What is the best type of filter for my in-ground pool?

www.rickrobinsonhomes.com

What is the best type of filter for my in-ground pool?

That's a loaded question, first let me say that every pool pro will give you a different answer based on their experience and customer base.

Climate also plays a role in which filter type is best for your area.

In the warm states Diatomaceous Earth filters (D.E.) is mined and is the fossilized exoskeletons of tiny diatoms, are probably the best since high humidity and high temperatures can easily turn a pool green and the DE filters will keep these pools the cleanest, you have a grid system within the tank itself and you add DE powder through the skimmer and this DE powder coats the grids and the dirt and debris get stuck to the DE and the clean water passes through the grid and goes back to the pool as clean water.

Next in line is the Cartridge filters these have a greater surface area than sand allowing for fewer clogs and easier maintenance. They run at lower pressure than sand which puts less backpressure on the pump, providing more flow and turnover. Cartridge filters should be cleaned once or twice a season by simply hosing the cartridge element off. These filters have a pleated paper filter inside the tank that the water passes through to trap the dirt in the pleats, the clean water goes back to the pool through the center of the pleated filter.

The last filter grade is Sand filters, these use a sand base and finger laterals on the bottom of the sand the water enters on the top of the sand bed and as the water flows down through the sand debris get trapped in the sand bed and clean water enterers the laterals on the bottom of the tank and then get pushed back to the pool as clean water.

All filters clean the water via a media ( D.E., Sand, Cartridge) the grading of the media is determined by how small a micron of debris the media will capture. Sand filters will capture as little as 20 microns, cartridge filters will capture as small as 10-15 microns and D.E. filters will capture as small as 2-5 microns. The smaller the number of microns captured the cleaner the water will be so as you can see D.E. filters are the best ones out there today.

Unlike Cartridge filters that you can hose off to remove the debris, DE and Sand filters must be backwashed, this is where you run water backwards through the filter to blow off the debris and allow it to exit the filter via the backwash line. Both of these filter types have a Multi-Port valve on them to allow you to backwash the tank.

So I guess the answer to the original question is this...Which ever filter will work better than the one you are struggling with now, LOL my vote is for the D.E. filters.

Until Next Time...

I have a spa but no power. Now what do I do?

www.rickrobinsonhomes.com

Have spa but no power?  

Not to worry... most spas are very well insulated and can retain their heat fairly well for up to 2 weeks.

Not all spas are the same, some of your older spas or smaller ones may not have  full foam insulation within it.

 This could be an issue for you, if this true for your spa go out and get some household insulation and stuff this inside the spa cabinet like you would inside your attic this will give you a barrier from the extreme cold nights.

The biggest mistake people make when they have a spa and the power goes out is to drain it this is NOT a good idea.

If the spa was running and was heated to around 100 degrees just before the power went out then it will take a while for the spa water to cool down on it's own (up to two weeks), but if you drain the spa of water, that safeguard you may have had is gone. 

Now the surface of the spa will get cold and then transfer that coolness to the under side of the spa and the plumbing lines. Then the spa lines can FREEZE and crack. Now this doesn't mean that if you drained your spa it will automatically freeze. The outside temp needs to be below 40 degrees for several days for this to possibly happen. I have seen spas with ice inside them defrost in the spring and run fine with no issues.

Now getting back to my original statement LOL...

Most spas are fully insulated and as long as you do not keep going out there and lifting the cover up to check on it every hour  "you know who I am talking to" the water temp will remain high and you should be fine. I have seen a spa with a temp of 99 degrees when the customer lost power for 2 weeks and when the lights came back on the water temp was only down to 68 degrees.

Once the power comes back on you want to go out to the spa and be sure that the spa has power as well, if not check the breakers.

Run the pumps to be sure all is good then note the temperature on the topside display set it to 100 degrees and monitor it every hour to see that it will go back up to temperature without any problems. If you have made it this far you are golden check the spa chemicals to be sure that it has a good balanced level before going back into it.

I hope everyone is OK and has power back.

Until Next Time...

How Important is Calcium Hardness?

Rick the Spa Guy

Just How Important is Calcium Hardness? 

First lets discuss what this product is and how it pertains to water. 


Calcium is a naturally occurring mineral that is frequently found in high concentrations:  such water is called "hard" water.  Calcium hardness chemistry is one of the important pool water parameters and its control is important, to help assure proper water quality and help avoid certain pool water problems.  The preferred ranges, in swimming pools, are 80-150 PPM in a vinyl pool and 150-200 PPM in a masonry finish pool.

  Low levels of pool water calcium hardness (soft water) can lead to the problems of corrosive water conditions.  Chemicals are available to raise the calcium hardness, as might be necessary.  High pool water calcium hardness levels, especially above 400 PPM, can lead to possible pool water clarity problems and scaling conditions. 

Chlorine products containing calcium hypochlorite raise the hardness level, each time the product is added. 

   Various chelating or sequestering Mineral Treating Products are available to help deal with the problems associated with high calcium hardness levels.   Pool water calcium levels can be determined by a simple water analysis.  This is especially important with well water, as other problematic minerals might be present and could require treatment. 


Now all this being said your water needs to have a proper level of Calcium, if not the water will try to draw the calcium from other items in the plumbing such as pump seals, in a pool it will draw it out from the concrete walls or vinyl liner and all these things will cause damage to the pool or spa.


Over abundance of calcium will cause cloudy water and scale deposits which feel like grit on the walls of the pool or spa. To lowel calcium levels you can add fresh water or use a metal sequestering agent, if you need to raise the level add Calcium Hardness Increaser.


Proper levels in a pool are stated above for a spa keep the level at 200-250 ppm (parts per million) By following this you will have nice balanced water as long as your PH and Alkalinity levels are good all will be well.


I hope this better helps you maintain your water, or at least understand why you are doing all this.


Until Next Time...