium chloride but here, it’s a by-product of calcium hypochlorite production. It is also sold separately for regulating the hardness of pool water.

3)Calcium Carbonate (CaCO³) a.k.a. Limestone

Another by-product of hypochlorite manufacturing, this mostly insoluble substance in hth, adds needed alkalinity to the pool. But if the pH does hike up too high, the CaCO³ precipitates out of solution, so the water gets cloudy due to the tiny limestone particles. To clear things up, adjust the pH by adding 14 % hydrochloric acid.

4)Calcium Chlorate (Ca(CIO3)2)

Yet another chemical by-product. In a sunny swimming pool, its presence in hth will break down into free-floating ions, which form calcium chloride or it hooks up with random sodium ions to become… a bomb? No. Just humble sodium chloride once again.

5)Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate (MgS04) a.k.a. Epsom Salts

The hth product has this added element to reduce the risk of combustion during transport and storage. (Hypochlorite of itself, doesn’t burn, but heat causes it to release lots of fire boosting oxygen.) “Hepta-hydrate” state in hth essentially means that seven water molecules are attached to each MgS04 node. A certain Richard Mullins, who figured out this safety trick, speculates that those water bonds absorb the heat before the hypochlorite does, so less O2 is generated from which a fire could feed. A good thing, right? No pool party should end in flames! So, here’s the thing, The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) champions products in their safest form. It states: “Liquids are safer than gases, granules are safer than liquids and briquettes are safer than granules”. What is hth, if not the perfect solution and the best possible formulation, from granule formulation to briquettes, to keep your pool water safely sanitised. Come and chat to the cool pool dudes at Pool, Spa and Filtration Supplies for more information.

If you’re a ‘pool master’, you’ll have run the gauntlet hundreds of times in search of the best solution to that delicate art of clean, blue water, right? That endless acid-alkaline pH balance could fill volumes if everyone’s tales were written down. As individual as one’s choice in movies or car brands, Blu52 may however be just right for you – here’s why: Straight from the ‘horse’s mouth’ in FAQ’s - ‘Will BLU52 make my skin feel dry after swimming? The Answer? No! “Blu52 products are much lower in chlorine than other methods and pool treatments, subsequently Blu52 will have less ‘drying’ effect on your skin”. Well, if that’s not enough to convert you, along with the ensuing ooh’s and ah’s emanating from all the females using your famed blue pool, then what is? The quest for waters blue and balanced are neatly found in the formulation of Blu 52, but the best news of all is that if you have pets in the habit of avoiding their water bowls in favour of drinking from the pool, it’s safe for them to do so - BLU52 products have no harmful chemicals that may affect the pool water! Another reason why Blu52 could be just right for you. Here are the five foes that mess with your pH balance, which Blu52 helps regulate:

• Rain
• Suntan oils
• Bather waste
• Chemical evaporation
• Municipal water top ups

Whenever any of the above negate your best efforts, rendering your pool green or cloudy and you have VIP’s coming over for a swim, Blu52 to the rescue! Blu52 shock treatment will clear the pool within 48 hours. Remember to balance the water first and check that the filtration system is in ship shape, then success will be yours to the delight of all who know you’re in charge of matters aquatic in your family.

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, which month is the best of all? The poor sod who’s landed with the thankless job of keeping the pool blue will say, ‘Winter’ when the pool cover goes on. We sympathize. But are pool maintainers fated with a hopeless, woebegone job? Well, it would be so if you’re working hard instead of smart. ‘Smarts’ gets you to understand that your best buddy-on-the-job is nothing other than a reliable pool maintenance schedule. Here’s one for you, in manageable checklist style:

Daily Pool Maintenance Schedule Checklist:

Don’t be a ninny, of course doing something daily will keep a handle on it – so turn the tasks into a good time to think about the day ahead and commune a bit with the fresh morning air. If you seriously object, then set your alarm to go to the pool on odd or even weekdays (every second day will do too).

• Chlorine & Ph – keeping this in balance is the best thing you can do daily
• Pump & Filter - let the filter gauge tell you if somethings wrong and correct it ASAP
• Pool Cleaner – needed daily if pressure cleaners are used, 2 x week if suction cleaners are used
• Catchment baskets – keep clear to ensure good water flow to the system
• Water level – Correct if too high after rains, or fill if too low, so air isn’t sucked into the system
• Fence & Gates – you can never be too careful on this one- check safety catches and remove anything around the fence line that could be used by little ones to climb over

Weekly Pool Maintenance Schedule Checklist:

• Alkalinity (s/be 80 – 120 ppm)
• Clean – vacuum, brush walls and floor (even if you have a robotic vacuum)
• Chemical dose – use metal or enzyme sequestrant, algaecide, clarifier
• Clean area around pool – minimize leaves and dirt

Monthly Pool Maintenance Schedule Checklist:

• Time clock – power outages may have interfered
• Backwash – when gauge is 5-10 psi higher than normal
• Shock treatment – it’s a good habit to raise chlorine levels to 5/10ppm once a month to keep nasties at bay
• Deep shock – to break up combined chlorine, shock at 10 x greater than the tested CC level
• Cyanuric Acid and Calcium – dilute if levels are too high by draining off some water and refilling

Annual Pool Maintenance Schedule Checklist:

• Inspect Pool cleaner – replace worn parts
• Major filter clean – even cartridge filters need a good clean with chemicals to dissolve deposits.
• O-rings – lubricate annually, with Teflon pool lube – not Vaseline!
• Diving boards & Slides – check bolts for tightness and use Tile cleaner to scrub slick accumulation off surfaces

Now that you have no excuse, do inspire others and tell them how much you’re saving on corrective chemicals and shock treatments now that you have a pool maintenance schedule to take the lead and ease the load.

In engineering terms, coping is a protective covering made of either stone, concrete, brick or terracotta, that’s placed on the exposed top of a wall, to prevent the seepage of water. This is pretty much what it is in pool terms too, except that pool coping forms a kind of lip at the rim of your pool, providing a neat seam between the pool shell and the surrounding paving. Although we can’t deny that pool coping is a great opportunity to add a little decorative accent to your pool, its main function is to prevent water from getting behind the pool shell and to direct splashed water away from the pool and into deck drains or onto grass. As an added bonus, coping doubles as a great handle to grip onto in the pool before executing the perfect backflip! It also provides a non-slip surface on which to walk around the pool.

What Is Pool Coping Made From?

Pool coping is usually mounted on the bond beam, concealing the steel projecting from the pool’s walls and covering its concrete edges. It usually comes in one of three shapes:

• Square Edge
• Rebated Square Edge
• Single Bullnose

Common materials for pool coping include natural stone, precast concrete and poured concrete, among others. Natural stone Natural stone or brick coping is visually warm, with a pleasing strength and texture. Preferred materials include quarried granite, limestone and natural fieldstone, all of which combine beauty with durability. When working with natural stone, it is very important to make sure you have consistent coping thickness. Precast concrete Precast concrete pool coping comes in a wide variety of colours, textures and patterns. It is often significantly cheaper than natural stone, and is easier to install. Poured concrete Poured concrete incorporates the coping right over the edge of the pool so that there is no break in the finish on the horizontal plane. If you only have a small area around the pool, this method can make it look much bigger.

Pool Coping For Vinyl Pools

Although vinyl pools aren’t very common in South Africa, and are usually situated above ground, they are sometimes used in-ground, which makes coping necessary. There are three main types of pool coping for vinyl pools:

• Cantilever edge – formed foam is secured to the top of the pool wall before a concrete deck is poured right up to the foam. This creates a deck that comes right up and over the edge of the pool.
• Top mount – this is the most common kind of coping for in-ground vinyl pools. It is also sometimes called half-round, or C-channel coping. It’s made from heavy, powder-coated aluminium, and serves as the form against which the pool deck can be poured.
• Flat mount - this is actually a track to contain the pool liner. Traditional stone coping is then mounted on top.

If you’re building a pool for your family to enjoy this summer, and you feel as though you might need some advice to help you, well, cope, come and chat to the cool pool dudes at Pool, Spa and Filtration Supplies.

The main purpose of owning a swimming pool is for its entertainment value, but along with the enjoyable aspects of a pool, comes the somewhat tedious and far too regular task of keeping it in ship shape with crystal clean water because green will never be the new blue! While many of us may feel perfectly capable of performing the basics of a swimming pool service on our own, let’s face facts - it is a time consuming and energy sapping chore and wouldn’t you much rather spend your weekends relaxing in the cool waters, than using up that precious time repairing or cleaning your pool?

Swimming Pool Service

Taking the plunge and entrusting the care of your swimming pool service to the experts is, in the long run, not necessarily much more expensive than taking care of the maintenance yourself. In fact, it can often save you money because you are not constantly fiddling with stuff you may know very little about. A swimming pool service is generally carried out on a weekly basis, with crucial maintenance aspects being reviewed and performed every six months or so. Weekly visits from your ‘pool man’ will ensure that your swimming pool is always sparkling and ready for all to enjoy at any time with no fussing about and forward planning. All the chemicals, chemical balancing, swimming pool cleaning and pool repairs can be taken care of, without you having to even give it a second thought. The price of a swimming pool service contract is generally based on the size of your pool and the services you require, so don’t panic - there is sure to be a service package for you, should you still find some mad enjoyment in vacuuming your own pool, yet lose the plot when attending to its chemical balance. Do yourself a favour and explore the wonders of using a swimming pool service because you also deserve to be able to relax on your time off. Pool Spa has friendly staff who can advise you on how to best undertake consistent swimming pool maintenance to keep your swimming pool sparkling. Chat with one of our experts today. Visit us at www.poolspa.co.za