MAY is Water Safety Month in the United States so I wanted to share a few “Best Practices” with you here in Costa Rica. I hope you take these safety tips with you no matter where your pool(s) are located. Contact Costa Rica Pools in Quepos 2777-1700 or in Jaco 2643-3227 for any safety item you want, we import items every month and we have several vendors we work with in the U.S. so there is a good chance we can find what you are looking for. We fulfill special orders/requests all the time.
If you’re having water trouble and can’t figure it out, here are a few extraordinary things you might check:
Don’t assume tap water is good water for a pool. The typical hardness in tap water is as high as 1000 ppm — 700 ppm above the high end of the maximum concentration.
The circulation time required to keep a pool clean and clear is normally 10 hours a day. This varies due to bather load, water temperature, wind, rain, sunlight and pool chemistry itself.
Some pool chemicals actually contain minerals that can add to a calcium problem.
There’s been plenty of talk and about removing phosphates from pool water. In truth, phosphates do not consume chlorine and do not combine with chlorine. Rather, Phosphates promote the growth of algae (the green, slippery stuff in a pool) which then consumes all the chlorine as the chlorine tries to destroy the algae. The net result is that you can be left with less than the desirable amount of chlorine in your pool.
In a salt chlorinated pool, UV light will speed up the conversion of chlorine back to salt. A chlorine stabilizer (sort of like sun block) will dramatically slow down this conversion keeping more chlorine available for a longer time. Without this proper protection, the life span of the chlorine is greatly reduced.
Remember: Clear water doesn’t mean good water, but good water will be clear.
Minerals and other substances find their way into every pool. Iron, calcium and copper exist naturally in source water, and can be prevalent in well water. While other materials can stain plaster and vinyl just as easily – sources include organic matter such as leaves, and excessive oxidizer – dissolved minerals remain one of the most common staining culprits. In an ideal world, pools would never suffer from stains because their perfect water balance would hold metals in solution all the time. In reality, though, pH and alkalinity can drift and calcium levels can climb, leading minerals to fall out of solution, or precipitate, and stain. The key is maintaining a good chemical balance to avoid the ups and downs, but sometimes change is impossible to avoid. To combat this problem, try to keep your chemicals balanced at all times but in between our service calls, change can occur.
The following is a list of minerals and the color of their stain:
Calcium – usually white crystals adhering to the pool plaster.
Cobalt – fiberglass shells – red, blue, gray and black.
Copper – Blue, green, black, teal and dark red.
Iron – Dark red, brown, black, gray and green.
Manganese – Pink, red and black.
Many of these stains can be removed with acid washing the pool plaster or stained area. Success really depends on how deep the stain goes, as acid washing removes a small amount of plaster, grout or cement.
Think of the pool filter as your liver….it filters all the bad elements out. When you don’t have the correct size (undersized) or choose the wrong type you will always have issues keeping your pool clean. Sand filters are good and are by far the most commonly used type of filter here in Costa Rica but there are better filters available here in Costa Rica. There are three types of pool filters, sand, cartridge and D.E. (which stands for Diatomaceous Earth).
A major part of having a saltwater pool is generating your own chlorine with salt. Traditional chlorine pool owners buy, handle and store their own chlorine. Manual chlorine usage (putting it in the pool yourself) often causes a larger work load and the need to work with your pool every day.
I have been asked by several people over the years….What is the best way to put chlorine into my pool? Well if you have ever wondered what the best ways are to add chlorine to your pool here are a few tips….
Pool Filter should run at least 8 to 10 hours per day ideally you want all the pool water to run through the filter at least one time per day. Set your pool timer or remember to run the pool manually if you don’t have a timer. It is best to run the system during the daylight hours (instead of night) but always run it when people are using the pool.
So you have a swimming pool but you think it is too much work to maintain. Pools once balanced can be very easy to take care of if you have the right set up and equipment. There are many factors that can affect your pool water and make it unhealthy and unattractive to swim in. Some are, allowing your water to become unbalanced, large bather loads, heavy rains, extremely long hot dry spells, trees dropping debris into your pool, poor inadequate filtration and incorrect pump size.
Adequate filtration is essential. The water passes through the filter, is cleaned and returns to the pool. The correct size of pump and filter is critical. The sand in the filter (if applicable) will need to be changed every 2 years although this time period may vary depending on the factors affecting your pool. Please contact Costa Rica Pools if you are unsure as we will also be able to assist with this process.
Circulation
Water moves through your swimming pool, distributing chemicals in the water. The aim flow(s) should be aimed 30-45 degrees down. This will give you better chemical distribution and the water flow will not affect the performance of the pool cleaner.
Do you want your grout to last years longer? Then you need to keep your calcium hardness levels between 200ppm-400ppm. Most people are unaware that a pool water needs calcium and will seek its own level if you do not add this chemical.
Total hardness in the context of pool water refers to the total mineral content of the water. This is made up of calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and other elements. These elements are present in the water used to fill the pool, and the levels can increase through the use of regular pool chemicals (e.g. chlorine composed of calciumhypochlorite).
Think of the pool filter as your liver….it filters all the bad elements out. When you don’t have the correct size (undersized) or choose the wrong type you will always have issues keeping your pool clean. Sand filters are good and are by far the most commonly used type of filter here in Costa Rica but there are better filters available here in Costa Rica. There are three types of pool filters, sand, cartridge and D.E. (which stands for Diatomaceous Earth).
There is a lot of talk about saving money on your pool with the new high-efficiency variable speed pool pumps. One manufacture, Jandy says their new VS Flo Pro pump can “reduce energy use up to 90%”. Single speed pumps generally end up using more energy than variable speed pumps so the money conscious tend to choose the latter. A good working pool pump not only can save you money but also can ensure the water you swim in is clean and clear.
Cloudy water can be caused by a number of factors. It can be a symptom of inadequate filtration, pH imbalance, or inadequate chlorine levels. The cure depends on the cause. Inadequate filtration from failure to run the filter long enough, insufficient or inconsistent backwashing, or a dirty/ worn filter are the first potential causes to consider. If filtration is not the problem, pH is the next likely cause. pH is the one of the most important aspect of pool maintenance. When pH rises above 7.6, calcium precipitates out of the water in the form of scale or suspended particles that can cloud the water. Although not the same as pH, proper total alkalinity does help stabilize pH. If your total alkalinity is too low, the pH level will be very sensitive and may suffer drastic swings. A high alkalinity level, in addition to contributing to cloudy water and scaling, can keep your pH rigidly fixed.
Tiles, whether ceramic tiles or natural stone or glass tiles, should not fall off. There are all-tiled pools that go back over 100 years and they are still performing well today. Tile when installed correctly is a great pool or spa tile that not only looks great and prestigious, but should last the life of the pool.
Chances are when the tile was installed it was not installed per industry standards and it has several compounding defects. Generally speaking when there is a problem it is not due to one single factor, but due to compounding defects. Keep in mind that most installers do not learn their trade from a college or trade school, but rather learn on the job, so quite often they are not familiar with industry standards or the complexity of high risk applications such as swimming pools and spas that needs to be properly waterproofed. We have repaired hundreds of swimming pools with improper installation. The most common thing we find is that the previous installer did not use the proper thin-set to attach the tile and/or tried to use a grout not designed for under water application, we have even seen where they used either the thin-set or a homemade concrete mix as a grout. When they cut corners to save money it is a sure way to have a failure or problem in a very short time. Another issue we see with tile falling off is the improper water chemistry. Your pool water must maintain calcium hardness levels of 200-400 PPM to stop the water from being corrosive and attacking the new grout and any metals including your equipment. We offer free water test to see how your calcium levels are in your pool and we can repair any pool problems you may have.
Information provide by: Costa Rica Pools & Construction-located in Quepos-2777-1700 (across the street from the futball field next to Sansa) and in Uvita-2743-8200 (in the Dome Plaza across from Bridgestone), costaricapools@hotmail.com
Swimming pools are fun for everyone but you need to be aware of entrapment dangers! Avoid Entrapment!
Always Follow These Important Rules
Never play or swim near drains or suction fittings. If a cover is not compliant, or is loose or broken, your body or hair may be trapped causing permanent injury or drowning.
Never enter a pool or spa that has a loose, broken, or missing suction fitting or drain cover.
Immediately notify the pool/spa owner or operator if you find a loose, broken, or missing drain cover. In such a case the pool or spa should be closed and an industry professional should make the necessary repair or replacement.
By Glen Bain