Henderson Pool Service

Description
The fastest and most effective robotic cleaner in its class, the Prowler™ 710 features true “plug and play” convenience. It operates totally independently of pool’s circulation system to cover and clean any dimension, form, or shape of inground pool up to 50 feet in length. A Jet Drive propulsion system with a single, powerful motor drives the cleaner and enables total pool cleaning from floor to water line in one hour or less.

Recreonics offers the best insulating swimming pool blanket in the industry at reduced pricing. Available in two grades of material and with or without a weighted edge for outdoor applications. Each pool cover features a full 1/8″ of polyethylene foam insulation which is carefully laminated to a tough woven, high density, ultra-violet stabilized polyethylene substrate coated, polyethylene film. All material is sewn together using a two-needle, lock-stitch which virtually eliminates unraveling of material. Priced per square foot, these blankets are custom made to fit you pool and require the completion of a pool sizing questionnaire for fabrication.

Swimming pool safety covers protect against unauthorized or accidental pool intrusion. Mesh safety covers have double-reinforced heavy-duty stitching, stainless steel tension springs and polypropylene 2-ply webbing with a minimum break-strength of 2,200 pounds. These pool covers can withstand over 250 lb. per square foot. Automatic, lock-type anchors become flush with deck when the pool cover is removed and pop-up with a half-turn for cover reconnection. Stainless steel lock-springs snap over anchors and require a special installation tool for removal. The poly mesh allows snow and ice to melt through leaving debris on top of the cover to be swept away, reducing maintenance and easing spring clean-up. Over 30 standard covers are available as well as custom sizing. Stock sizes are available with center end step.

Most pool really don’t need a whole lot of chemicals to keep the water nice and clean. Over doing it with chlorine can make swimming in your pool not very fun. Everyone will get out with bright red eyes and really sticky skin dry skin.

If you are doing the chemicals yourself, make sure you have a kit that measures what you need to add to your pool and then add half of what it says and do it again the next day. Most of the time that will be enough to bring the chemicals to the right spot, and if it didn’t then you just add a little more. If you put in what it says and then measure the next day and woops, there is too much in. It’s not like you can just take some out. Then you have to either wait it out and swim in a chlorine bath, or add water. If you add water then you are working against your heating efforts.

So just make sure you don’t put in too much.

Henderson Pool Service

To save yourself time and money make sure you don’t plant a bunch a trees and shrubs that are going to lose their leaves in your pool. The leaves will fall in and clog your filters making it unable to clean the dirt off the bottom. Now you have leaves and dirt in your pool. If you insist on having landscaping like that you should get a cover for your pool that you can just sweep off.

Having a cover will also keep your pool a few degrees warmer. Cutting down on your electricity or maximizing your solar heating efforts.

In the end this will save you time and money!

Maintaining a pool is a major hygiene requirement that you must not take lightly. Read on to get some general tips on how to go about cleaning and maintaining your swimming pool. The level of maintenance needs to be matched with the level of the pool usage. However, as the usage of a swimming pool is not really something that you can accurately predict the maintenance should be on a regular basis. You must essentially begin by testing the swimming pool water in the evening. At the same time it ids important to check the water prior to adding any kind of chemicals to the water in the swimming pool. Once you have finished this testing you must also carry out a test of the water in the morning. This should be done before any person uses the pool. In this manner you will know for sure that the quality of the water is good for the day?s activities. A 7.5 measure of PH level is probably the best as that is known to be the ideal PH level for water of a swimming pool.

Another thing to look out for is poor water quality. By and large the water in a swimming pool must be clear and blue. If it is not completely blue and clear water then it should be a cause for concern and you must take a complete check of the water. It will be possible that there is algae growth giving rise to certain cloudiness of the water. Another important factor in pool maintenance is paying attention to the weather. Various weather conditions can have serious effects on the quality of your pool water and correspondingly on its level of hygiene. Presence of strong sun is responsible for reduction in chlorine levels in the pool water. Also the rainy season could bring about the onset of parasites in the pool. What you can do is check the water at the point of return flow of water to the swimming pool. It is important to check and add any chemicals in order to make sure that there occurs an effective mixing of the chemicals with the filtered water. Apart from the water itself it is essential that there is a regular cleaning of pool surfaces to avoid build up of grime or pollutants. The paving slabs that surround the pool also need regular cleaning.

Follow these basic instructions and be sure to enjoy every single dip you take in our pool without any worries on your mind.

Henderson Pool Service 

Make sure you release the pressure out of the filters before you clean them. Most filters will release the pressure when you turn the system off, but always make sure the pressure is out. There should be a nob on the top of you filter casing with a pressure gauge on it. Loosen it to release the pressure and the continue to unscrew your filter casing.

Doing this will insure that you lid doesn’t fly of and cause any injury. Also, you won’t get a bunch of water in your face.

Henderson Pool Service

In its elemental state, chlorine exists as a gas. Gas is available for swimming pool sanitation; is very cheap, and is the purest form of chlorine, with no binders or carriers. The % of available chlorine is 100%. It is also extremely dangerous and restricted in its use. It is rare to find a pool using gas as it’s sanitizer, and those that do are usually very old, very large public pools that have (we hope) enacted strict safety procedures. Gas is very acidic, with a pH close to muriatic acid, so these pools using it add a lot of base to counteract this.

Liquid chlorine is another type which is created by bubbling the chlorine gas through a solution of caustic soda. The yellow liquid (stronger, but chemically identical to bleach) has 10-15% available chlorine, and has a pH on the other end of the scale at 13. Liquid Chlorine is called Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) and because it is already in solution, sodium hypo produces hypochlorous acid instantly when it contacts water. The liquid can be poured directly into the pool, but it is recommended to use a diaphragm or peristaltic pump. The use of liquid chlorine is more dominant in larger commercial pools which have it delivered into 55 gallon vats. For most residential pools, its lower cost seems to be outweighed by its difficulty in use and the amount of acid required to counteract its pH of 13. Use care when handling as this chemical is corrosive to just about everything.

Trichlor is a tablet form of chlorine, and is short for Trichloro-s-triazinetrione, a stabilized form of chlorine that has achieved a great amount of use in the last ten years. “Stabilized” means that it has cyanuric acid pressed into the tablet. Cyanuric, also called stabilizer or conditioner, is like sunscreen for the chlorine molecule; an extender, if you will. Trichlor is created by combining the salts of cyanuric acid and chlorine gas into a tablet or stick, and is 90% available chlorine. The pH is somewhat low at 3, so the pH in your pool may gravitate downward. This form is slow dissolving, and so it works well in floaters or in-line erosion feeders. Using tablets in the skimmer is not recommended, because of the corrosive nature of the chemical contacting metal pipes and equipment. This becomes more of a problem when the filter pump is operated on a timer. It has been known to strip out the copper inside of a heater. (An effective, yet expensive means of controlling algae). Tablets should also not be thrown directly into the pool, they can stain and etch plaster and bleach and deteriorate vinyl.

Another member of the chlorinated iso-cyanurate family is Dichlor, short for Sodium Dichloro -s-triazinetrione. Dichlor is made in roughly the same manner as trichlor, however the product is much different. The pH is a very acceptable 7, and it is manufactured in the form of granules, so it dissolves rapidly and goes right to work on contaminants. Dichlor has less chlorine, pound per pound at only 62% available chlorine. Because it contains cyanuric acid, it lasts longer than other unstabilized forms of granular chlorine. It can be used as a shock treatment oxidizer, or for normal sanitation. Dichlor’s main drawback is it’s cost per pound of available chlorine. It is perhaps the most expensive form of chlorine available.

There are two other types of granular chlorine on the market - the hypochlorites. Lithium Hypochlorite, like dichlor, is a very expensive product. At only 35% available, it takes almost 3 lbs of lithium to equal one lb of trichlor and its pH of 11 will require additions of an acid to adjust the pool water. It’s main advantages are that it is calcium free, and so it won’t contribute to hardness levels; it’s dust free and non-flammable. It dissolves extremely quickly, before it hits the floor, so its use is safe in vinyl liner pools. Lithium can be used for either shock treating or for regular chlorination.

Calcium Hypochlorite is commonly available in is granular form, but can also be purchased in tablet form. Cal Hypo is a commonly used shock treatment throughout the country. Although not stabilized with cyanuric acid, it has a quick kill rate against algae and chloramines, and has 65% available chlorine per lb. Some other granular forms of chlorine are more powder like, and thus dissolve more rapidly than the larger granules of cal hypo. It’s a good idea to pre dissolve cal hypo into a bucket of water prior to adding it to a pool. It’s popularity is due mainly to its availability and low price, despite a high pH value of nearly 12, and the calcium binders used which contribute to higher hardness levels. Cal hypo is more dangerous and unstable than other forms in that it is very dusty and becomes contaminated easily by foreign substances which can cause combustion. Mix only with water, don’t breathe the dust, and keep the lid tightly secure and clean.

Henderson Pool Service

If your pool has turned green and you want it back to swimming conditions we can take care of that for you. We will come out and see exactly what we need to do and give you a price quote free of charge. Our green pool service usually only takes a couple days to counteract and get your pool back to swimming conditions.

Most of the time we can accomplish this without having to acid wash your pool. We simply clean it and get the chemicals to the right spot. Sometimes is there is too much algae we will acid wash it. So if your pool has turned green, give us a call!

Henderson Pool Service

Also called a drain & clean, an acid wash becomes necessary if the pool has turned into the “black lagoon”. This may occur if the winterizing process is not done properly, or if the pool has been stagnant for a period of time so that algae has taken over. If you notice scaly, man-phibian creatures splashing around out back, it’s probably time to drain & clean.

Our general rule of thumb for determining the need for an acid wash is: if you can see the bottom of the pool (the floor) then you can bring it back with chemicals, labor and filtering. If the floor is not visible, the cost of the chemicals and labor will generally be greater than the acid wash charge, and take much, much longer. Also, extensive algae blooms will stain plastered pools, making an acid wash desirable.

An acid wash is, put simply, purposeful stripping of a tiny layer of plaster, exposing fresh plaster beneath. Therefore, it is ill-advised to make it an annual custom, which will accelerate the need for replastering. Most plaster coats (sometimes called whitecoat or marcite) are in excess of 1/2″, so a few careful acid washes should not hurt. Pools can also be bleach washed, pressure washed or treated with citric acid.

You may also decide on an acid wash not because of swamp conditions, but just to bring out a brighter, whiter finish. Mineral stains and/or deposits, chlorine stains, even dirt stains…an acid wash is always a dramatic aesthetic improvement.

If your pool has had years of algae blooms, and if your pool seems to grow algae overnight or just bloom very easily….changing the water and acid washing the surfaces algae sticks to can give you an algae free summer.

Acid is a dangerous substance. Pool company personnel are specially trained in its application and wear protective clothing and breathing apparatus during the acid wash. To protect our environment, the acid/water waste should be neutralized with soda ash prior to its being pumped to a safe location.

If you decide to drain and clean your own pool, make sure that the hydrostatic relief plugs are pulled as soon as possible, and that the water is pumped to a distant location, or into a storm drain. You may also need to check with local water authorities for waste water discharge regulations.

As you drain the pool, wash it down (scrub if necessary) to remove all algae and leaves. Bag up all leaves and debris in the pool’s bottom. When the pool is clean and empty, you can begin to acid wash the plaster. Put on protective clothing and rubber boots, goggles and wear a breathing mask designed for acid fumes.

Add 1 gallon acid to 1 gallon water in a flower watering can (Always add acid to water, never the other way around). Wet down the wall with a hose. Keep the hose(s) running at all times, without a nozzle on it. Pour the acid/water mixture down the wall, from top to bottom, one 10 foot section at a time. Do not allow the acid to sit on the plaster for very long. Usually 30 seconds is long enough. Use an acid brush to scrub the surfaces and move the acid around. Rinse quickly and thoroughly. Make sure acid is rinsed completely, as it will continue to etch the plaster. Also try to prevent the acid from wearing a channel path from shallow end to deep end. This can create a worn stripe on the floor.

If the 50/50 mixture isn’t strong enough, you can increase the acid strength or the hang time (before rinsing), or scrub harder. Usually pools are acid washed twice with the same strength mixture. Remember that you don’t want to damage or “burn” the plaster.

After the acid wash, the bottom of the pool will be filled with a foamy, acid puddle. This needs to be neutralized before pumping out. Use 2 lbs of soda ash per 1 gallon of acid used. Broadcast the ash over the puddle while stirring with a pool brush on a pole. Use a small submersible pump with a hose to pump out the remaining acid water. Be careful where you pump it to. Even if properly neutralized, it may destroy plants or kill fish, frogs, etc. Rinse the bowl again, and repour the bowl of the deep end to clean up well around the drain, being careful not to burn the plaster too much.

Don’t rush the job and be safe. The fumes can be very strong. And very dangerous. Be sure to wear a respirator that will block muriatic acid fumes, goggles or safety glasses and protective clothing. Wear old shoes, or rubber boots. Spray off before exiting the pool. Transporting the acid from the store to the house can be hazardous also. Secure the load in the vehicle. Always have a second person nearby when acid washing the pool. If acid drops enter the mouth or eye, rinse with the hose for 15 mins, without a nozzle on it. Acid on the skin won’t usually burn too much, just rinse quickly, for 30 seconds.

It is advised that you pay a service company to perform this for you.

If your pool is vinyl lined, acid is not used. Detergents, conditioners and good ‘ol elbow grease will remove the “slime”. The liner must then be “reset” with a vacuum to ensure proper fit during filling. Liner pools are normally not drained completely if it can be helped. There can be problems getting the liner to reset properly, and there is the rare danger of the walls collapsing.

Complete drain & clean charges average $600. Higher costs may be seen for large amounts of debris in the pool, excessive neglect, or larger sized pools. Lower costs will be realized for clean or empty pools, or localized acid washings. If your water is from a well, you may elect to refill the pool with trucked - in water. Expect to pay $150.00 per 5,000 gallons. If you refill from the hose; water costs are a few dollars per thousand gallons. Contact your water authority to let them know you are filling the pool and they may not charge you for the sewer, only the water portion of the bill.

Henderson Pool Service