Keeping Filters Working Efficiently: Best Practices for Service Pros

Filters are often overlooked and water clarity problems are treated ineffectively as the filtration system should be addressed first and foremost.

Everyone in the industry agrees filtration is the key to clean water. That said, filters are often overlooked and water clarity problems are treated ineffectively because the filter should have been addressed first and foremost. This article will review a number of service and maintenance tips for different filter types, the most common mistakes when servicing and installing filters, as … Read More

The Fundamentals of Working with Sand Filters

Of all the other types of filters (e.g. cartridge, diatomaceous earth), sand filters are efficient with a minimum amount of required maintenance.

The three keys to a clean and healthy pool are circulation, chemistry, and filtration. The latter is commonly overlooked when problems arise, however. Circulation usually is not a problem since most pools are designed with properly sized pumps, filters, plumbing (pipes), and proper placement of skimmers, and returns. In most cases, water chemistry is the initial cause of problems, such … Read More

Restoring Pool and Hot Tub Water to Its Original State

Restoring Pool and Hot Tub Water to Its Original State

Water has been under a lot of stress in modern times. Each year, the world generates roughly 36 trillion kilograms (400 billion tons) of waste, which, unfortunately, for many years ended up in the world’s rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 50 percent of groundwater supplies in North America are contaminated with pesticides. Water … Read More

Maximizing Pump Efficiency with Variable Orifice Pool Returns

Since the introduction of variable flow technology and the understanding of affinity laws, many consumers, as well as energy policies, have started to focus on introducing energy-efficient systems to the swimming pool environment. With both variable- and two-speed pumps taking the lead role in this new ‘eco-revolution,’ both pool professionals and pool owners are asking, “Why is the industry heading … Read More

Battling Biofilm in Pools and Spas

Battling Biofilm in Pools and Spas

Improving water quality demands a true understanding of what is hidden in the pool and spa environment, of what is lurking beneath the surface—in piping, filters and on exteriors. For decades, pool professionals have faced a particularly tricky phenomenon, one that has created havoc since the first swimming pools and spas. It is that slimy, sticky, gooey stuff that appears … Read More

Addressing Cloudy Water Issues in Swimming Pools

Water cloudiness or turbidity is caused by the introduction of suspended particles that are invisible to the naked eye.

Pool owners respond more intently to cloudy water than any other water-related issue due to its direct esthetic effect on the pool’s appearance. It can easily be identified by visual observation; any pool owner can recognize cloudy water and know it is an indication something requires attention. Where the difficulty lies for pool professionals, however, is diagnosing the specific problem … Read More

The Evolution of Pool Cleaners

The Evolution of Pool Cleaners

The swimming pool cleaner has been around for over one hundred years. These devices owe their evolution to imaginative tinkerers, engineers and designers from all over the world. Like swimming pools, there is almost certainly no single inventor or single swimming pool cleaner that has been recorded in history as the first such machine. However, by tracing key patent records, … Read More

What to Do When Cloudy Water Strikes

What to do when you notice cloudy water in your pool.

Every pool owner dreams of having an inviting swimming pool with crystal-clear water. The reality, however, may be a pool that is hazy, cloudy, and flat looking. The following are some things service professionals should check when their customer’s pool water gets cloudy this summer. Equipment First, check the filter and circulation system to make sure everything is operating properly. … Read More

Pumps and Filters: Preventing Equipment Failure to Avoid a Shutdown

There are several best practices aquatic facility managers can follow to avoid some of the most common causes of pump and filter failure.

The biggest fear of any aquatic facility manager is a pool shutdown. Unfortunate events such as a fecal incident are impossible to control; however, a pump or filter should never be the cause of a facility closure. There are, in fact, several best practices one can follow to avoid some of the most common causes of pump and filter failure. … Read More

Putting Pool Filtration to the Test: The Time Has Come to Establish New Filter Media Standards

Putting Pool Filtration to the Test: The Time Has Come to Establish New Filter Media Standards

Cartridge filter manufacturers believe in making the best products available and know it is feasible to provide the industry with different grades of product based on the type of pool/hot tub, geographic location, what water quality challenges (if any) the customers are facing. Unfortunately, unlike other industries, the aquatics sector has a ‘one size fits all’ approach. That said, to … Read More