It’s that time of year again! Pool season has arrived. The sun’s shining, and temperatures are rising. You could really go for a swim. But there you are, standing on your patio, staring at a dirty pool cover, wondering what kind of horrors await you underneath it. Pool opening seems like so much work, doesn’t it? Don’t worry. Grab a friend and a few other essentials, and you’ll be back to backstroking in no time. Getting Ready to Open Your Swimming Pool Before you begin, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got all the tools you need lined up poolside and ready to go. You’ll probably already have ..read more

Whether you’re using tablets, granules, or liquid chlorine, you need to add chlorine to your pool about once a week. But how you add it depends on the type of chlorine you’re using. So here’s a quick guide on how to add chlorine to your pool. Let’s dive in. Before Adding Chlorine To Your Pool, Test The Water First Your free chlorine should be between 1 and 3 PPM, with 3 PPM being ideal. These levels naturally drop as your chlorine gets used up throughout the week. They’ll also drop after heavy pool use if your cyanuric acid levels are too high or too low or if a lot of organic contaminants or ..read more

You’ve opened your pool, and you’re looking forward to long, lazy afternoons relaxing in the crystal clear water. Or maybe you’re planning a big pool party for friends and family. But is your pool ready? How do you know? The answer is pool water testing. You probably already know how to test for basics like chlorine levels and pH balance. But what about phosphates? Or salt levels, if you have a salt water pool? Then there are potential contaminants like copper, iron, and calcium. If you’re leaving those out, you could be leaving your pool vulnerable to potential damage, not to mention an unsig ..read more

Draining an inground pool isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. It’s not like draining a bathtub where you pull a plug, and the water goes down a drain where you don’t have to worry about its destination. You have other things to consider to avoid the dreaded pool pop. So, take a little time to learn how to drain a pool so you’re ready for anything. Tired of wasting time, money, and chemicals trying to keep your pool clear? Cut the confusion with our easy-to-use video course. Save $1,000's on pool care and keep your water clean and clear for good! Learn More How to Keep an Inground Pool f ..read more

How much chlorine does your pool need? Usually, it only takes a few tablets or a cup of granules to keep your water sanitized. But it all depends on the size of your pool and what type of chlorine you buy. So here’s a quick guide on figuring out exactly how much chlorine you need to add to your pool. Tired of wasting time, money, and chemicals trying to keep your pool clear? Cut the confusion with our easy-to-use video course. Save $1,000's on pool care and keep your water clean and clear for good! Learn More What Are The Right Chlorine Levels for a Pool? Your free chlorine should be betw ..read more

There are four ways to drain water out of your pool: with your filter waste port, your pump’s hose bib, a sump pump, or a garden hose. But the one that’s best for your pool depends on your filter system and how much water you need to drain. So here’s a quick guide on how to drain water out of your pool. 1. Drain a Pool With The Filter Waste Port The first method, and one of the fastest ways to drain water out of your pool, is by using your filter’s waste port. If you have a sand filter or a D.E. filter, you can connect a backwash hose to your filter’s waste port and use this to siphon water o ..read more

Is your hot tub water looking a little … off? Maybe a sort of cloudy, or a slightly greenish? Whatever the case, it’s just not the crystal clear water you want to soak in. Sure hope you have some spa test strips handy, because that’s going to be your first step in diagnosing a problem The majority of problems with hot tub water come about because it’s not balanced. Before you can add the right chemicals in the right amounts, you have to do some hot tub water testing to determine know what’s going on. Hot Tub Water Testing is the First Step Out of all the hot tub maintenance tasks you’ll perfo ..read more

Have you ever dove into a pitch-black pool? It’s a little scary, isn’t it? You can’t tell how close the bottom is, if there’s anything that might be in the way, or whether there’s a swamp creature waiting for you in the murky depths. Aside from keeping you and other swimmers safe during night swims, pool lights and landscape lights can add ambiance, creating a relaxing or even romantic atmosphere. And multicolored lights make the pool fun, and can be part of your pool party decorations. You’ll find no shortage of lights for all types of pools, and the area around the pool. Pool Lights For Saf ..read more

No. Cyanuric acid (also known as CYA or chlorine stabilizer) is not necessary in a hot tub. In fact, it can actually cause more harm than good. But it’s hard to avoid if you use chlorine. If you use bromine, as a hot tub owner, you don’t have to worry about this problem. In the rest of the article, you will learn about the potential risks and disadvantages of CYA in your hot tub. And how to deal with it. Tired of wasting time, money, and chemicals trying to keep your hot tub clean? Cut the confusion with our easy-to-use video course. Save $1,000's on hot tub care and keep your water clean ..read more

Unfortunately, pool maintenance doesn’t end when swimming season does. It’s important to continue caring for your swimming pool during the winter months to ensure a successful and clean pool opening. I put together a list of maintenance tips every pool owner can use during the colder months. You can read the tips, listen to the podcast (at the end of this article), or watch the video below. 1. Add a Midwinter Algaecide If you want to help prevent algae from growing in your pool water, use an algaecide. Algae do not grow in freezing temperatures. But if you have a series of warm days after po ..read more