The Deep End Pool Podcast

Frank interviews IPSSA member and representative Mark Uberecken, owner of Unified Pool Solutions in Katy Texas. They discuss the many benefits IPSSA provides for pool owners and pool service business companies.

ipssa.com

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IPSSA creates a community of pool service professionals. IPSSA code of ethics, member requirements for organized training and certifications, liability insurance, and good business practices helps support small service companies, and helps protect pool owners.

IPSSA has scholarships that reimburses members for attending training and receiving certifications. They also support local water safety organizations and provide thousands of dollars nationwide to help families teach their children to swim.

Benefits for the pool service professional joining IPSSA: networking with other pros, sick route coverage, relationships with manufacturers and suppliers, pool industry education, training, certification and support, reimbursement of training expenses, access to competitive business insurance that is specialized for the pool service industry, support pool industry related charities, better business practice support and guidance

Benefits for pool owners for hiring an IPSSA member to service their pool: IPSSA members are certified in pool water chemistry and maintenance, IPSSA members are properly insured, IPSSA members have sick route coverage, IPSSA members belong to a large community pool professionals and have good relationships with manufacturers and suppliers,

00:00-00:36 introduction

00:37 - how important is circulation in your pool?

01:32 - How long should you run your pool filter pump?

02:25- How can you improve your pool filtration?

03:15- What should your filter pressure be?

04:07- exit

proper return setting for proper circulation, eliminating dead spots in pools, algae does not like moving water, adjust jets slightly down, turn pool clockwise or counter clockwise, recommended pool turnover, residential poo should turn over two times per day minimum, different size pumps move different amounts of water, know how much water your pool pump moves and know the volume of water in your pool, the more pool turnover the better, pool clarifiers, pool enzymes, filter fiber, thorough backwash cycles, run longer filter cycles, properly size filter for pump, pool pressure will vary from pool to pool, know your clean filter pressure, if pressure is lower that means there is a restriction in circulation on the suction side, higher typically means that the filter is dirty

Frank and Jacque talk about air leaks in pool equipment about why sometimes it is just better to call a pool professional and not waste your time and money trying to fix your pool yourself.

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Air suction leaks in a pool system can extremely frustrating to find.

Why is there air in my pump? Why do pool returns blow bubbles.

Why does my pool pump lose prime;?

00:00 - 06:37 introduction

06:38 - Frank's Fabel, Doctor visit

07:50 - moral of the story. If you are not properly trained in a product and diagnosing symptoms, you can waste your time and money. Stop chasing rabbits. Know when to just call a pool pro. Your time is valuable, and don't waste money on unneeded parts.

15:00 - common issues, air in the swimming pool circulation systems

18:33 - break

19:35 - air leaks. air in your system

20:20 - weir doors in skimmer sticking

21:20 - pump lids, water squirting out around the pump lid when pump is turned off is not normally related to the cause of air into your pump

23:08 - pump lid orings. just a little lube, don't over lube your pump lid orings

23:40 - diverter valve orings are one of the most common causes of air being sucked into the pump

24:52 - air bubbles coming into the pump is not normal. this should not be happening

27:10 - skimaround baskets causing air in the pool pump

28:00 - air getting into the pool equipment only after the pump has been off. no air coming into the pump basket. if no water leak is visible, it is still possible for air to get drawn into the system when the pump is off.

33:10 - salt systems do cause air to return to the pool. salt systems create gasses when they are operating. salt systems, if not set at 100% salt water chlorine generators will turn off and on, so the bubbles it produces will be intermittent.

35:00 - recap

This "44 Seconds With Frank" episode is all about pool filters. Frank has 44 seconds to answer each listener question. Frank discusses the benefits and disadvantages of DE diatomaceous earth pool filters, cartridge pool filters, and sand filters.

00:00 - 00:52 intro

00:53 - What is the best type of filter for your pool?

depends on personal wants and needs, ease of maintenance and filtration quality

01:45 - What are the pros and cons of a cartridge filter?

cartridge filters down to 10 to 20 microns, no backwashing, cartridges have to be replaced typically every 2 to 3 years, filter has to be broken down and cleaned regularly

02:32 - What are the pros and cons of a DE filter?

excellent filtration down to 3 to 5 microns, has to be backwashed so there is a loss of water, de diatomaceous earth is an inhalation hazard and a carcinogen, de filters have to be broken down and cleaned regularly

03:25 - What are the pros and cons of a sand filter?

easiest maintenance, sand has poor filtration of 20 to 40 microns, sand filters with glass media filter almost as well as DE filters 5 to 7 microns, sand filters have to be backwashed so there is water loss

44 Seconds with Frank is segments of 4 different listener questions that Frank has to answer, but he only has 44 seconds to give the best answer he can give.

This segment is questions from listeners about pool water chemistry.

00:00 - 00:54 introduction

00:54 Question 1: Why should you use borates in your pool?

borates does 4 things in your pool. 1. borates softens the water much like salt water does. It is easier on the skin and easier on the eyes. 2. borates is a clarifier, it helps remove suspended particles from the water. 3. borates help stabilize pH. pH is critical to water balance to help protect your pool surfaces and pool equipment, and pH is important on controlling how effective your chlorine is. 4. borates is an algae-stat, borates helps restrict the growth of algae. with less algae growth you can use less sanitizers, if you can use less sanitizer then you save money and your pool is easier to maintain and your pool consistently looks better.

02:00 - Questions 2: What is the effect of pH on chorine?

when chlorine goes into water it goes in as an active chlorine (hypochlorous acid) and an inactive chlorine (hypochlorite ion). ph determines what percentage of the available chlorine is active, and what percentage of chlorine is inactive. at a pH of 7.5 it is about 50/50. as active chlorine gets used up, inactive chlorine switches over to become active to maintain the balance according to pH. at a pH of 8.0 only around 20% of available chlorine is active active, and around 80% is reservice. at a pH of 7.0 around 80% of available chlorine is active and around 20% is reserve. so the lower the pH the more active the chlorine is. remember with cya or stabilizer in the water at around 30 to 50 ppm, only about 3% of the chlorine is available, the rest is bonded to cya.

02:53 - Question 3: How much chlorine should you use in your pool?

There are a lot of variables to determine how much chlorine a pool requires to maintain proper sanitation and kill algae. No two pools are exactly alike. What products are you using? What is the strength of the product? Where are you getting your chlorine? What is the swimmer load and demand for sanitizer? Are there a lot of swimmers, or dogs, or do you get a lot of organic material in the pool? The proper amount of chlorine that you should have in your pool on a constant and consistent basis, if you do not keep borates in the water at 40 to 50%, is 7.5% of your cya or stabilizer level. so if cya is 50 ppm, then you should have chlorine levels of 3.75 ppm. If you do have borates in the pool at 40 to 50 ppm, then you should keep a chlorine residual of 5% of the cya or stabilizer level. So if cya is 50 ppm, then you should maintain a chlorine residual of 2.5 ppm. So it takes 50% more chlorine residual if you do not have borates. But how much chlorine you need to add to a pool is different from pool to pool. Test and dose accordingly.

03:43 - Question 4: Why is stabilizer bad?

cya or stabilizer is a necessary evil. We have to protect the chlorine in outdoor pools from the UV rays of the sun with stabilizer, or it chlorine will burn out very quickly. Typically 30 to 50 ppm is enough to sufficiently protect the chlorine from the sun. Stabilizer does greatly reduct the effectiveness of chlorine. The more stabilizer there is in the water the more chlorine it takes to properly sanitize it.

Frank and Jac discuss how one of their technicians did not treat a group of about 20 pools for one or two weeks. With rain and rising temperatures, this was a recipe for the biggest green-to-clean week since they've been in business. And all one week before Memorial Day.

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Frank talks about his favorite 3 methods of turning neglected green pools back to blue and swimmable. His version of the Bob Lowry method, the Orenda method, and the Alum method.

00:00-05:40 introduction

05:40 new tech goes rogue

11:20 how to turn a neglected pool back around

11:40 Three processes we use, Bob Lowry process, Orenda process, Alum method

12:40 what to do regardless of method. remove debris, start with a clean filter,

13:18 Orenda method. lower pH to 7.2, chlorine 10 to 15 ppm, purge dose PR10000 (according to label), circulate pool for 10 minutes, pump off for 24 hours. Day 2 vacuum pool to waste. net any remaining debris, if chlorine is 3-8 ppm, phosphates below 500 ppb, turn pump on for 24/7 until clear. Add purge dose of CV600 enzymes. adjust lsi, check and balance over next few days.

17:19 Bob Lowry method. balance LSI with pH 7.2 to 7.4, add non-stabilized chlorine to achieve 40% of cya level, maintain levels for 24 hours, test and brush 2 times per day. if after first day if algae is not gone, take chlorine to 60% of cya level. watch filter pressures backwash or clean as needed. add purge dose of enzymes

20:25 Alum method. adjust pH 7.0 to 7.2 , alkalinity 100 to 120, brush well. water temperature needs to be 70 to 90 degrees. . dose 8 to 9 lbs of alum per 10,000 gallons. remove cartridges from filter or de grid assembly from filter, or if a multiport valve run in recirculate, do not run alum through the filter. If cannot bypass filter media use sump pump or trash pump to recirculate. recirculate for two hours, turn system off and let it sit for up to 24 hours. then vacuum to waste. removes algae, phosphates, and lowers stabilizer levelsl

26:15 recap, post cleaning, and follow ups. watch filter pressures, clean or backwash as necessary. balance lsi, maintain chlorine levels after at 7.5% of stabilizer level if not on borates, 5% if using borates.

greenstoryglobalpoolandspa.com

Finally a possible answer for high CYA in swimming pools. At the Southwest Pool and Spa Show with Chris Lacy. Chris represents Greenstory Global, a manufacturer of a cya stabilizer removal system and melt blown cartridge filter product.

High CYA cyanuric acid stabilizer is a huge problem in many pools. The only solution we have had until now was drain part or all of the pool and decrease cya through dilution. This cya remover may be the answer we have been waiting for.

They also produce melt blown replacement cartridge for cartridge filter systems. They make them in sizes that fit most popular cartridge filters. These filters filter down to 3 to 5 microns, which is far superior to pleated cartridges 10 to 20 microns. These cartridges do not get cleaned, you simply replace them, and then recycle the used cartridge. The cost of the filter are about 30 to 50% less than standard pleated cartridge filters which typically last 2 to 4 years. The time saving benefit of cleaning pleated cartridges may be well worth it for many pool owners and service companies.

00:00 - 03:00 introduction

03:00 - Cya Remover removes 15 to 20 ppm of cya per week. Goes in the skimmer basket. typically leave in for several weeks, until you reach desired cya level. In severe cases or extremely large pools, one treatment should be a pool needs.

07:50 - melt blown replacement cartridge filters. filter 3 to 5 microns, DE filtration quality. Greatly improved clarity.

12:50 - start-up or green to clean cartridges

13:00 - recap

Frank is in the Aquacal booth at the Southwest Pool and Spa Show in Houston. Rick Myers discusses why a heat pump in your pool a great efficient way to extend your swim season. Rick also discusses the chiller option to cool your pool is a game changing option for pool owners that live in areas where the swimming pool just gets too warm in the summer.

Then Rick discusses many of the chemicals they offer in their Lo-Chlor line that help you manage your pool. how to use less chlorine in your pool

aquacal.com lo-chlor.com

00:00 - 01:13 introduction

01:14 - heat pumps

01:35 - how a heat pump differs from a gas heater and how the heat pump works

04:04 - chiller option on heat pumps

05:40 - heat pump condensation, water coming out of the heat pump

06:50 - ambient air determines heat pump efficiency

08:12 - Lo-Chlor chemical line, enhancers and fixers

08:40 - Miraclear tab, miraclear blue, pool water clarifiers

10:05 - 90-Day Algaecide

11:05 - Lo-Phos E, and Lo-Phos Max phosphate remover

13:10 - enzymes, Ultra Zyme and Ultra Zyme Pro

14:35 - Fast Dissolve Stabilizer

15:37 - EZ-Pour Stabilizer, Liquid Stabilizer

16:30 - Filter and Tile Cleaner

17:19 - Multi-Stain Remover and Chlor-Nix chlorine removal

19:18 - Metal Gone metal remover

20:45 - Aqua Blanket, liquid heat preservation

24:35 - Leak Sealer, stops some leaks in your pool

01:45 - recap

Frank interviews Jarrod from Orenda Technologies and discusses the Orenda app for calculating water balance.

The Orenda app is a great tool for managing swimming pool water chemistry. The ability to calculate LSI. The Orenda app not only makes it easy to calculate pool water balance, but it also is a great teaching tool for technicians and pool owners. The app also provides dosing instructions to help you achieve the perfect water balance. The is even more beneficial than many of the other apps by giving you the option to display the pH ceiling and it calculates adjusted carbonate alkalinity. It is also the only app I know of that will calculate borates in the water balance.

Orenda also an industry leader in water maintenance chemicals and additives, including CE-Clarifier, CV-600 / CV-700 enzymes, SC-1000 scale and metal control, PR-10,000 phosphate remover, that many consider to be the best in their class. The Orenda start-up up method for new plaster is the best system we have ever used and helps us achieve the best possible new plaster results.

In the app, Orenda also gives access to the Orenda Academy and gives instructions and outlines procedures for common issues and maintenance tasks like removing organic stains in pools, new plaster start-up, how to add calcium, how to safely add acid, pool opening, how to winterize, sand filter purge, how to remove scale, how to overcome white fly, and many other tips and tricks.

Frank and Jacque answer a question about how to store pool chemicals at your home and drowning prevention.

Drowning is the #1 cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 years of age, and the number 2 cause of death for children ages 4 to 11. Frank and Jacque discuss many things that you can do to help prevent drowning with your children and with other children in your pool. #1 teach your child to swim.

allsafepool.com

poolwerx.com

chlorine, child safety, drowning prevention, swimming pool barriers, pool safety nets, pool safety covers, teach children to swim, swimmer safety, vgb compliance,

03:00 safe storage, question

04:00 deck box

08.20 swimming pool safety

08:50 get your kids into swim class, as young as 4 months

10:24 what to avoid. Don’t swim in cloudy water

12:00 floatation devices, U.S. coast guard approved

13:10 assigned adult to monitor children

13:50 learn cpr

14:05 entrapment issues, hair, loose suits, jewelry

16:45 list, learn to swim, barriers, safety nets allsafepool.com , safety covers, automatic covers,

19:17 break

19:48 removable safety fence

21:20 gates

22:30 pool alarms

23:10 ring or other cameras with alerts

23:35 doors and windows

24:05 Frank doesn’t like solar covers

25:00 don’t over do it on the floats and other toys on top of the pool

26:20 Red Cross list, never swim alone, supervise children, no breath holding games, life vest, always feet first, reach throw don’t go, stay away from pool drains, designated areas, avoid alcohol, CPR

28:40 Lola barking

29:00 sign off