So as we sit here we are surrounded with rain, we’re asking the same question as everyone else . Will summer ever come around? But knowing how this Great British weather changes so quickly it’s getting very close to the time when all private swimming pool owners are starting to think of firing up the boiler again. So we have git together a list to help prepare your pool for the summer months…… Vacuuming & brushing pool thoroughly.

….. Run filter for 3 days and nights before backwashing. Backwash filter.
….. Check Water Balance & adjust as required.
….. Shock dose with Chlorine (mixed in water)
….. Add Algae Killer.
….. Add Sunscreen (only when water is cleaned & balanced). If using Trichlor tablets use only ½ the amount.
….. Run filter – average 8 hours daily. Turn the water over twice in a day.
….. Add Algae Killer fortnightly – depending on pool usage.

How to prepare pool if water is green:
….. Lower pH to 6.5
….. Shock dose with Chlorine: 20,000 litres – 600 grams
30,000 litres – 1kg
40,000 litres – 1.5kg
50,000 litres – 2kg
….. Filter continuously, backwashing every 12 hours for 2 to 3 minutes.
….. Top up with clean water if needed.
….. When Pool is clear check & adjust pH & Alkalinity.
….. Then follow usual steps from ‘Add Master Algae Killer ‘, as above.

Over the summer months we strongly recommend for domestic pools, to check the pH levels weekly. Total Alkalinity monthly and Calcium hardness once every eight weeks. Obviously the more your pool is used the more frequent the checks should be.

So at long last the sun has come out and you’re all thinking how soon it will be before getting in the pool again! Ok, so we’re still in February but March is almost here now and then we’ll be wondering if it’s about time we had another heatwave! We have some great deals on Chlorine in our on line shop. Don’t forget if you happen to be anywhere near Warwick you can always call in collect your pool chemicals instead.

We are currently working on our new site for our sister company Pool Care Leisure Limited. For those that haven’t heard of us we cover the entire UK. We offer service and maintenance for  pools and spas across both the corporate and private sector throughout most of the country. We currently have over 1,000 clients so whether it be a routine call out or an emergency we can help. Our contact details can be found at www.poolcareleisure.com

This is a very short blog post that highlights a few savings to be made on the running costs of your swimming pool.

1 Cover - Reduces the loss of water due to evaporation by up to 65%.

2. LED lighting – You’ll save around 90% of electricity by swapping to LED lights

3. Pool Vacuum cleaner. – You’ll save at least 15 – 20% on water consumption in the filter cleaning process

4. Dual Speed Pump – Reduces noise levels by up to 75% and costs half the price of a single price pump to run. Night time filtering means you can use economy 7 / 8.

5. Install a Hydrospin pre-filter – This reduces water consumption in the filter system cleaning process by as much as 50%

Over the last year we’ve had more and more interest in swimming machines. For those of you with no idea what we’re talking about if you think of a swimming pool and a bath tub and its something in between! They can be installed anywhere from a  roof top to a garage! Our operations manager went and tried one out a few months ago and was truly amazed by the results. Its not such a well known secret that he likes to compete in world class Triathlons on his days off and so is quite used to Olympic sized swimming pools so we weren’t convinced that he’d come back with a favorable response. However, he absolutely loved the experience and would whole heartedly recommend an endless pool to anyone.

With an Endless Pool It’s a great way to keep fit in the winter months. Best of all it’s a fraction of the cost to run an endless pool compared with a full swimming pool. Our sister company Poolcare Leisure, offers a full fitting service. The range of Endless pools can be found in our on line shop. Prices start at around £10,000 + fitting. Feel free to drop us a line with any questions you may have.

It’s a simple enough task that anyone with a Swimming pool knows about. You need to put chlorine in your pool. But what is the difference between buying any old cheap chlorine and a premium product like Bayrol Multilong. Well good question but Chlorine isn’t actually just chlorine. Stabalised Chlorine is made up of other chemicals too. There’s a technical explanation below but putting neat chlorine in a pool is never a good idea. If you are at all unsure as to maintaining your pool it is always a good idea to get a professional in. Our sister company (Poolcare Leisure Ltd) offer on site training for both commercial and private companies. We’re also always happy to give advice by email or phone.

What is Chlorine the chemical?

Chlorine is an important chemical for swimming pools especially water purification.

As a disinfectant, Chlorine in pools and Spas is more than 3 x more effective than Bromine.  In swimming pool and Spas, Chlorine is used in the form of Sodium Hypochlorite which is a combination of Chlorine and Sodium Hydroxide (Chlorinated Isocyanuric in solid form).

Other forms of Chlorine used in swimming pools and Spas are sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione known as “dichlor” which is not stabilised for outdoor use and trichlor-s-triazinetrone or “trichlor” which is stabilised because of its cyanuric acid content.

When dosed into swimming pools and Spas Chlorine atoms hydrolyze from the rest of the molecules forming hypochlorous acid (HOCI) which acts as a biocide, killing germs, bacteria micro organisms and algae.

For swimming pools and spas, pH is best kept between 7.2-7.4 to encourage the Chlorine to work most effectively.

Multilong : – You can buy this product in our shop here

the complete, long-term treatment

Swimming pool owners are constantly searching for improved convenience and simplicity when using water treatment products.

MULTILONG from BAYROL perfectly meets these expectations.

Benefit N0 1

A complete treatment In one fell swoop, the Multilong cartridge ensures:

1. continuous disinfection, thanks to the slow dissolving chlorine

2. instant disinfection, thanks to the fast-dissolving chlorine

3. algae inhibition, thanks to a highly efficient non-foaming algaecide

4. continuous water clarification, thanks to the slow dissolving flocculant

Benefit N° 2

Long-lasting – Multilong lasts twice as long as conventional products: one cartridge will provide 2 weeks’ treatment for a 50 m3 pool. You can really enjoy your pool during this time, without having to worry about treatment.

Benefit N° 3

Ease of use

Multilong is available in the form of a pre-metered cartridge for a 50 m3 pool, which is placed directly in the skimmer basket.

You no longer need to buy and to dose 4 different products. All you have to do is adjust the pH and place the Multilong cartridge in the skimmer, with the pump running. In one fell swoop you have aplied the correct doses of the components that are essential for treating your pool.

Benefit N° 4

An opening that can be set to adjust the rate of consumption

Thanks to the adjustable opening of the Multilong cartridge, you can adjust the quantity of chlorine to be released and hence, chlorine consumption in relation to the capacity of your pool and its frequency of use. You can reduce the opening if, for example, you are going to be away for a couple of days or if you are going on holiday

Benefit N° 5

You can control your budget with Multilong

1 cartridge ensures the treatment of a pool with a capacity of up to 50 m3 for 2 weeks.

1 box contains 4 cartridges, in other words 8 weeks’ treatment for 50 m3

The new hardness stabilizer works effectively against calcium carbonate precipitations.

With Multilong, you have all that is needed for the complete treatment of your pool (obviously except for the pH correction).

Recommendations for using Multilong

- Multilong can be used with sand and cartridge filters. If cartridge filters are used, more frequent back washing may be necessary. Do not use Multilong with diatomic earth filters as this could lead to clogging.

- Direct contact with chlorine can bleach painted surfaces and liners, as well as lead to their deterioration. Always place the Multilong cartridge directly into the skimmer basket.

- During hot weather or when the pool is used a lot,

increased quantities of chlorine may be needed to maintain the correct level of chlorine concentration.

- In cases of cloudy or green water, we recommend that, once the pH has been checked and controlled, an additional dose of quick-dissolving chlorine (Chlorifix or Chloriklar) should be added  together with an algaecide

(Desalgine)

Method of use

- Adjust and maintain the pH between 7.0 and 7.4.

- Place the cartridge in the skimmer basket (run the circulation pump for at least 6 hours after inserting the cartridge). The cartridge must be completely submerged and the metering slots sufficiently open to maintain a continuous chlorine content of 0.5 to 1 mg/l in the pool.

A complete, simple and effective form of water treatment! In order to check the water parameters, which ensure bathing comfort and the optimum use of treatment products, BAYROL recommends to use QuickTest strips.

Very easy to use, they enable easy and accurate reading of measurements.

QuickTest

The QuickTest strips allow you to carry out a quick and accurate analysis of the pH as well as the concentration of chlorine and total alcalinity (TAC).

All you have to do is fully dip the strip in the water for 1 second and remove it. Hold test strip horizontally with the pads on the top for 15 seconds, compare the colour obtained against the colours printed on the tube. It is accurate, simple and quick!

Even greater efficiency with the Filterclean Silver. Because an efficient filtration system spares you a lot of worry, we would like to offer our Filterclean Silver,a disinfecting medium, which acts at the core of the filter for several years.

In fact, experts agree on the fact that numerous problems are caused by the filter. Research has shown

that roughly one filter of three is contaminated with bacteria. This leads to inadequate water quality and a drop in disinfecting performance, right down to 20%.

To overcome this problem at source, the BAYROL R&D department has developed Filterclean Silver. This is a new type of filtration medium, which prevents the growth of germs and bacteria by acting in those areas where the disinfectant hardly ever reaches – at the core of the filter. Thanks to this filtration medium (BAYROL patented) you can now remain sure about the hygiene of your filter and about the optimum disinfection of your pool.

So like it or not, the winter is upon us again and its time to winterise our outdoor swimming pools. Swimming pool manufacturers recommend keeping outdoor pools filled during the winter. This protects the swimming pool better against damage from outside weather influences, objects falling in, the pressure of the surrounding earth and any “floating” of the pool when the groundwater level is high in spring.

Preparing outdoor pools in winter

Swimming pool manufacturers recommend keeping outdoor pools filled during the winter. The advantages: keeping the pool filled with water counteracts the pressure of slipping earth (pressing in the sides of the pool) or any “floating” of the pool when the groundwater level is high in spring. A filled pool is also less exposed to the effects of the weather, and cannot be damaged by any objects falling into it.

Adding a product such as Desalgine, for the duration of the winter, also has an additional advantage: this will prevent lime deposits or algae growth from the very start and this will in turn make the spring cleaning much easier and involve less effort.

Reccomended products :  Long life Algicide

Note the following for winter:

1. Set pH (7.0 – 7.4)

2. Keep the circulation running when you do a chlorine shock,

so that existing impurities do not “hibernate”

3. When the pool is out of use, ensure the water level is below the ducts

4. Spread the proper dosage of Puripool over the whole pool

5. Empty outside pipes

6. Place an ice buffer to compensate for ice pressure in the pool

A bit more indepth

Now add a special winterizing product that will ensure your swimming pool is will protected from algae during the coming winter months. 

Once you have added everything required you will need to leave your pump running for a good 12 hours. This will make sure the chlorine and winterizing product is completely distributed throughout the water.

To get the water level in the swimming pool correct you should switch off your skimmer valve and let the water drain until it is 6″ below the skimmer’s bottom. This will prevent flooding due to rainwater.

Prepare your summer cover for storage by giving it a good clean with either a pressure washer or some fresh clean water. Once it is thoroughly cleaned it can be put away and your winter cover taken out of storage.

Before fitting the winter cover place something in the pool to prevent wall damage if the water in your swimming pool freezes. Anything that will absorb the expansion will do such as some empty chemical containers half filled with water. When you fit the winter cover, make sure it is tight to prevent anything from getting underneath.

Make sure children know the swimming pool is now closed and off limits to visitors. A pool cover is designed to keep leaves, dirt etc. out of the water. It is not designed to take the weight of a person or even a pet. If you do have mall children their are products now available that are winter/safety covers. After a few days you will probably have to tighten the cover again so keep an eye on it for the first few days. You should then check your cover a couple of times a week throughout winter to ensure it is still secure and tight.

With the cover securely in place you should now drain the water from your filter, pump and heater. You will find a drain plug at the bottom of each. If you don’t do this, when the water freezes inside the equipment it will most likely damage them beyond repair.

Once early spring arrives and the worst of the weather is over, you should run your pump for a good 6 to 10 hours, depending on the size of your pool, to circulate the chlorine and long life algicide throughout the entire swimming pool.

We recommend that at least  once a week, the swimming pool water needs to be tested for correct levels of pool chemicals. This is most conveniently done after backwashing  the filter. A balanced pool should only need to have the pH and chlorine levels checked on a regular basis, the other chemical values being measured less frequently.

A good pool test kit is a must – preferably one that uses tablets rather than liquid drops. Expired tablets/ test liquids  should be disposed of as they
often give inaccurate readings, resulting in you putting chemicals not required  into your swimming pools. Always keep the test kit in a cool
dry place.

When testing the pool water,  wash your test kit thoroughly before filling them with water from at least 20-30 cm below the surface of the
swimming pool. When have completed  the pool test, never empty the test solution back into the swimming pool.

Weekly pool water testing : 

pH

Chlorine

If there are no obvious problems in your swimming pool, the following tests need to be carried out once every 3 months or so but preferably every month. They are either undertaken by our sister company poolcareleisure.com, or they can be done at many specialist pool shops if you take them a pool water sample (in a clean glass jar!).

Monthly pool water testing :

If the water in your area is free from any metals and your swimming pool shows none of the symptoms of iron or copper presence, the test for these metals is unnecessary.
If, however, you notice staining on the walls and floor of the swimming pool, you should have the levels of these metals checked.

Welcome to the Poolcare Blog.  Forgive us for having a rather empty blog but we all have to start somewhere. Over the coming months we aim to get lots of articles that you will find interesting. Whether it be if you’re just starting out with a pool or spa and wondering what chemicals to use or whether you’re an experienced engineer. We very much welcome guest blogs so please contact us if you have something to say…