Month: August 2012

Vinyl Liners
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What are the pink marks on my liner?

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It does not happen very often, but sometimes a pool liner will display some pink coloured marks. These are usually on the floor of the pool and will look “cloudy” rather than have defined lines or shapes. The pink colour is more commonly seen on a liner that has a white base and it is what we call “microbial staining”.

It seems to affect about 1 in every 500 pools, so while it is uncommon, it does happen. What causes it? Following heavy rain, pools in an area with a high water table can get water pass behind the liner. If this water contains certain microbes, and these microbes feast on the nutrients in the water, they will excrete small deposits. Those ‘deposits’ are acually a dye, and these dyes can move through the PVC and create cloudy stains on the inside of the pool liner.

This problem is purely site related and has no relationship to the batch of pool liner fabric or the colour of the liner or the person who installed it in the pool. It just happens when the ground water brings with it these nasty microbes, who in turn discolour the liner.

The good news is the liner is not affected in performance or longevity. The dye has just changed the colour a little and the pool will remain fully functional and easy to maintain as always. The microbial staining can disappear after short while if the ground water drains away from behind the liner and the stain will slowly fade.

Be careful if your pool chemical supplier advises you to “double the dose” of chlorine as you can damage the pattern or colour of your pool liner. (While this technique has been known to reduce the stains, it is most certainly not recommended).

A product called “Copperas Iron Sulphate” has been suggested as a remedy for this problem and is a much better option to try.

Apply the Iron Sulphate by using around 5Kg’s for an average 9mx4m pool. It is applied by sprinkling it around the pool surround (on all sides) and then watering it well into the ground with a sprinkler. Allow it to soak in and get down to the ground water around the pool over the next few days. This process is designed to change the ground PH to a level that will kill off the microbes and stop the dis-coloration of the pool liner. Be careful not to get the Iron Sulphate on paving areas as it can stain concrete and other paving products.

Pool Covers/Solar Blankets
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Solar Pool Cover: Water inside the bubbles

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Have you ever noticed a small amount of water inside the bubbles of your solar pool cover? No, it does not mean your cover has holes in it – the water is not seeping inside. It’s actually just condensation, (like you get on the outside of a cold drink). It means that the air inside the bubble is a different temperature to the air outside of the bubbles. It is not a fault with the cover, and does not mean the cover is damaged. It is perfectly normal, the water droplets will disappear as soon as the temperatures inside the bubble and outside equalize again.

This condensation will not affect the performance of the pool cover in any way.  🙂

 

 

Uncategorized
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Where can I buy a cheap shade sail?

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A lot of hardware stores and even $2 shops now are selling ready made shade sails. However – don’t be tempted – the saying “you only get what you pay for” certainly applies when it comes to shade sails!

The smaller sails around the 3sqm are fine but the larger ones must be designed to work correctly and must be made to exact measurements. Don’t expect a cheap sail to last any length of time.

Cheap sails are made genuinely with cheaper materials. A good sail normally has stainless cables round the edges where as cheaper imported ones have only have webbing. The thread or stitching that holds the fabric at the ends is one of the smallest and yet most important components. If the stitching fails, the entire sail is in danger of ripping. We strongly recommend that you don’t compromise this when you purchase a sail. Get the best to start with as it is all time and money having to remove and replace the sails plus the cost of the repair or re stitching.

Always check the sail material and its UV rating. A good sail will last you at least 10 years where a cheap ready-made sail will only last a fraction of this time.

There are many variables associated with sail design and it is important that the attachment points are suitable for the possible loading created by the elements.

Pool Covers
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How to stop heat loss from my pool

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The biggest cause of heat loss from a swimming pool is evaporation. A number of factors contribute to evaporation in your pool – air temperature compared to the water temperature, humidity level and the amount of wind blowing across the surface of the pool. The bigger the difference between the air temperature and the water temperature in a pool, the greater the evaporation and therefore the greater the heat loss. The same for low humidity environments, the potential for evaporation is increased when the humidity is low. When the wind is blowing across the surface of the pool, you increase the amount of evaporation and therefore heat loss.

If you are spending money to heat your pool, the last thing you want to do is throw that money down the drain…  So invest in a good quality pool cover, and you’ll see the difference straight away! The pool cover will create a barrier between the wind and the water surface, and can also stop up to 99% of evaporation! A cover with good thermal properties will also stop heat loss through the fabric.

There are some different types of covers ranging from chemicals that coat the water surface, to floating rings to proper fabric covers. The chemicals and rings are not as effective as good quality fabric cover that is fully waterproof and covers the whole surface of the pool in one piece.  The chemical style evaporates away by itself and needs to be continually added to be of any benefit. Rings – while they look cute, and (individually) stop evaporation, they are really not a practical solution as they leave lots of gaps which allow leaves and debris to fall through to the pool water. These eventually sink to the floor of the pool and need to be cleaned up by a pool vacuum or automatic pool cleaner. If you use a one piece fabric cover, it will help keep the leaves out of the pool as well as stop heat loss. Most fabric covers can be used in conjunction with a pool reel system to make covering and uncovering easier.

So if your main goal is to stop your pool from losing heat overnight, the best thing you can do is invest in a good quality, thermal pool cover.