Ask the Pool Guy / Top Ten Seasonal Tips

Ask the Pool Guy

Our website has a new feature where you can submit any question and get a personalized reply emailed back to you.  Feel free to use it for any question about pools, spas, or backyard living and you will get a quick response based on 50+ years of backyard aquatic experience.  You can access it by clicking here.  I will try to post a common question and answer monthly, but here are some past examples:

Q.: How do you calculate the water volume on an irregularly shaped pool?
A.: Divide the pool into smaller rectangles.  Take the average length, average width, and the average depth and multiply them together.  Multiply that number by 7.5.  Add each smaller pool together and it will give you a close approximation of the number of gallons in the pool.

Q.: The water level in our spa drops when the pool turns off for the night.  Where is the water going?
A.: Most likely the water in the spa is simply draining into the pool.  If it stops right about the same level as the pool you probably have a bad check valve(s).  The check valve is designed to hold the water in the spa and keep gravity from pulling it into the pool.  If the spa drains past the pool level, you may have a leak.

Top 10 Fall Pool Tips

1. Run your pump for 1 hour a day for each 10 degrees the high air temp will be – ex. High of 60F, run the pump for 6 hours a day.
2. Run your pump during times you are normally home, so you can empty the skimmer baskets if they are full.
3. Don’t let leaves sit on the surface of the pool longer than one day – this will reduce your chance of stains
4. If you plan on traveling when the leaves are really falling – covering the pool may be the best option.
5. Make sure your automatic cleaner is working before you really need it – we do free checkups if you bring your cleaner into our store.
6. If you don’t have an automatic cleaner, get a Leaf Master – they make getting the leaves off of the bottom of the pool very easy.
7. If you have a heater, use it at least once a month.  Insects and rodents like to make heaters a home.
8. During the first freeze, check to see if your equipment comes on with the freeze guard.
9. Watch the water level in the pool.  Evaporation is usually heaviest during the fall due to temperature changes and wind.  You can lose up to 1/2″ a day due to evaporation.
10. Test your water often – increased debris in the pool eats up your sanitizer.  Weekly checks can save you from dealing with an algae bloom.