Pool & Hot Tub Maintenance and FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many tablets should I be adding to my pool each week?
It all depends on the size of pool. For your average in-ground pool, you should be going through about 3-4 tablets per week.  

What percentage should I be running my salt cell?
The percentage should be about 40%-60%. The main reason for this is to prolong the life of the salt cell; the lower the percentage you run it on, the longer the cell will last. If needed during warm spells or times of heavy usage, don’t be afraid to use the boost button to produce more sanitizer. 

When do I add an algicide vs. clarifier? Does my water need to be balanced for these to work?
First, the water definitely does need to be balanced for these products to work. In fact, unbalanced water actually reduces the effectiveness of these products. As far as Algicide vs. Clarifier, If your pool is green you will need an algicide to kill the Algae bloom that is in the water, if your pool is cloudy make sure you have sufficient chlorine in the water. If your chlorine levels are good but the water is still cloudy, it’s time to bring in the clarifier. 

Why do I need to balance my pool?
Balancing is an extremely important step in ensuring that your pool is going to stay clear, as well as a great way to protect your investment. The main areas that we are looking at during water testing is your sanitizer levels (chlorine, bromine etc…), cyanuric acid, pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, and heavy metals. The sanitizer levels and cyanuric acid levels make it safe for people to get into the water, it will kill harmful bacteria and algae’s. We want to adjust the pH and Alkalinity to match the levels found on skin so we can prevent rashes. We also look at hardness and heavy metal levels to protect your investment by preventing premature failure of equipment. 

How do you contact our water care experts?
You can call our pool stores and speak with our water care experts directly!
Clifton Park: 518-954-2211
Amsterdam: 518-954-2229
Pool Service: 518-954-2255

Who should be bringing the water sample in?
The person that is going to be adding water care products to the pool should really be the one bringing the water in to our stores to be tested. The main reason for this is to avoid any miscommunication in the instructions of how to add product to the pool. Most processes are fairly straight forward and we provide instructions and stickers on each bag, but there are certain processes that are more in depth and require products to be added with precise timing apart from one another. 

Why is my pool green?
There could be a number of different reasons why your pool is green, but the most common is lack of chlorine over an extended period of time that has allowed algae to grow. The best way to treat a green pool is to make sure your water is balanced (pH, Alkalinity, Hardness) and be sure that your chlorine is holding in the recommended range (between 2-4PPM). If you’ve already done this, the next step would be adding an algaecide to help kill the algae. 

How do I get rid of stains on my liner?
Ridding your pool of liner stains is a simple three step process.
First we have to pull the metals off of the liner by using a product called Starin Free. By pouring stain free into the pool it will lift all of the metals off of the liner and suspend them in the water.
Next we’ll  pour a product called Good-Bye Metals in the water; this is going to protect those metals so that they can’t attach back to the liner.
The final step is going to be adding a product in the skimmer called CULater to help extract the metals out of the water.
It is very important to note that for the first 7 days of treatment that the chlorine levels must remain below 1PPM. If the chlorine levels raise above 1PPM within the first 7 days it can cause the metals to fall out of suspension and attaching back to the liner. For this reason we typically suggest waiting until spring or fall to treat for stains so it is easier to maintain lower chlorine levels.  

Where should my water level be?
Your water level should be right in the middle on the skimmer. This will allow for the best flow and best suction. 

What is a salt water pool?
A salt water pool is a pool that has an automatic sanitization system on it. There is a system plumbed right in line that as the water passes through the salt cell it is creating chlorine. This makes it much easier to maintain adequate chlorine levels. 

What is my filter? What is my pump? What is my salt cell? Let’s break down the parts so we are all talking about the same thing
Filter: The filter is what purifies and cleans the pool by picking up debris in the water to make sure that it stays clear
Pump: The pump is was makes the water circulate through the pool and  forces it into the filter so that it can be cleaned.
Salt Cell: The filter is what produces your sanitizer to help keep your pool, making it safe to swim in.
Diverter Valve: A diverter valve is used to allow you to control the flow of water.   

Is an automatic vacuum really worth it?
Automatic vacuums have made pool maintenance so much easier. Instead of lugging out your vacuum hose, connecting all the parts together to vacuum, filling the hose with water, and taking up to an hour of your time to clean, all you have to do is plug the vacuum into an outlet, throw it in the pool, and walk away.