As summer rolls along and the heavy rain season continues throughout SW Florida, we often get calls from people who claim that their current service person cannot solve problems involving their water quality or clarity.  Many also report that they have noticed sudden staining of their finish or “discoloration”, that they have never noticed before.

Low Total Alkalinity

The results of a low TA may be one or more of the following:

• etching of the  plaster, marbelite, marcite or tile grouting;
• corrosion of metal parts (pool heater,etc.)
• staining of the pool’s surfaces (from corroded pool heater?)
• green water (copper particles in suspension)
• burning eyes and itchy skin
• pH bounce (rapid fluctuations in pH)

Raising low total alkalinity

Sodium bicarbonate (bicarb) will raise the TA without excessively raising the  pH.  Care should be taken to increase the TA over a period of time,  especially if it has dropped to zero.  Note: Reactions will occur if the Alkalinity is not tested regularly and adjusted too drastically.   That’s why we strongly recommend that, if your Total Alkalinity and PH have dropped to extremely low levels, consult a professional and have your water tested on-site, before adding any bicarb yourself.  It could make your staining even worse.

High Total Alkalinity

The results of high TA may be one or more of the following:

• pH keeps going up
• cloudy water
• burning eyes and itchy skin;
• reduced chlorine efficiency resulting in stubborn algae growth.

Lowering high total alkalinity

Regular  small “acid shocks” with muriatic acid will reduce the pH while lowering the  TA. This can be an extremely slow process and it may take weeks or  longer to reduce high TA. One suggested method:

• shut the pool down and keep the pump off if you decide you need to add multiple gallons of acid.
• keep the pump off until you reach your desired TA level.
• this will allow you to avoid running the acidic (aggressive water) through any pool equipment that may be sensitive to low PH

If the pH is close to normal, and you TA is only 20-30 PPM above ideal range, use small amounts and re-test after 48 hours.  You can always add a little more, but you can’t take it out, once you have poured it in.

This pool had a major case of “The Blues”  covered in oxidized copper from low PH and Alkalinity that had eaten up the copper inside the heater

Tis the season to have algae.  Spring (April-June) is the most common time to have algae problems in your pool in Southwest Florida, for a few different reasons.  Many homeowners  or “do it yourself” pool operators make the mistake of using the wrong chemicals and/or the wrong methods of fighting algae in their pool, because they fail to identify the true source of the problem.   In many cases, the algae will still survive an initial shock or even pop-up, almost out of nowhere, in a perfectly balanced pool and the operator will say……Why is this happening?

In most cases, they will be dealing with three different types of algae, and each of these require a different course of action.

1.  Yellow Algae (mustard)

This is probably the most common type of algae problem that homeowners face in Southwest Florida.  We do not recommend using any liquid algaecides.  A pure “yellow treatment” is sufficient (containing sodium bromide).  There are many algaecides that will kill yellow algae but most do not remove the source of the algae from the water, which is typically a large amount of organic waste or contaminants.  The most common culprit is a high phosphate level.  Phosphate is often the byproduct of organic materials or other elements that eventually get broken down by the sanitizer in the pool and become a new compound.  Most cartridge filters will not remove this invisible contaminate from the water without help.  We recommend treating the pool with a phosphate remover .   Always test for phosphates before assuming that this is the source of your yellow algae (with a phosphate test kit).  Other reasons that you might be having trouble keeping the yellow away might be high total alkalinity or high cyanuric acid/chlorine stabilizer.  The latter can be a result of using too many trichlor tablets or other “stabilized” chemicals.  It will saturate the water an “lock-out” the sanitizer, keeping it from breaking down the algae spores.

How do I prevent high phosphate? Take a good look around your pool area.  Any potted plants on the lanai or near the pool will almost always lead to high phosphate levels, eventually.  Also, make sure that your overflow or auto-fill is not in a place where dirt and run-off can backwash into your pool, during heavy rain or watering.  Plant life and soil can poison your pool if not monitored and maintained properly.  Finally, many phosphate problems come from the swimmers themselves.  Lotions, soaps and hair products will almost always be broken down into phosphates.

Rinse off before you dive in for the first time!!!!!

2.  Green Algae

Green algae usually occurs from an extended period of poor chemistry, usually due to either a large amount of fresh water being introduced to the pool, or a period of no maintenance or care.  Most green algae does not require any fancy chemicals, just proper PH balance and a thorough “shock”, followed by en extended period of filtration (24-48 hours) and one or more filter cleanings.  A relatively “fresh” filter will speed up the clearing process (a new cartridge or internal cleaning, for D.E. filters).  It often helps to use cellulose fiber to aid the clearing process, but this is only necessary in extreme cases, where you cannot see the bottom.

We can perform all of these tasks for you, and we also sell and deliver the products used.  It is usually worth it to pay the additional labor for us to perform the treatment, although it is not required.  Contact us for prices and help identifying any of these problems.

3.   Black algae (mold spots)

Test for high phosphate contamination (explained above) and it if it high, treat that first. Some good old elbow grease (with a wire brush) and some time in the pool will take care of an isolated spot or two, provided that the water quality is right. Vacuum the mold and clean it from the filter immediately, once it is removed.

If it is too late, and your pool is covered in spots, we recommend using at least 2 pounds (per 10,000 gallons) of an algae destroyer. This is also known as granulated tri-chlor. Make sure to follow the directions on the container. It should sit, undisturbed, on the bottom for at least 24 hours.

We can perform all of these tasks for you, and we also sell and deliver the products used. It is usually worth it to pay the additional labor for us to perform the treatment, although it is not required. Contact us for prices and help identifying any of these problems.

40 hour process from start to finish.  Installed new cartridge filter.

We have tested this pool cleaner extensively, and feel it is the best value for the dollar!!!  It also offers much more than any “suction driven” pool cleaner at this price level.

This is the best pool cleaner if you are a do it yourself pool owner!!!!

What are the advantages?

• a robotic cleaner does not rely on the filter pump and flow to operate, it runs independently.  so the pool cleaner can run through the night, even when your pool pump is not in operation.
• this also means less wear and tear on your equipment.  empty the debris and dirt at the pool cleaner itself, not the equipment
• less “hang-ups” and problems handling larger debris and foreign objects

 Only $449.00.  Which includes free delivery and a demonstration up to one hour!!!!  We want you to understand how to use it properly and take advantage of what it can do!!!

Over the past 10-15 years, cartridge filters have become much more common in SW Florida.  Most agree that the operating cost of a cartridge filter is much less than a Diatomaceous earth or even a sand filter, since it eliminates wasted water (from backwashing) and chemical costs (from having to re-charge).  It also has become the better alternative from an environmental standpoint for these reasons.

One of the most common oversights in maintaining a swimming pool with a cartridge filter is failure to replace the cartridge or element when it is necessary to do so.  Most manufacturers will tell you to replace it after 10-12 cleaning cycles.  Normally, the cleaning cycle will vary anywhere from one month to 2 months, depending on the bather load of the pool and what has been found to be necessary by the user, given other environmental factors.  To put it simply, the more dirt and body oils you run through your filter, the more often it needs to be cleaned AND changed out.

As a rule, we normally track the lifespan of each of our customers’ filter cartridge, and after roughly two years, we automatically replace them.  In other cases, we replace it sooner; when wear and tear has made even more frequent replacement necessary.  

But how do you know?

1.  Know your filter’s “starting pressure.”  This is the minimum pressure you will be able to achieve on your filter pressure gauge.  This can vary considerably from pool to pool, because it is affected by so many variables, for example: pump horsepower, plumbing size and layout, etc.  Make a note of the PSI right after you have placed a new cartridge in the filter.  Or another way of determining your starting pressure is to take the cartridge out of the filter and see what the PSI reads with nothing inside.   If you are still getting more than 5 PSI above your starting pressure, even after you have cleaned the cartridge, you need to replace it.
2. Automatically replacing the filter after the given period of time (suggested above) assures that the material inside, which degrades over time, will be in adequate shape to filter the water.  Your filter might be missing a good deal of particles that it otherwise would remove from the water if it was new.