ABSOLUTE POOL & SPA SERVICES

A Huge Resource of Pool and Spa Information, Products & Services
100% Satisfaction Guarantee or we Work for Free

NEW# 604 464-SPAS (7727) Please make use of our voicemail service if reached.
  www.AbsolutePoolSpa.info  

British Columbia Arms

Pool FAQ's

Home ] Service & Repairs ] Hot Tub Covers ] Products ] Chemistry Resource ] Lots & Lots of FAQ's! ] Tips-Must Read ] Manufacturer Links ] Contact Us ]

Member of Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC - Our NEW Phone # 604-464-7727 effective Sept 2/03 - Mention you saw us on the web.

 

Home
Up

Pages available under the page your currently at, are below.

Up

General Categories Available below

Home
Up
Service & Repairs
Hot Tub Covers
Products
Chemistry Resource
Tips-Must Read
Manufacturer Links
Contact Us

FAQ Pools

  1. Determining Water Volume For a Pool
  2. What is the best way to Winterize
  3. What is better Vinyl or Gunite pool?
  4. Best Automatic Vacuum?
  5. What about safety alarms for pools?
  6. I have ozone and a solar system.
  7. Winter was bad and the pool is frozen
 

Q. How do I measure how many gallons of water my pool has?.

A. Rectangle- length (ft) X width (ft) X average depth (ft) X 7.5 = Capacity in US gallons.
A. Oval- length (ft) X width (ft) X average depth (ft) X 5.9 = Capacity in US gallons.
A. Round length (ft) X width (ft) X average depth (ft) X 5.9 = Capacity in US gallons.
A. Free Form Pool Approximate the capacity by using or combining the above formulas.
To convert to liters multiply US gallons by 3.8

 


 

Pool Winterizing Checklist

"Note of Warning:" These are only guidelines to prevent you from overlooking something if you are completely shutting your pool down for the winter. There are many different ways to winterize a pool. This is a complete shut down for colder climates to prevent damage from freezing and or power failure during freezing temperatures and eliminates chemical maintenance during off season, and may not be the best way for your situation.

* Vacuum pool thoroughly.
* Balance all chemical and shock treat.
* Add Algaecide.
* Backwash filter 3-5 times longer than usual (about 10-20 min.)
* Drain pool several inches below the “skimmer” and “return jets”.
* Drain and blow all pipes of residual water, and add non-toxic antifreeze if you are concerned that some water may still be present in the system.
* Cap off inlets and outlets to prevent water from re-entering.
* Set filter to winter position if applicable and remove or loosen drain plug.
* If it is a cartridge filter then remove cartridge, clean and store. Drain all water from the filter canister.
* Remove drain plugs from heater and grease them to prevent corrosion, reinstall after all water removed from system.
* Remove or disconnect the pipes to and from the heater. If you are unable to drain heater lines completely, fill pipes with non-toxic antifreeze solution.
* Optional-Turn off pilot light and gas valves...keeping pilot on can reduce or increase condensation in heater depending on location, climate and relative humidity.
* Disconnect and drain pressure switch inside of the heater.
* Drain pump completely of water and store indoors if possible to prevent bearings from seizing due to possible condensation damage.
* Double check all the sources that may contain or allow water into locations where freezing can cause damage. (like water taps or dips in pipe where water can accumulate)
* Place a winter cover on the pool and siphon off the water that accumulates on top of cover periodically. Winter leaf covers are best in my opinion.
* Fill a 2 lt. plastic pop bottle with enough sand or gravel so it just barely floats, place it in the skimmer, after skimmer has been drained and plumbing sealed.
* Store all chemicals in a cool dry place away from excessive heat or cold.

Disclosure: We will not be responsible for any damage to your pool, equipment or other related material if you winterize your pool based on this check list. This is only a guide to help you.


 

Q. We have both a pool and a spa. Wondering what your opinion of the best automatic pool cleaner on the market is. I've heard the Kreepy Krauly and Barracuda are the top 2.

A. The Barracuda works with less suction power than the Kreepy otherwise there is no significant difference. The two are the most popular systems for vinyl pools, Not ideal for concrete as they can promote concrete pitting and rough surfaces. If it is an above ground pool there is a less expensive model just for aboveground pools.

 


 

Q. Would you please offer your opinion on what type pool is best? Vinyl or Gunite.
We have spoken to salesman for both types and of course, they say there's is the best. I would appreciate your opinion. Thank you for your time.

A. There are many factors to consider. Concrete and vinyl are both good vessels for a pool. Concrete needs to be acid washed and repainted on occasion and vinyl will need replacement liners both being equally expensive. Of course frequency depends on how well you maintain your pool and its related chemistry. Vinyl is smoother and prevents skin abrasions while concrete offers a wider flexibility of shape and form (more customized to your taste). You will need to continue researching this in depth to make the right choice for you. I recommend contacting some local pool maintenance people that do not sell pools but work with them every day. Get their opinion for the area and climate your in. They can often tell you which is easier to maintain and what the ratios of each are in your area.

 


 

Q. What about safety alarms for pools?

A. Great backup protection to your existing fences and gate. There are many different alarms available that range in price from $50 to $500 or more. The problem with the cheap ones is the false alarms are constant on windy days etc... The more expensive ones come with calibration adjustment to control sensitivity and also provide a remote alarm so you can place a speaker in the house for audibility and some even come with additional sensors for doors and gates leading to the pool so if there opened by a child or intruder the alarm will sound. In other words don't cheap out too much.

 


 

Q. I have a 2 speed pump, solar panels and ozone. Would running the pump on low speed whenever it's not pumping through the solar panels gain me anything (ozone) other than a higher electric bill (i.e.. the pump would be on 24 hrs day)?

A. Absolutely. keep the pump on as much as possible and make sure the ozone is installed down line from the solar panels, as ozone will deteriorate rubber quickly. Ozone doesn't last long in water and If you want the best from your ozone keep it injecting, I would.

 


 

Q. We have a tough winter in the UK at the moment and my 1500 gallon pool is frozen over. Do you have any recommendations.

A. You may want to pray that no damage is done by the frozen water. How did you winterize the pool? or did you keep it running in the winter. Also you may try to go around and break the ice around the edges. Did you read my winterization procedure in my FAQ pools?

 


The material contained here in these web pages is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not necessarily replace the counsel and advice of a professional service technician. Consulting your local Dealer/Technician is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any technical or chemical problem. We will not be responsible for any damage or problems that occur from information acquired from these web pages. It is here for your information only.


 

We are providing a discussion group where customers can post articles about problems they encounter, or tips and tricks that other users might want to know about.

Below is a potentially much larger discussion group that I moderate. If you subscribe you will receive e-mails to your answers from myself as well as others, and (if you like) of discussions that take place in this forum. Anything that gets posted there is emailed to me and all responses will be e-mailed back to you in addition to being posted for all to see. It also supports live chat with me when I am on-line along with many other features and 1000's of other subject sites. Take a look. Anonymity is ok for now (no login required) until it gets abused with spam then I may require user logins to keep it clean and secure.

Subscribe to" answers_about_pools_spas"
Powered by ca.groups.yahoo.com

" answers_about_pools_spas "
Discussion group- help support it, get the answers you are looking for, and help others at the same time.

 

 

Please, please give us your impressions and comments about us or our site. (Click here)

Home ] Up ] Next ]

Satisfaction Guarantee ]

Just some of the suppliers and product lines we work with.

 

  Unicel Filter Cartridges Ideal Pool Logo

Currently working on rebuilding this site completely, to make easier to navigate and repair broken links.
Copyright © 2000,2001,2002,2003, 2004, 2005,2006 thru 2011 
Last modified: March 14, 2012

British Columbia Arms  Based in Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada.

All prices on this site are in CND dollars.