Pacific Pool Care

We are a pool service and repair company in Galt, CA serving Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. To schedule an appointment, or to get a quote please call:

(888) 774-2169

Ok, call it a rant, or maybe even a lecture, but one thing is certain: Dogs are bad for your pool.

Besides the fact that they leave hair behind, which gets into everything by the way, they also carrie with them a bunch of dirt, feces, and the like. There have been studies that show dogs leave as much dirt in the water as 30 people. Yikes! What happens with all this dirt? Well, first the chlorine burns up trying to “digest” it, which means there is little to no chlorine left to actually keep the water safe. Then the remains get deposited into your filter, which in turn requires more frequent cleaning.

The dog hair issue can be a problem as well. The hair gets trapped in the skimmer, the pool sweep, the pool sweep filter, the pump strainer basket, and the pool filtration system. All of that hair can really cause the circulation of your pool to decrease, which can then promote algae growth.

So, I know your dog LOVES the pool. And taking an occasional dip is probably ok, but allowing your dog to swim in the pool frequently can not only cause problems with your equipment, but can also create health concerns for the human inhabitants.

We have recently begun using a product called Extreme Clean for a water clarifier, which may end up replacing our current clarifier product called Sea-Klear.

According to the product information provided by the manufacturer Extreme Clean provides the following benefits:

 

1. Removes Phosphates
2. Removes Metals
3. Removes Colors
4. Removes Colloids (Particles < Micron)
5. Turbidity
6. Solids
7. Suspended Organic Matter

The price of this clarifier about 40% more than the other products on the market, but if it can reduce phosphates and metals like they say, it will end up being worth it just to not have to use three seperate products (clarifier, phosphate remover, sequestering agent).

The product is applied by adding 2oz per 10,000 gallons of water. The powder is very light, and may have problems under high wind conditions. It is even lighter than sodium bicarb. It would be nice if they would add a granual formula, a stick, or a concentrated liquid formula to their product line to ease the application.

I initially tried this product on my own pool. I noticed the very next day that the water was extremely clear, and the bottom of my A/G pool, which normally has small amounts of brown sediment on the bottom, was almost totally clear of debris. I would attribute this to the fact that Extreme Clean is a suspended product, and keeps particles afloat. After 1 day of pool sweeping the bottom was almost crystal clear.

This product will create an increase in your filter pressure, which is the by-product of stripping all the small particles out of your pool. They have to go somewhere right?

Well, the results are in:

Extreme Clean is not a product we can recommend.

It seems that the product will plug up the filters to a point that circulation is affected. It can take months if ever for the filters to come back to life.

 

steve 

 

Over the years we have seen many pools that appear to be nearly new but contain a hidden secret. The surface is clean, the pump is operating properly, even the deck is in good shape. Underneath all of that are sometimes hundreds of feet of coper and/or PVC piping. This is where a lot of problems start.

A pool is designed to be a completely sealed vessel of water. The water balance depends on that. When even the smallest leaks appear below or above ground, the balance can be difficult to maintain. Generally the first sign of a water leak is when you notice your are having to fill your pool up frequently, even during the coldest months of the year when evaporation is at its lowest level. To complicate things even further you may have an automatic water level device which slowly replaces the water as needed without any intervention. Many homeowners may never know there is a leak.

Leaks in the pool will cause a number of chemical problems, but the first thing you will notice is an inability to maintain proper sanitizer levels. Most pools can go a week between sanitizer application, some even two or three weeks depending on the weather. If you are having to re-apply sanitizer more than once per week, you may have a leakage issue.

Another water parameter that is greatly affected by a leak is the alkalinity level. You will notice the TA (total alkalinity) will be un-balanced even after balancing it perfectly a few days prior. The fresh water being added to the pool constantly will cause the pool to gradually match the TA of the fresh water. In most areas of the country, the TA of fresh water is below that which pool owners want. This means adding Alkalinity Up chemicals.

Over time, this small leak in your pool can cost you a lot of money. And your pool service person may end up charging you extra for them due to the extreme cost of maintaining a leaking pool.

There are a couple of ways to try and repair a leak. There are liquid "fix a leak" type chemicals that can be applied directly to your pool in hopes that it will contain the leak. The liquids work well with pressure side leaks that are less than 1/8" large. Your other option is to hire a leak detection service which will come out and use specialize equipment to try andlocate the leak. At that point you would normally dig the leaking section out and replace it.

So if you notice your are having to add a lot of water to your pool do not just assume it is from evaporation, it could be from a leak.

Cyanuric Acid (CYA), also known as "conditioner" or "stabilizer" is found in most chlorine products. It provides a type of "protective coating" for the chlorine to keep the sun from destroying the chlorine before it has a chance at doing its job. A good range is 30-50ppm.

Any product that contains Di-chlor or Tri-chlor contains CYA, which includes chlorine tablets, chlorine shock powder, and chlorine granules.

If your pool ever has a water replacement, you will more than likely need to add CYA back into your water.

 Your pool technician regularly checks for CYA, and if your levels are low, you will be notified.

 

If you have not done so already, now is the time to open-up your pool. During the winter, your pool and filter system build up with contaminants, sediment, and algae spores. Opening up your pool the right way is very important to the quality of your pool during the summer months. When we open your pool, we take care of everything for you. Give us a call….. 888.774.2169