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Testing the quality of the water in your pool is the most important step to ensure your pool is safe, clean and refreshing. Proper water balance will also extend the life of your pump, filter and any other equipment as well as making pool care quick and easy.

So, just what should be tested and why? First and most importantly, the sanitizer (chlorine, bromine etc.) needs to be within the proper range. Next pH and total alkalinity need to be monitored. When testing sanitizer the only useful measurement is for free chlorine or bromine; free means available for duty. Sanitizers are used up in keeping water clean as it combines with contaminants and forms chloramines. Chloramines are irritating, useless and need to be removed but form a component of Total Chlorine.

All water has pH that is a measurement of acidity or alkalinity. If pH is too low water will tend to be corrosive, especially to any metal like heaters or ladders. If pH is too high the water will tend to form scale inside the pool. To maintain the proper pH level of 7.2 to 7.8 Total Alkalinity needs to correct. Total Alkalinity measures dissolved carbonates in the water. These carbonates help buffer or ?lock? pH at its proper level.

So testing for sanitizer, pH and Total Alkalinity is vital: what?s the best way to do it?

Glad you asked! There are three types of pool test kits commonly sold: OTO kits, DPD kits and Test Strips. The first two kits, OTO and DPD, are named for the reagent that tests the sanitizer level. These are the kits commonly portrayed with test tubes and eyedroppers. Adding reagents to the test water produces a color change that is compared to a chart and gives a value for the component being tested. Test strips also use color comparison but are dipped directly into the water.

OTO test kits have been around the longest and are common and cheap. OTO (OrthoTOlidene) reacts with chlorine and changes color. OTO kits also measure pH which is why they are often called Duo test kits. Unfortunately, OTO kits are pretty useless for measuring all-important free chlorine. The reaction that produces the color change is a two-stage reaction; the first change measures free chlorine and the second combined or total chlorine. The free chlorine reaction happens SOOOO fast that it?s virtually undetectable. In practice, an OTO kit is only reliable to measure pH!

DPD kits actually measure free chlorine as well as pH and alkalinity. They are a proven technology and recognized by most Health Departments as the acceptable way to test public pool water. There are drawbacks. Accuracy of test results is influenced by the freshness of the reagents, particularly DPD and the experience of the tester. DPD testing is also somewhat time consuming and complex but properly done the test is quite accurate.

Test strips are newer and truly a better way to go. Extremely fast and easy a strip is stuck in the water, removed and the reactive color changes compared to a chart right on the bottle. The basic three-way test strip measures free sanitizer, pH and total alkalinity at a glance. The results are not quite as specific as a DPD test but will definitely indicate whether the water is in the proper range or needs attention. The test is so easy that regular use is no pain at all. Test strips are now on the market will test everything from Baquacil to nitrate and salt levels.

The choice of test kit is, of course, up to each pool owner but if you want the right information throw out that Duo Test kit and switch to test strips or a DPD kit. You?ll spend less and enjoy the pool more ?cause you know the score.

Rob ?Dr. Duck? Coxworth

Soaking in your personal hot tub brings pleasure and comes with the peace of mind in knowing how well you care for the water and tub. Vacations, business travel, or visiting a day spa present an enticing opportunity to take a dip in a public hot tub or spa. But before you dip, it’s good to be prepared and assured that the facility is well cared for. After all, it’s your health and your safety.

Ask the facility management if a National Swimming Pool Foundation® (NSPF®) trained Certified Pool-Spa Operator® is responsible for maintaining the pool and spa. A certificate or wallet card should be readily accessible. If the management can’t prove a trained operator cares for the spa, it may be wise to try another facility.

Healthy water means healthy soaking.

1. Clear water. The water should be free of any color or tint, and you should be able to see the bottom clearly. A good test for this is to drop a dime on the floor of the spa. You should be able to see if it’s heads or tails. Or you should be able to read the ASME/ANSI certification statement which is on the drain covers. If the water is cloudy or colored, the water may not be sanitary, the filter may be dirty, or the water may not have been replaced and the spa cleaned often enough.

2. If there’s foam, don’t dip. Foam can sometimes mean there is presence of algaecides, which won’t harm you. But typically, foamy water indicates a build up of contaminants in the water because of poor oxidation and improper filter maintenance, both of which can promote bacterial growth in the water. Foam is a signal to stay out.

3. Fresh smell. A properly maintained pool or spa should smell fresh and clean, like fresh laundry, not dank or heavy. A chlorine smell means that chlorine has reacted with dirty water and that there may not be enough ‘free’ chlorine in the spa to destroy the contaminants. You need ‘free’ chlorine to disinfect and keep the water sanitary. Also a musty smell suggests the water may not be sanitary, the filter may be dirty, or the water may not have been replaced and the spa cleaned often enough.

4. Test the waters. You can help protect yourself by testing the water quality before you get in. Carry test strips available from any hot tub or pool retailer. Check for adequate chlorine levels in the spa (3-5ppm) and pH (7.2-7.8) levels. You can also ask the facility manager to see the chlorine test records they keep.

5. Drain and clean. Be sure to ask how often the facility cleans the filters and drains and cleans the spa. The ‘rule of thumb’ is to divide the gallons by three and then divided by the number of daily users. For example, a 600-gallon spa with about 10 daily users should be drained and cleaned about every 20 days (600 divided by 3 equals 200). In turn, 200 divide by 10 equals 20.

Safe facilities promote safe soaking.

1. Safety signs. Review and follow the posted safety rules.

2. Drain covers. Check to be sure the spa/hot tub drain covers are in place, not cracked or missing. If a drain cover is missing or cracked, the spa needs to be closed. Ideally, the spa has dual drains and anti-entrapment drain covers. These covers display a visible certification (ASME/ANSI A112.19.8M).

3. Time switch. Public spas are equipped with a 15-minute timer switch that controls the hydrotherapy jets. The timer should be located so that a person has to leave the spa to turn the jets on again.

4. Emergency switch. Locate the emergency cut-off switch, which is near the spa and turns off the circulation system in case of emergency.

5. Rescue equipment. Is it in the vicinity? Where is the staff located? Where is the emergency phone?

6. Spa surface. If you notice copper or iron stains on the bottom, this can indicate improper water balance at some time.

7. Overall maintenance. Is the area surrounding the spa well maintained? Clean? Free of rust, trash? Are the decks free of dirt and debris, glass, etc? These are sometimes indicators of how the facility is maintained for safety.

*ASME - American Society Of Mechanical Engineers
* ANSI - American National Standards Institute

For more information, visit www.nspf.org, www.theapsp.org, or www.olympichottub.com.

Alice Cunningham is co-owner of Olympic Hot Tub Company — the most award-winning retailer in the United States. Olympic Hot Tub is the oldest spa and hot tub company in the Northwest with five retail stores in the Puget Sound. Founded in 1977, the company employs 45 exceptional team members and has a customer base of over 14,000 in greater Puget Sound and SE Alaska. For more information, call 1-877-4HOT-SPRING, or visit http://www.olympichottub.com.

These days, pool covers come in extensive lines of manual, semi-automatic, and automatic systems. The latest advances in pool-cover technology include a fast and powerful waterproof cover that is used to power an automatic pool cover; “touchpad controls,” which are standard on every system; and zero-maintenance drive systems. These innovations are all backed by warranties and customer service by the manufacturers. The benefits from automatic covers—including reduced maintenance costs, solar heating, energy conservation, and elimination of evaporation—all result in savings that make up for the cost of the pool cover.

Sometimes called “horizontal fences,” these state-of-the-art pool-cover systems isolate the water and not the pool deck or backyard as conventional fences do. These pool-cover systems support the weight of several adults, providing strong barrier protection as a pool-safety device. It is possible to preserve the elegance of the pool environment with innovative track and housing designs — the latest ones available, when retracted, disappear. All these features are available without inhibiting water features, negative edges, raised walls, zero-entries, freeform designs, or other pool features.

A plain pool can be turned into a spectacular one using water features that have become very popular today. A pool that has multiple water features on two ends, with the slide only a few inches above the water, can also be covered, using the Infinity 4000® with a recessed system and walk-on-tray lid. A recessed system is one in which the motor resides below the pool decking or below ground, thus completely hiding the drive mechanism. The walk-on-tray lid covers the motor housing and provides easy access for maintenance.

A free-form shape adds personality to a pool, in addition to making it aesthetically pleasing. However, it adds to the complication of applying an automatic cover. As a result of innovative technology, free-form pools pose no design limit for the design of automatic covers. The complex designs created by the multiple curves of a pool can be taken care of by using the Infinity 4000 with a “recessed under track” system and a “deck-on-deck” design. In the deck-on-deck design, the pool cover track is on an upper deck, and the pool wall resides below the same upper deck. In a “recessed under track,” system, the motor resides below the pool decking, or below ground, hiding the drive mechanism.

Pool Covers provides detailed information on Pool Covers, Swimming Pool Covers, Inground Pool Covers, Pool Safety Covers and more. Pool Covers is affiliated with Discount Pool Supplies.

Pool supplies can generally encompass a whole array of equipment for pools. Some of these are pool sweeps, filter grids and cartridges, saltwater chlorinators, pool pumps and motors, pool filters, pump/filter combinations (skid packs for above-ground pools), pool heaters, timers and controls (electronic controls, pool timers, freeze guards), lights, valves and plumbing, and parts (cleaners, pumps, filters, heaters), as well as pool covers. Slides, diving boards, ladders, liners, and other accessories also form a part of swimming pools.

The first step toward a clean pool is pool water care. For this, a common oxidizer/sanitizer, like chlorine, is used to burn up organic material in the water, which greatly reduces the load on the filter. Care has to be taken to maintain the pH balance and proper total alkalinity level, as well as to check calcium hardness and stability. It also makes sense to get a pump that is sized properly and that won’t waste energy. A good pump should be able to pump the entire capacity of the pool in eight hours. An automatic pool cleaner is a necessary luxury that saves time. There are many pool supply websites, like Poolplaza, which displays a good range of pool equipment and cleaners; pool supply websites also provide the advice needed to select the right supplies for the pool.

Pool filters come in three varieties: Sand, D.E., and Cartridge. These days, pool heaters offer advanced designs that are much more dependable, energy efficient, and durable, besides having several more features. There are pool heaters that are even equipped with integrated pool timers and freeze protectors.

Among the available pool cover supplies are solar blankets, solar reels, domes, safety covers, and winter covers. These days, hot pods (a kind of floating spa), slime bags (to clean dirty or cloudy water), and accessories that are meant for pets are also available.

Pool Supplies provides detailed information on Pool Supplies, Pool Cleaning Supplies, Discount Pool Supplies, Pool Safety Supplies and more. Pool Supplies is affiliated with Inground Pool Covers.

Pool supplies are often available at discounted rates. All of the essential pool supplies, including pool and spa chemicals, pool toys, pool equipment, filters, solar covers, pool covers, pumps, pool supplies, and pool chemicals, are available at discounted prices.

Normally, shops offer discounted prices for limited periods or on a seasonal basis. However, online shops offer discounts all through the year for almost every item they sell. Online shops, despite their inability to give a real view of the product, give useful descriptions, user reviews, and expert comments on the products they sell. Many vendors allow their clients to order pool supplies online and purchase later from the shop.

Pool supplies have a large second-hand market; probably the largest of fast-moving goods. Most people prefer to sell their pool supplies like the filters, pumps, etc. when they relocate. These goods are available at considerably low rates from many online sellers.

In The Swim, the largest direct seller of pool supplies in the United States, offers substantial discounts for various pool supplies all through the year. Discount Pool Supplies and Spa Supplies, another major seller of pool supplies, offer discounts for every piece they sell. What Water Warehouse proffers is the advantage of direct selling. They offer as much as a 50% discount during preseason clearance. Besides sizeable discounts, many of the online pool supplies sellers offer free shipping for any purchase above a specified amount.

As an alternative, it is advisable to buy second-hand pool supplies from neighbors or friends at discounted rates. In addition to reasonable prices, you will get credible information about the age and other details of the goods you buy.

Pool Supplies provides detailed information on Pool Supplies, Pool Cleaning Supplies, Discount Pool Supplies, Pool Safety Supplies and more. Pool Supplies is affiliated with Inground Pool Covers.

You should observe the following THREE BIG RULES when you are dealing with pool chemicals.

BIG RULE #1: You should never ever mix different pool chemicals.

BIG RULE #2: Never ever add water to dry pool chemicals whether they are in a powder or tablet form.

BIG RULE #3: Never handle any pool chemicals with your bare hands and always wear protective gloves and goggles when handling them. Better be safe then sorry.

And here are the 3 indispensable chemicals that you’ll be using all the time:

1) “Shock powder.” That’s the name for the good old chlorine powder to kill all the germs, algae, bacteria and microorganisms that multiply at an amazing speed in your pool. You have to use generous amounts of “shock” for disinfection, depending on the size of your pool. A regular gallon-size “shock” bottle can run anywhere from $20 to $50 dollars, depending on where you live.

2) Chlorine tablets for the skimmers. They come in 1 inch or 3 inch diameter variety. Each skimmers usually takes 2 to 4 tablets. If you are running your pool regularly throughout summer, you need to replace your tablets probably once a week. If you got two skimmers, that means at least using 6 to 8 tablets a week. A bucket of 30 or 40 (3-inch) chlorine tablets usually runs between $60 to $80 dollars. Get ready to spend a couple of hundred dollars each summer on chlorine tablets and “shock powder” alone. Some pump and filter systems require you remove the chlorine tablets from your skimmer when the pump is not in use in order to protect the pump and the pipes from corrosion.

3) Alkaline powder. Chlorine kills germs but it also increases the acid level in your pool. If your water is not alkaline enough all metal parts will start to corrode and your water color will turn green. But if its too much alkaline, then the water will become cloudy and germs will start to multiply, presenting a health hazard. To balance it off you need to use various brand-name alkaline compounds most of which contain sodium bicarbonate.

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Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation.

He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years.

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs.

You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials.

While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited, PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS 2006:

http://www.lulu.com/content/263630

1) Are you willing to devote time regularly to maintain your pool since an in-ground swimming pool is a high maintenance item? Please be aware that, if you are planning to sell your home one day, for some buyers an in-ground swimming pool is not an asset but actually a liability due to its high-maintenance nature.

2) Do you have or are you willing to have a high fence all around your pool, complete with a locked gate?

3) Are you willing to change your pump and filter at least once in every 15 years?

4) Are you ready for the possibility that you may have to change your underground circulation pipes and skimmers perhaps once in every 15 years?

5) Are you willing to devote a regular part of your budget for the amazing variety of chemicals that your pool will need regularly to keep it sparkling clean?

6) Are you willing to vacuum the bottom of your pool on a regular basis (perhaps once a month) when your pool is in use?

7) Are you willing to spend around $1,000 to buy a good spring-lock pool cover for winter which allows the rain and snow water seep through but keeps the debris out?

If you live in a wooded area, are you willing to clean your pool off the rodents, garden snakes and other animals that will eventually find their way into your pool?

9) Are you willing to take the necessary legal precautions (like obtaining a written release form from the parents of your children’s friends) to protect yourself against the various accidents that can and do occur in and around swimming pools?

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Senior Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 corporations since 1999.

He is the editor of PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS web site http://www.privatetutor.us

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

A true movie fan since he was a child, Akinci provides FREE MOVIE PLOT IDEAS every day of the year at SCRIPT BOILER. Visit http://scriptboiler.blogspot.com today.

You are most welcomed to visit his COPYWRITING WEB SITE http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials.

It’s the swimming and swimming-pool season again. If you are living for away to a beach or there are no public swimming pools around, a private swimming pool in the backyard is always a welcomed relief – especially if you are living in the South and have kids at home.

Let’s imagine you are house hunting and you came across a house with an in-ground swimming pool. Should you jump on it? Should that be the “bonus” on which you should base your decision?

Here are the pros and cons.

************** PROS

An in-ground swimming pool is a great addition to any backyard. It provides cool convenient relief from heat and a classy way to entertain your guests. Just add a barbecue grill to a pool, add some friends, and you’ve got yourself an instant winner. Everybody loves to at least look at a clean baby blue body of water. It’s almost hypnotic.

On hot sweltering days when you can’t go to a beach, it really is a life saver. And in some regions it adds to the value of a house as well, although perhaps by not as much as you think

************** CONS

An in-ground swimming pool has a lot of liabilities as well.

First off – the legal liabilities. If you have small kids and are inviting their friends to have fun at your pool, not only you have to supervise them constantly (accidents happen within seconds!) but I strongly advise you to have their parents SIGN IN WRITING a statement that they will not hold you legally responsible should any mishap occur.

Jumping boards do not mix with kids. Any jumping board where kids and teenagers are going in and out of a pool whole day is a disaster waiting (and begging) to happen.

Swimming pools need constant chemical maintenance, cleaning up and attention. If you enjoy vacuuming your house, get ready to enjoy vacuuming the bottom of your pool as well because you have to do that regularly, perhaps once a month.

A pool is a very spoiled creature. Neglect it for just a day or two in June or July and you’ve got yourself a nice backyard swamp, complete with the smell, with mosquitoes flying all over the place. You really need to budget pool maintenance as a permanent expenditure.

Make sure you get a nice winter cover that comes with spring-locks. Yes, the ‘expensive kind’ because nothing else really works. There is no realistic alternative to a good porous cover that will allow the rain and snow water filter through yet would not puncture if a baby or an animal walks on it.

Make sure to have a good (at least 6 feet high) fence all around your pool with a locked gate. Otherwise you are opening yourself up for all kinds of legal ’situations.’

Make sure your pump and filtration system is in good working order. Approximately in every 15 years or so you probably will have to change your pump. Not only that, your underground pipes and skimmers might need to be dug up and changed as well since constant chlorine (also called “shock”) in the water slowly corrodes all plastic parts and debris and other residues eventually clog them.

If you are living in a wooded area there might be the additional problem of pest and wildlife control. Rats and chipmunks are known to regularly fall into swimming pools even when they are so chlorinated you can smell it from afar. Raccoons and shrews are also known to take over some pools at night and declare them their own private bathrooms! So have a wildlife control program under your belt. Learn the regulations of your state and county for fighting such problems. It may not be as easy and automatic as you think.

And if you still think owning an in-ground swimming pool is a cool idea, go ahead and do it. Buy that house with that magnificent blue toy in the backyard and enjoy it! After all that expense and effort and pampering, you certainly do deserve it.

————————————————————————————————————————————

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation.

He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years.

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs.

You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials.

While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited, PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS 2006:

http://www.lulu.com/content/263630

Keeping the pool clean has become an easier task these days with the availability of high-quality pool accessories. Pool-cleaning tools include pool vacuum heads, pool skimmers, and pool brushes for easier pool maintenance.

Some specialized tools include clear-view vacuums, leaf skimmers, telescoping poles, leaf rakes, wall brushes, corner brushes, stain erasers, skim tools (to skim dirt), mitts, filter savers, telepole replacement clips, aluminum pole hangers, and pole and hose hooks. Some of these are also known as pool sweeps, filter grids and cartridges, saltwater chlorinators, pool pumps and motors, pool filters, and pump/filter combinations (skid packs for above-ground pools).

The primary aspect of having a clean pool is to ensure that pool water care is up to date. Water care products such as sanitizers, balancing chemicals, algae-treatment chemicals, stain treatment/prevention products, water clarifiers, saltwater systems, and pool-testing kits. Generally, a common oxidizer/sanitizer, like chlorine, is used to burn up organic material in the water. Doing so greatly reduces the load on the filter. Maintenance of pH balance and proper total alkalinity levels are of utmost importance. Equally significant is the checking for calcium hardness and stability. A pump that is sized properly goes a long way in preventing energy waste. An automatic pool cleaner is a necessary luxury that saves time.

In order to maintain a constant chlorine feed, either hand-feeding or tablet-feeding (a floating chlorinator is an inexpensive option) can be done. Saltwater chlorine generators are an excellent and a very popular method to do this. Using a simple test kit or test strips, test the water chemistry at least once in a week and more often during times of heavier usage. Super-chlorinate the pool if the chlorine reading gets too low and if algae develops, as well as after a heavy rain.

Pool Supplies provides detailed information on Pool Supplies, Pool Cleaning Supplies, Discount Pool Supplies, Pool Safety Supplies and more. Pool Supplies is affiliated with Inground Pool Covers.