The Deep End Pool Podcast

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Frank and Jacque discuss issues with maintaining a pool biweekly and review the five basics of pool maintenance in response to a listener question.

The Deep End Pool Podcast focuses on residential pool maintenance and may not cover commercial pool requirements. Please consult the CDC and your local authorities and code requirements for commercial pool maintenance.

Email us questions and show suggestions at [email protected]. visit our home

page thedeependpoolpodcast.com

Our sponsors for the 2024 podcast season. poolwerx.com. jandy.com. bluerayxl.com cyclonefiltertools.com. ipssa.com allsafepool.com clearcomfort.com poolmagazine.com

00:00 Water temperatures are climbing quickly; algae is growing

07:40 Listener question: BL from Georgia asked, “My first year of having a pool. We just bought the house, and the pool is 3 years old. 3 kids, 3 to 8 years old. Our budget is tighter than expected due to the cost of everything else going up and having to replace a 5-year-old car unexpectedly. I travel a lot and have some spare time, and I wonder if I can manage the pool by doing testing and cleaning every other week.

11:10 Pool maintenance is difficult every other week in the harsh environment of the South. Any effort to save money will be for naught if you have to fight algae repeatedly and issues that come with inadequate pool maintenance. Inconsistent water chemistry alone can easily result in extra costs exceeding any savings hoped for by doing pool maintenance yourself.

15:00 You need to perform the 5 basics of pool maintenance: brushing, removing debris, filtration, circulation, and water chemistry.

21:00 Brushing is critical to controlling algae. Due to the physics of fluids, water movement right next to a surface is much slower than in the water away from the wall. Some algae develop a biofilm to protect themselves. Plaster and other pool surfaces have pits and crevices, fittings extending into the pool around returns, and skimmers create safe havens for algae. Brushing helps remove that biofilm and dramatically helps

your pool chemicals do their job. It removes the algae off the wall and gets it into the body of the water, where the pool chemistry and sanitizers will be better. Brushing also helps remove debris, minerals, and organics off the surface, which can help reduce staining and scaling. You should also make sure you brush inside your skimmer throats.

26:27 It is essential to remove debris and dirt from the pool. Dirt and organic debris introduce nutrients into the water that feed algae. Make sure you empty skimmers, cleaner bags, and baskets.

31:19 Filtration removes small particulates from the water. Filters need to be backwashed and/or cleaned regularly as needed. Dirty filters will adversely affect circulation and turnover. Cartridge, DE, and sand filters have advantages, disadvantages, and different maintenance needs. Frank highly recommends replacing the sand media with glass filter media if you have a sand filter.

36:00 Circulation is critical to proper pool maintenance. Adjust the return jets to turn the entire body of water clockwise or counterclockwise to eliminate dead spots in the pool. Frank also recommends a minimum of two turnovers per day. Variable speed pumps allow you to accomplish more turnovers for less energy costs.

44:10 Pool water chemistry. Maintaining the appropriate water balance, as calculated by the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI), and ensuring proper sanitizer levels are crucial in keeping maintenance costs low for a swimming pool. While it is possible for increased chemical usage to overcome deficiencies in the other four basic areas of pool maintenance, doing so will ultimately increase the cost and workload of maintaining the pool. You must know the water volume in your pool, properly test your water, properly calculate chemical dosing, and measure doses.

Enjoy

Enjoy

Frank and Jacques discuss ways to make your swimming pool more energy-efficient, including the use of robotic cleaners, feature pumps, and variable speed pumps, as well as tips on how to maximize the efficiency of your variable speed pump.

to estimate energy savings and pool turnover when using a Jandy Variable speed pump https://www.jandy.com/en/pool-pump-savings

The Deep End Pool Podcast focuses on residential pool maintenance and may not cover commercial pool requirements. Please consult the CDC and your local authorities and code requirements for commercial pool maintenance.

Email us questions and show suggestions at [email protected]. visit our home

page thedeependpoolpodcast.com

Our sponsors for the 2024 podcast season. poolwerx.com. jandy.com. bluerayxl.com cyclonefiltertools.com. ipssa.com allsafepool.com clearcomfort.com poolmagazine.com

00:00 -Introduction

05:30- the direction of the industry to be more energy-efficient

06:10 - It is recommended to run your automated pool cleaners only as frequently and for as long as needed to clean your pool effectively. This will not only save you money on electricity but also on repair and replacement costs for the cleaner. Automated pool cleaners have many wear items that require replacement with increased use.

08:10—Robotic pool cleaners, like the Polaris Alpha IQ+ and Epic series, are more efficient and effective than traditional pressure-side and suction-style cleaners. They do a good job with dirt and debris. Most models are designed with features that scrub the pool walls, floor, and tile lines.

08:45—According to some studies, a robotic cleaner can save $200-$300 per year compared to an average pressure-side cleaner. Including wear-item parts, the total savings could easily reach $400-$600 per year. Frank suggests investing in a new robotic cleaner instead of spending money on pressure-side cleaners and booster pumps.

12:17- LED lighting is more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent lights, and it offers multi-color options. Leaving the pool lights on can attract insects, which in turn can attract other animals.

18:00- Running waterfalls unnecessarily can be wasteful and contribute to chemical expenses. If the waterfall has a separate pump, it should only be run once or twice a day for 10 to 15 minutes, and when people are there to enjoy it. Disturbing the surface of the pool with water features can result in increased evaporation, which may require additional chemical balancers to maintain the pool properly.

21:24- Systems with waterfalls that run off of the circulation and use a valve to direct water to the waterfall take away from the circulation of the pool. Consider automation to operate the waterfalls only when users are able to enjoy it.

25:10- Variable speed pumps are considered better than single speed pumps in numerous ways. Nowadays, all new pumps exceeding one horsepower are required to be variable speed. By programming a variable speed pump properly to cater to the requirements of your swimming pool, you can significantly reduce electricity costs, improve circulation, pool turnover, filtration, and water chemistry. Utilizing the lower speeds of a variable speed does reduce water flow through the system, but it also exponentially reduces the energy cost to circulate the pool

Programming a variable speed pump to utilize lower speeds for longer periods can benefit you in many ways. Many filters have improved filtration when water flows through the poo filter at a lower speed. Chemical feeders such as saltwater chlorine generators can be set at lower percentages because they have more time to produce the necessary chlorine needed to sanitize the pool. Water chemistry can remain more consistent throughout the pool with longer periods of circulation.

During their conversation, Frank and Jacque discuss effective methods for managing the chlorine levels and water chemistry in a pool.

The Deep End Pool Podcast focuses on residential pool maintenance and may not cover commercial pool requirements. Please consult the CDC and your local authorities and code requirements for commercial pool maintenance.

Email us questions and show suggestions at [email protected]. visit our home

page thedeependpoolpodcast.com

Our sponsors for the 2024 podcast season. poolwerx.com. jandy.com. bluerayxl.com cyclonefiltertools.com. ipssa.com allsafepool.com clearcomfort.com poolmagazine.com

08:51 There are several factors that influence the effectiveness of chlorine in managing your pool, not just how many parts per million of chlorine exist in the water.

10:45 Regular testing of water is crucial to ensure the appropriate levels of chlorine, including free and total chlorine, pH, and alkalinity, at least once a week. Although calcium hardness, total dissolved solids, salt levels in salt pools, stabilizers, and borates do not necessarily need to be tested as frequently, they should still be checked regularly to maintain and manage proper water chemistry. If you encounter any issues such as algae, staining, etc., requiring you to dose products for treatment, you need to test the water frequently before dosing.

13:30 Frank dislikes using untestable chemicals or additives without a measurable effect or concentration.

17:15 When testing the chlorine levels in a pool, it's important to measure both free and total chlorine levels, especially when there is a swimmer load on the pool. Chloramines are formed when chlorine oxidizes ammonia, nitrogen, or carbon-based contaminants in the water. They are disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that should be eliminated by using additional oxidizers. Eliminate chloramines by achieving breakpoint chlorination through additional oxidizers. OTO chlorine tests do not provide information about the amount of combined chlorine. Chloramines can be irritating and are not as effective at oxidizing as pure chlorine. If you only measure the total chlorine levels in your pool or spa, you may get an inaccurate idea of its oxidizing capabilities. It's recommended to measure both free and combined chlorine levels separately for a more accurate reading.

24:25 To effectively manage your pool's chlorine, you need to determine your CYA or stabilizer level. If your pool has borate levels of 40 to 50 ppm, then maintaining 5% of your CYA level in free chlorine consistently is necessary. However, if you do not use borates, you must maintain 7.5% of your CYA level. Note that this percentage can vary if you also use ozone, UV, AOP, or mineral purification systems.

32:20 pH levels have a significant impact on the effectiveness of chlorine. Lower pH increases its effectiveness, while higher pH decreases its effectiveness and reduces the UV protection of CYA on chlorine. Waterfalls and turbulence from returns hitting the surface increase the rate of your pH rise and increase evaporation. If you have a dramatic pH rise from week to week, consider dosing acid for your pH on a more frequent basis.

39:00 It is crucial to conduct thorough testing and accurate calculations when determining the appropriate dosage of chemicals.

44:55 When testing alkalinity, subtract 1/3 of CYA from the test results to get adjusted alkalinity. Use this adjusted value for dosing.

46:20 Manage your CYA properly by taking steps to lower it, using borates to reduce the need for stabilized chlorine, and avoiding overuse of stabilized chlorine. Do not use stabilized chlorine when water temperatures get below 65 degrees in the off-season.

49:00 Hypochlorites, liquid chlorine, and cal hypo are high pH. However, it is not necessary to dose extra acid when using these products.

50:40 It is not recommended to use dichlor shock in trichlor pools as it can cause excessive CYA levels in the pool.

Frank conducted an interview with John O'Brien, who is the Founder and Executive Director of Poolwerx. During the discussion, they talked about the highs and lows that the swimming pool industry has experienced in recent years. They also delved into the advantages of being part of a franchise system and exit strategies for pool business owners.

Email us questions and show suggestions at [email protected]. visit our home page thedeependpoolpodcast.com

Our sponsors for the 2024 podcast season.

poolwerx.com. jandy.com. bluerayxl.com

cyclonefiltertools.com. ipssa.com allsafepool.com

clearcomfort.com poolmagazine.com

small business owners, swimming pool business, swimming pool industry, exit strategies for small businesses, franchising, swimming pool franchise group, benefits of franchising,

Frank and Jacque talk about how you can save money on your chlorine costs this year.

Email us questions and show suggestions at [email protected]. visit our home page thedeependpoolpodcast.com

Our sponsors for the 2024 podcast season.

poolwerx.com. jandy.com. bluerayxl.com

cyclonefiltertools.com. ipssa.com allsafepool.com

clearcomfort.com poolmagazine.com

00:00 introduction

05:30 Ways to save money on chlorine costs when managing your pool. Frank estimates about 30% of pool chemicals used on swimming pools is wasted. The factors that contribute to waste include choosing the wrong chemical, improper testing, and incorrect dosing, both over and under.

07;30 Improper or inadequate pool and filter maintenance will greatly increase the amount of chlorine and balancers required to properly maintain a swimming pool.

09:15 When adding chlorine, it can also affect your balancers. This varies with the type of chlorine you use. Using too much chlorine in your pool can also have a ripple effect on balancer costs. For instance, chlorine tablets have a pH of around 3.0, which can impact your pool's pH levels. Additionally, these tablets typically contain around 50% CYA (cyanuric acid, stabilizer). The stabilizer can accumulate over time and create issues if it becomes too high.

10:45 Proper pool turnover and good circulation are crucial in keeping the costs of chemicals down. Poor circulation can cause inconsistent water chemistry in the pool, leading to more chemicals and labor required to manage the growth of algae colonies that develop in poorly circulated areas. To achieve good circulation, adjust the pool returns to turn the water clockwise or counterclockwise so that the entire body of water moves in one direction. You may need to replace your existing returns with different styles of returns to achieve good circulation.

Frank recently had a meeting with Blake Overduin, who is the Vice President of Operations for Poolwerx in the U.S. Blake has been a great mentor to Frank for the past six years and is highly regarded by him. He has a strong background in the pool industry as well as in franchise organization. Blake was a franchisee for many years in Brisbane, Australia and he was the youngest franchisee ever in the Poolwerx system. His expertise in business and operations is a huge asset to the Poolwerx franchisees in the United States.

Email us questions and show suggestions at [email protected]. visit our home page thedeependpoolpodcast.com

Our sponsors for the 2024 podcast season.

poolwerx.com jandy.com. bluerayxl.com

cyclonefiltertools.com. ipssa.com allsafepool.com

clearcomfort.com. poolmagazine.com

Frank and Jacque discussed the 2024 Poolwerx convention and all the Poolwerx sponsors and the products they provide. Later in this episode they discuss the importance of finding local pros and advice to help you manage your swimming pool.

Email us questions and show suggestions at [email protected]. our home page thedeependpoolpodcast.com

Our sponsors for the 2024 podcast season.

poolwerx.com jandy.com. bluerayxl.com

cyclonefiltertools.com. ipssa.com allsafepool.com

clearcomfort.com. poolmagazine.com

Frank and Rudy Stankowitz discuss the conversation they had with a representative from a "Natural" pool proponent. Later in this episode they also discuss the amended Orenda LSI calculator.

Email us questions and show suggestions at [email protected]. visit our home page thedeependpoolpodcast.com

Our sponsors for the 2024 podcast season.

poolwerx.com jandy.com. bluerayxl.com

cyclonefiltertools.com. ipssa.com allsafepool.com

clearcomfort.com. poolmagazine.com

Natural pools, chemical free swimming pools, low chlorine, biofilms in swimming pools, black algae, algae, pool circulation, pool filtration, pool turnover, chlorine, water balance, alum, aluminum sulfate,

Langlier Saturation index, LSI, swimming pool apps, national plasterers council, NPC, cyanobacteria, cryptosporidium, animals in pools