Pool Information

How to fix Black Algae

2010-06-15T15:22:00.005-05:00

Black algae can be really tough. It is a form of algae that grows legs that dig into the plaster of the pool then has a hard protective head that you have to break and get chlorine into to really kill. We have learned that the very best way to get rid of it is to dump the pool and chlorine wash the surface with liquid chlorine. Using a ventilator suitable for chlorine and proper safety gear. Usually the black algae can be scrubbed off with the chlorine and a brush fairly easily but every once in a while we run in to very tough one that takes hard scrubbing to get rid of.

Once this is done the pool can be refilled and I personally think that the pool is always at a little more risk for that algae coming back. It's not hopeless though we have had great success keeping it gone once we chlorine wash and then continue to maintain the pool properly every week.

Do I need to dump my pool?

2010-06-15T15:05:00.002-05:00

We have some customers that just know, once every 5 years or so I need to completely dump my pool and start over. Searching for this information on line you'll probably hear about 10 years. I think that may be true up north, but in Texas we have serious heat and serous algae, not to mention all kinds of trees and pollen...you name it.

There are times that we have been servicing a pool and with perfectly balanced chemistry, plenty of brushing, vacuuming, making sure phosphates are treated, pH is perfect, basically just doing all the right things. If the pool still doesn't shine and sparkle and just look down right great and you find out that the pool hasn't been dumped in 10 years or more, maybe you even test for TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and find that to be high. As much of the chemistry and treatments and things swimmers carry in to the pool never evaporate out of the pool hence you end up with high TDS and a dingy looking pool.

At this point we drop in a pump and start over. Then we see the customer smile and see the joy of such a sparkling pool! That makes us happy. So yes, I say dump every so often.

In the city of Dallas (you should check your cities ordinances) as long as you let the chlorine levels go below 5 ppm and the pH is balanced you can usually dump the pool and in some cities may need a permit. It is usually preferred to go straight to the sewer clean-out if you can find one.

We do this all the time for green pools. If there is algae on the side of the pool then you look at chlorine washing the sides of the pool which is also a great way to clean a pool and make it sparkle.

Do I need a home warranty company to cover my pool?

2010-06-15T14:57:00.003-05:00

I have a lot of opinions about home warranty companies. When I used to sell houses I sold warranties to my clients thinking they would be so helpful of anything went wrong with the house, especially HVAC equipment which is quite costly to repair. They do tend to give people piece of mind and on occasion I have seen the warranty company come through for the customer and cover costly repairs.

Unfortunately what I am seeing more often in the pool industry is a band-aide repair that may get a customer through for a week or several months or just until another service fee would be due which is usually 6 months. I shouldn't even say it's just the pool industry as when our AC at home was not working correctly it took 3 different people and over a year for the warranty company to finally admit they needed to do a costly repair. In fact the contractor that finally did the proper repair told me that if he did too many of those he would not continue to get work from the warranty company. Ah Ha! That's what I thought!

We advertise our pool services to new home buyers all the time, so of course we have a lot of clients that have home warranties. I always encourage our customers to use the warranty when our technicians see a repair that should be covered, I mean the customer paid for it so they should get their monies worth.

Unfortunately more often than not the repair is not done the way we would have done it. I've seen patched grids put back in DE filters (they never hold), refurbished motors (usually spray painted...is that an attempt to look new? Cover up manufacture dates? How old are these things?), another common one is replacing parts in outdated equipment rather than replacing the outdated obsolete equipment.

I remind our service clients that sometimes paying a $60 to $75 fee to have them come out (another fee for everything they can call a "new" issue) is often not worth it when you can pay maybe that or a little more for a long-term fix. Pools need properly working equipment to function well and stay safe and sanitary...remember you CAN get sick from a improperly functioning pool or an unbalanced pool.

And finally my biggest complaint. In Texas pool repair companies have to be licensed and the ones that I have seen working for warranty companies without a license and installing used motors with no bonding wires, and missing back plates, leaving our customers exposed to dangers that we have to fix for them makes me down right mad! These are big corporations that should be encouraging safe repairs and should not be allowing unlicensed irresponsible companies onto your property.

I would like to see warranty companies insisting that anyone who is an approved contractor for them comply with the law and protect consumers and consumers rights to file complaints. Then I'll stop complaining about warranty companies.

Texas Oasis Pools is a licensed Dallas area pool company operating under Appliance Installer License number 230, which is listed under our corporate name of JS Moore, Inc. on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation web site.

Texas Oasis Pools
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.TexasOasisPools.com

Water Level

2010-04-30T09:05:00.002-05:00

Ahhh, it's finally spring in Texas! After the coldest winter on record we are all loving this amazing spring weather we are having. What do our pool service clients always forget to start doing as the weather gets warm...put water in the pool. The simplest thing...can lead to big problems. When service tech arrives at a pool and the water level is down below the skimmers, he can't vacuum the pool, the pumps are sucking air, probably loosing prime, the pool cleaner is not working so the the pool is very dirty, pool is not filtering, so again pool very dirty. Many issues just from the simple task of adding water to the pool. With full weekly service clients we require two main things, access to the pool, and water level maintained by the homeowner.

Many pools have autofill with levelers that maintain the water level. But many swimming pools need to be filled manually with the garden hose. One product I suggest to our clients is a simple hose bib timer. Orbit makes one that is sold at Lowes. You simply place it on the hose bib between the house and the hose and set the timer for how ever long you want to fill, go to work or eat dinner and it will shut itself off. The thing to remember though is that in the winter during freeze season the hose should be taken off and placed in the garage so that it is still useable, not frozen up outside when you need to fill the pool. I suggest a simple spin dial timer as the more complicated digital, programmable ones are just that...too complicated.

Texas Oasis Pools
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.TexasOasisPools.com

2010-03-02T08:23:00.001-06:00

New Texas Licensing Regulations

Recently the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation decided to start cracking down on un-licensed pool service companies that were doing installs of pumps, motors, outlets, and so on. The thing is the pool companies had never been given any options or guidance on what they were supposed to have as far as licensing. We (our company included) had asked questions about required licensing but always been told to start a pool business all you needed was an assumed business name purchased at the county level.

Things have changed now, TDLR worked with pool industry leaders and lobbyists and came up with a plan. Now people who work on pool equipment (attaching any wiring) would be required to obtain the existing Electrical Appliance Contractor License by March 1, 2010.

While may pool companies look at this as just more government regulation and a way for Texas to earn extra fees each year...we look at it as a positive for our industry. An improvement over the quality of service technician that's out there. It improves the industry overall. Our company has obtained the license. This was not an easy task as the exam that technicians need to take is extremely difficult, as difficult as a journeyman's electrical license other than the 4,000 hours of apprenticeship that the electrician needs.

What is the benefit to the client? This is the important part I think, the client benefits because the licensed companies must prove to TDLR every year that they carry at least $600,000 in liability insurance. We carry 1 million. Also licensed pool companies will have to be listed with TDLR and that gives clients an opportunity and a place to check for complaints and compliance when choosing a pool service. Any service vehicles you see out there should now be labeled with the License number of that technician. All of these things improve the quality of work that is being performed at the homes of pool owners across Texas.

Bottom line, more government regulation is always a drag but the industry will be better and more sophisticated for it. This should eliminate the "working for beer money" weekend pool repair guy who may be out there doing repairs he's not qualified to do. Keep in mind anyone can clean your pool, it's the wiring and repair or install work that is being regulated and that technician must now carry a license.

Texas Oasis Pools
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
http://www.texasoasispools.com/

2010-01-18T11:26:00.001-06:00

It may be 70 degrees in Dallas today but it really is time for a Winter Up-date. In North Texas we keep most pools open year-round. This makes a Freeze protection system very important. If your pool controller is a computerized type you need to check the programming and the programmed temperature of the freeze protection and make sure it is set to turn the pool on at 38 degrees. The same thing with a manual system, set the dial for 38 degrees. These manual type sensors are not real precision so you should expect up to a 5 degree plus or minus variable. You want the pool circulating BEFORE the temperatures reach 32 and you start to get ice forming in the system.

Just be aware of the temperature and try to notice when your pool is turning on. If you have a really old manual system that looks rusted and is in sad shape, it may be worth updating. Keep in mind you are relying on a piece of equipment that only has to work a few days a year. If it doesn't work when needed you could end up with major repair issues from a freeze. We did see many of these issues after a bad freeze last weekend.

Any exposed lines such as a pool fill line that runs close to the surface from a faucet at the house to a fill line in the pool should be capped and insulated. These pipes commonly freeze up. Some fountains may be better shut of and capped.

Many times we have clients who forget to take their hoses in when winter hits. (we never really no when whinter will hit in Texas, I'll give them that!) Pool owners are used to filling pools often and like to have the garden hose handy. Problem is it will freeze up, so take the hose and lay it in the garage and cover the faucet with a styrofoam insulator. Then when you need to fill the pool it may take a few more minutes but at least you can still fill it.

This leads me to the question I got a lot during this last heavy freeze. Why am I adding so much water in these freezing temperature? Does water evaporate when it's freezing? Actually YES, it does there are some interesting things that happen during a freeze, where more molecules of water can be drawn up and away from the pool. It is compared to the way ice cubes sometimes seem to shrink in the freezer. I am not a real science buff but if you Google it, you will find some articles that explain. Bottom line for pool owners, keep an eye on the water level year round. It is not good to have air getting into the system, especially during a freeze.

Texas Oasis Pools
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.TexasOasisPools.com

2009-05-08T11:34:00.001-05:00

Now that the warm and humid weather is back in North Texas it's time to make sure that your pool is circulating the right amount of time each day. Your pool should run approximately 1 hour for every 10 degrees of temperature outside. So a 90 degree day should require 9 hours of run time. You cannot over circulate the pool. Your pool cleaner should run 3 to 4 hours within that pool run time. This time of year algae can bloom very quickly and keeping the chemistry up and the pool circulating will be your best defense. Also be sure and brush the walls of the pool frequently. Please feel free to send question to this blog as we are happy to answer them!

Texas Oasis Pool Service & Repair
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-04-15T15:52:00.001-05:00

One of our friends told my husband the other day that when they used to own a pool they never used the spa because the overflow fountain would heat the whole pool and they didn't want to heat the whole pool. Wow, we felt really bad for them, they owned that house for many years and never knew how to situate the valves so that the fountain was off and the water circulated only in the spa rather than flowing over into the pool. Knowing what your equipment does and how it works can save you much heart ache. Just think of all the time our our friends could have spent enjoying their spa had they only known. (Of course we didn't know them at the time or they would have been hooked up!)

Texas Oasis Pool Service & Repair
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-04-15T15:43:00.001-05:00

This time of year a lot of people are thinking about building new pools or remodeling an existing pool. When you are building and designing a new pool, what better time to talk to some people in the pool service industry. Who better to tell you what things work and what things don't. Pool service techs know what equipment performs best in the long haul (as they see the older homes too and do the repair work) and what kind of set-up works best. For instance plumbing in a pool cleaner with a booster pump is a good idea, as you will be able to use a better performing pool cleaner. A salt system may not be the best choice for your pool. What size should the pool be? Bigger pools equal bigger bills, higher cost of servicing, more chemicals, and a deep diving pool can be back breaking labor and may limit you on the number of people willing to clean the pool (including family members!). Not to mention that it will be more expensive to build in the first place. You don't want to cut corners on equipment either. Think about the long term when choosing equipment. There are also pool pumps available now that can save you huge amounts of money on utilities, may very well be worth a larger investment up front to recoup those savings a long the way. There's a lot to think about when building a pool. Plenty of homework to be done, but do things right and the enjoyment will be well worth it!

Texas Oasis Pool Service & Repair
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-03-31T15:29:00.001-05:00

Many pool owners try to avoid or put off the cleaning of the filter grids and cartridges. A DE filter should be cleaned every 6 months. Your pool will stay cleaner, circulate better, and be healthier if the filter grids are clean. Plus this is what manufactures recommend for general maintenance. A cartridge filter should be cleaned every 3 to 4 months. A sand filter has a much longer life span and sand can go several years before the sand has to be switched out.

Texas Oasis Pool Service & Repair
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-03-31T15:25:00.001-05:00

Don't forget your cyanuric acid. Especially now that the weather is warmer, we have to make sure our pools have a good level of stabilizer, conditioner, or cyanuric acid...and yes, 3 names...all the same thing. Why is cyanuric acid helpful? It protects the chlorine in your pool from being destroyed by the sunlight. If you are having trouble keeping up the chlorine level in your pool, a lack of cyanuric acid could be the problem.

Texas Oasis Pool Service & Repair
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-03-10T10:50:00.002-05:00

A lesson in Algae, tis the season!

With warm...okay lets face it, HOT weather approaching the Dallas area, it's time to think about algae.

While there are 21,000 known kinds of algae only 3 categories grow in pools and spas but these three categories include 40 to 50 specific kinds of algae.

The three categories include Cyanophyta - blue green algae that looks black, Chlorophyta - green algae that looks green and Phaeophyta - brown algae that looks yellow and is commonly referred to a "mustard algae."

Algae is a type of plant and needs a food source and light to survive. Algae will produce food through photosynthesis as long as there is light.

The negatives of algae in the pool environment are that it's slippery, harbors harmful organisms (even though it won't make you sick on it's own, it's the bacteria that it harbors that can), causing cloudy water is unsafe if you could not see a child at the bottom of the pool, raises pH of water, creates a high demand for chlorine, and makes water look very uninviting.

Chlorine is the best way to kill algae is to poison it and the most common way to do that in a pool and spa is with chlorine. Keeping a pool circulation, filtering, brushed, vacuumed, and with balanced chemistry should keep it free of algae. It's very important especially here in the Dallas area to run the pool long enough each day, we recommend a good 9 hours per day in the summer and try to cover the hottest part of the day like maybe 9 or 10 am until 6 pm.

Then keep in mind that many changes in the pool environment can cause a need for shocking, or rebalancing chemistry to ensure that algae does not grow. This may be extra swimmers (a pool party), fertilizing the lawn, mowing the lawn, new landscaping, windstorms, heavy rains, mud slides, painting the house, construction, brush fires, or changes in chemicals being used in the pool. Some of these items will introduce the phosphates that the algae will feed on and start to grow. As a pool service company we ask that clients notify us of changes like these or if they are having a big pool party so that we can make sure the chemical balance is able to handle the changes and is reregulated.

Once the pool has algae a process needs to be followed to get the pool back in shape. This usually involves several days of removing debris, a good shock treatment, brushing, vacuuming, and testing until the chemistry is perfected and the pool is clear. (See green pools)

Texas Oasis Pool Service & Repair
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-03-10T10:15:00.001-05:00

How do I backwash my DE Filter?

People are often confused about backwashing, when to do it and how to do it. Your weekly pool service should be taking care of this as needed however, if you are taking care of your own pool you do need to backwash occasionally and when the pressure rises. Keep in mind that if the pressure rises and backwashing does not bring the pressure down to within 8 points of the clean reading it may be time for a filter cleaning.

To backwash the vertical DE Filter with a backwash valve:

Shut down the pump.
Move the backwash valve to the "backwash" position.
Start the pump back up.
When the dicharge water is flowing clear, clean water shut the pump off and wait 30 seconds.
Repeat step 3 and start the pump again until you see clear water then shut off the pump and return the valve to "normal" filtering position.
If your filter has a seperation tank (see below), clean it at this time.
Start the pump and add the proper amount of DE to the skimmers to recoat the filter grids.

Some filters with backwash valves have seperation tanks to capture the old DE backwashed from the filter. This saves water and actually filters the clean water back to the pool, so the old DE needs to be cleaned out of the seperation tank after a backwashing.

To clean the seperation tank:

Turn off the pump.
Open the air relief valve on the seperation tank.
Open the tank lid after loosening the clamp.
Take out the tank bag and empty the old DE into the trash and hose down the bag.
Replace the bag and lid, lubricate the tank o-ring (never use petroleum-based product, use Teflon or similar) then replace the clamp and close the air relief valve.
Start the pump.

Texas Oasis Pool Service & Repair
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-03-10T09:08:00.001-05:00

What do I look for in a pool service and repair company?

Number one is customer service! Lately I've had several clients with real needs call me and say "Thank you for answering the phone, I've called 6 companies and no one calls me back." Why is this so common in our industry? Do Dallas area pool companies know that the country is in a recession? I'm not sure they do, I honestly believe that some lived high on the hog building pools and servicing them not realizing that when house prices dipped, people would stop building pools. But guess what existing pools must be serviced, and with all the choices out there service is number one. If someone leaves you on hold, doesn't answer on a Saturday, or just throws out a number over the phone with no questions asked, do you really want that company servicing your pool...NO!

Look for a consistent schedule - this industry has plenty of people as I like to say "just working for beer money" you don't want that guy, he'll show up when he feels like it then when he decides your pool is out of his way or he's bored he'll just stop coming, I've heard it many times. A pool company should be able to say this is your day, this is your approximate time, it may change occasionally but until we notify you we will be there every week at the set time and you will get a note showing we were there.

Marked vehicles - Your pool company should have a magnet on the truck at the very least, identifying to your neighbors who is walking into your backyard.

Background checks - One of the most common things I hear from pool owners looking for a new service is that their last company started out good but then they hired "this guy" and he didn't know what he was doing. All companies have to hire as they grow but there is a proper way to ensure training and consistency. Your pool company should also be documenting everything they do to your pool at every visit.

Preventative maintenance is key - So you have a pool tech who knows nothing about repairs...fine he is just there to clean your pool technically. However, every pool tech should at least know how to recognize needed repairs and report them back to the office for client approval.

Should support do-it-yourself pool owners - While we love our full service clients some of my favorite clients are not full service clients at all. It's your pool and trust me you want a pool company who honors the fact that it is YOUR pool. If you are a do-it-yourself kind of family or individual you still may need a repair company that you can count on when you need help. We have plenty of clients who just give us a call for a filter cleaning, plumbing leak, lighting change, vacation cleanings, anything they need help with.

Bottom line - We're simply in the customer service business. As a personal choice in our service we don't ask anyone to sign a contract, we earn that persons business every month. There are plenty of pool owners in the Dallas market and plenty of pool service companies. Find a relationship that works for you and then be loyal to that company as long as they are treating the way you want to be treated. Also have respect for their business and the fact that they have to make a living as well as provide a beneficial service. Trust me you and your pool appreciate consistency when it comes to pool maintenance!

Save money - Well cared for pools cost less over time. One bad clean up job from letting a pool turn into a swamp can cost hundreds of dollars, while typical, consistent pool service month to month leaves a pool owner free to do worry about other things.

Can you mow a lawn? - In our Dallas market just about everyone has a lawn service. Yet many people attempt to clean and maintain their own pools. Some of you do a great job with your pools, but think about this. For $25 to $45 per week you can have your lawn mowed. That's $125 to $225 per month, the lawn guy uses about 1/4 cup of gas and a lawn mower that will last him thousands of lawns while spending sometimes less that 10 minutes at your house. For approximately $35 to $37 per week your pool company is doing major physical labor, using very expensive tools, adding expensive chemicals, and keeping an eye on and maintaining one of the biggest investments you will ever make in your home. An experienced pool tech also has more pool cleanings under his belt in one week than the typical pool owner will have in a year. Hum...yet for a cost less than lawn care in most cases. Also we only charge for 4 weeks every month even if you receive 5 visits, quite a value really! Just food for thought.

Texas Oasis Pool Service & Repair
9720 Coit Rd. Ste 220146
Plano, TX 75025
214-532-7971
Fax: 214-407-8044
www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-02-12T12:54:00.001-06:00

Top 10 Swimming Pool Maintenance Mistakes

1. Not balancing all aspects of the pool's chemistry

2. Not Cleaning the filter often or enough or sometime correctly

3. Not cleaning a salt cell every 3 months

4. Not saving equipment by keeping water level up

5. Not kepping debris from trees cleaned out of skimmers, leaf bags, and pump pot

6. Not brushing the sides of the pool

7. Not running the pool and pool cleaner the proper amount of time

8. Not having a leak detection done when you know you need it

9. Making costly repairs to an automatic pool cleaner that should be replaced

10. Not keeping the pool as safe as possible, replace old drain covers, fix outdated electriclal, and correct any other safety hazards

Please read my top 10 pool mistakes list detailing all of the above items at www.texasoasispoolservice.com.

2009-01-16T18:25:00.001-06:00

What kind of pool cleaner should I purchase?

One really important thing to think about when purchasing a pool cleaner is that the most expensive may not always be the best. We really have a lot of success with the Polaris models 280, and 360 as well as some other reasonably priced models like the Great White by Sta-Rite. What model you go with of course depends on the set up in your pool. In my experience some of the fancy models that dive to the top and dive to the bottom and are supposed to do all these great things actually don't work that well and I've even had new clients return those get their money back and spend half as much money on a nice Polaris pool cleaner. You want a cleaner that's easy to work on so that if one part goes bad you can just fix that part and be on your way for a reasonable expense. You should be able to get a very good pool sweep for $400 to $550 installed, and get up to 5 years out of it. At least here in Plano Texas, I see our clients getting a better deal through the pool service company than with the retail store. This is another one of those instances where while the retail store can be very helpful they can also sell sometimes a more expensive item thinking it's better or makes them more. While a service company that is depending on the pool cleaner working well in between visits will know exactly which on is best and install it for you to boot!

www.texasoasispoolservice.com

2009-01-12T14:30:00.001-06:00

This time of year people often have questions about the pool's Freeze guard. Keep in mind I'm writing from north Texas so we keep pools open year round rather than shutting down pools and blowing out lines. Every year right at the start of cold weather season I have clients start to call or email and say "My pool was running all night" or "my pool is kicking on at odd times" it's kind of funny because I guess after our long hot summer we forget that it does get cold again and even freeze once in a while. Then it never fails they say "I turned it off." I guess they just got tired of hearing the pool pump running or they thought it was costing them a lot. Of course they are forgetting that a frozen pipe, resulting in a broken pipe, or some filter damage, or a multitude of other problems could cost a lot more. Then I have the clients that keep turning the temperature setting on the freeze guard down because it seems like it comes on too soon. So here is the question, at what temperature does the freeze guard need to come on? The answer is 38 degrees. BEFORE anything can freeze.

www.TexasOasisPoolService.com

Texas Pool Answers Test

2009-01-06T15:23:00.000-06:00

This is a test of our new Texas Pool Answers blog

For more information on Pool Service & Repair
www.texasoasispoolservice.com