Common Mistakes That Swimming Pool Owners Make
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As a pool owner there is much to learn about and take in - which is why new pool owners are often very overwhelmed at first. While there is much to learn, there is
also much that has been learned on your behalf so that you don't need to redesign the wheel of pool care yourself. Some of the subjects below are hard lessons
that pool owners tend to learn - maybe by reading these you can hope to avoid some of these pitfalls!
Be Sure To Balance Your Pool & Cover It For The Winter
Check. What next, boss?
Inspect The Pool For Damage & Make Repairs As Needed
"I just want to get one more season out of it"
When your pool needs repairs, or when major integral components have reached the end of their service life, you need to attend to these items. Not having a budget set
aside for pool repairs simply does not matter to the pool. If there is any deficiency in the pool you can count on that something much more expensive is sustaining
damage while you save your pennies for a much needed pool repair. If you had a Bentley worth $100,000 would you ignore worn out brake components and drive it anyway
until you can afford brakes? No, certainly not. If you did you would end up paying far more in repairs than what you would have if you just attended to the problem
in a timely fashion...is any of this getting through? Hello, anybody home? Think McFly...think!
Stop Wasting Money On Energy Hog Pool Pumps
Speaking of back to the future why not update that Super Pump from 1987? If your pool pump requires a direct strike from lightning in order to energize the start
capacitor you need to get the flux back to the future and buy a variable speed pump. If you enjoy such pastimes as "not pissing your money away" - and also "making poor
financial choices in light of overwhelming scientific data" is one of your turn-offs, then you too might also enjoy the vast cost saving
benefits that a variable speed pump can provide.
If you want to learn more about how a variable speed pool pump will cost between $4000
to $5000 less than a single speed pump you should read this article: 9 Items that every pool needs (maybe 8, because one is an
alligator) and also these variable speed pool pumps reviews. If you want proof of the numbers then read this article that breaks down exactly how much money you will save over a seven year service life based on a real-world operation schedule and actual electrical rates from across the USA (and Canada): How much money variable speed pumps save.
Be Careful Around The Pool At All Times
We can't all repel water like Chuck Norris, or walk on water like our Lord and Savior, Chuck Norris, so you should take great care around your swimming pool at all
times. Pool parties, like your bad self, are fabulous...but drinking around the pool can lead to all sorts of disasters so limit drinking and swimming activities and
never bring glass into your pool. Even around the edge of the pool glass is a liability because if you break one good luck finding it all in your pool. Oh wait,
there's a piece right there next to that growing cloud of bloody water!
In addition to having only plastic cups at your pool party and limiting drunk antics in the pool, you might want to throw some shock into the water at the end of the
night. A pool party is going to introduce a crap-ton (2.5 stank-loads) of bacteria and organic debris into the pool, and substantially more if you are freaky. Give
the pool a strong dose of non-chlorine shock, chlorine, or turn up your salt water generation cell to 100% (super chlorinate) for the night to cook those baddies right
out of the water! By shutting down the bacteria before it has a chance to overcome your free chlorine count and multiply in the water you can save yourself from
waking up to green pool water.
Learn How To Balance Your Pool Water
If you don't know how to properly balance the water in your pool it is going to end up costing you a lot of time, money, headaches and frustration. The reality is
that you do not need to be a science geek to learn how to balance pool water - you just need a few basic tools to help get the job done correctly. The first and
foremost of these is a high quality water test kit
Be Careful About Who You Take Pool Advice From
Don't listen to your neighbor Lawrence. Lawrence is an idiot. Everyone has an opinion when it comes to swimming pools and how to care for and maintain them. As a
pool owner, and ultimately the person responsible for paying the bills when something goes wrong, you need to be very selective about who you take your swimming pool
advice from. Mixing and matching bits of pool care tips from multiple sources is a sure way to find yourself having long term pool problems. It is important to take the
time to find sources that you trust for learning how to care for your pool and learn to ignore ignorant, however well meaning, advice from Lawrence. If you would
prefer an online resource as opposed to finding a pool store that you can work with in person, you can use the Swimming Pool Steve Pool
Resources or another popular online resource for DIY pool owners is the Trouble Free Pool Forums
You Get What You Pay For In The Pool Industry
In the pool industry, more so than many other industries, you will get what you pay for. This is true for both swimming pool equipment as well as swimming pool
workers. Since there is very little government regulation, licensing, inspections or perquisite qualifications in order to call yourself a pool builder in most areas
in Canada and the U.S. this means that pool owners need to be careful about what (or who) they spend their money on. If you bought the cheapest new car on the market,
at least it would still meet minimum safety, efficiency and quality standards established by a government regulatory commission.
If you buy the cheapest pool on the market there is literally no bounds as to how crappy and backwards your pool can end up being. If your pool
builder can not spell quality or define longevity maybe you should consider some of the more expensive bids. Any person can give you a bid to work on your pool,
whether they actually have the ability to do a good job or not, and you will have no way of knowing until it is too late. Ask for references and proof of licensing,
liability insurance and previous projects similar to what you are hiring for. A legitimate company can provide that information to you almost instantly where someone
less skilled or experienced will have trouble producing these additional references.
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool specialist from Ontario Canada and one of the most trusted voices in the swimming pool industry. With over 20,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the Pleatco Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print. Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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www.PoolPartsToGo.com
New Black + Decker variable speed pumps are available online from www.PoolPartsToGo.com and they are a drop in replacement for many popular pump models including Pentair Superflo and Hayward Super Pumps. With an adjustable platform base, union connections included and a very strong warranty these pumps offer an impressive value to pool owners.
- Swimming Pool Steve
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When it comes to ordering pool and spa supplies online in Canada www.PoolSuppliesCanada.ca is by far the best option. They carry everything from chemicals to replacement pumps to entire pool kits, with free shipping options and more "in stock" items than any other Canadian online retailer.
- Swimming Pool Steve