Should I Get Umbrella Liability Coverage For My Pool
In short, adding umbrella liability coverage for your pool is a really good idea. For homeowners with swimming pools, its highly recommended to get umbrella coverage, mainly because pools can pose bigger-than-usual risks compared to other places around the home. Adding umbrella liability insurance provides liability coverage in addition to your homeowners policy limits for injuries that occur in or near your pool. Your agent can help you determine if adding umbrella insurance for your pool is a good move for you.
Reduce the risk of accidents at your pool by following these simple pool safety practices.
When Not To Use Pool Stabilizer
As we mentioned above, using pool stabilizer in indoor pools is a waste of time and money. It can also actually hurt your chlorines productivity. Since indoor pools are not exposed to sunlight, the stabilizer is an unnecessary addition to your chemical soup and wont actually do any good.
The same goes for hot tubs. If you own a hot tub, you probably already know how important it is to use a hot tub cover: to protect the chlorine in your spa, to keep the heat in, and to keep unwanted debris out. Stabilizer is completely unnecessary in hot tubs and should never be used.
Vacuum More Than Once A Week
It’s best to vacuum your pool once a week at a minimum, but often, you’ll want to vacuum more than that. Your filter won’t remove all the dirt and debris in your water, especially the particles that fall to the bottom of the pool and stubbornly sit there. Manually vacuuming an above-ground pool can be a challenge, so opt for a stress-free robotic cleaner that gets the job done.
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Create A New Pool And Storage Space In Control Panel
These disk drives can be internal or external hard drives, or solid state drives. You can use a variety of types of drives with Storage Spaces, including USB, SATA, and SAS drives. The number of required drives will depend on if you want to create a simple, mirror , or parity storage space. See info at the top of this tutorial for how many drives will be required.
Storage SpacesCreate a new pool and storage spaceYesdiskCreate pool
Windows will permanently delete all partitions and files on selected formatted drives . Be sure to back up anything you do not want to lose to another disk first.
namedrive letter
REFS will only be available if previously enabled.
Next Steps: Fixing Your Drainage System
The first thing to consider is whether the drainage system you have is malfunctioning or simply not adequate. A good drainage system using piping that is clogged up should be flushed, using a pump if necessary to create the needed water pressure. A drainage system that consists only of providing a way for water to run off into the landscaping may require the addition of more formal drainage equipment in order to deal with the water flow.
In some cases, piped drainage systems may become clogged with something that cannot be washed out, such as concrete. If your drainage system is sluggish and cannot be flushed clean, consider this as a potential issue. Broken equipment can also cause drainage problems, so it may be necessary to inspect the entire system for issues if it cannot be properly flushed.
If you have water going where you do not want it to, you might need to install additional drains in your system. Putting another drain between the source of the water and the location where it is currently ending up should solve this problem. However, if an existing piped drainage system is in place, this may require some construction work.
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What Time Of Year Should You Replaster Your Pool
There are a number of reasons why you might need to replaster your pool, but no matter what the reason, timing is an important issue. Typically, you want to shoot for an ideal temperature range rather than a time of year because temperatures at different times of the year vary so much across the country. In general, the ideal temperature for replastering a pool is somewhere between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit with a fair amount of humidity. Crews can definitely work outside of that temperature range though.
Depending on where you are located, these temperatures might occur in the spring or fall, with some southern areas of the U.S. experiencing them throughout winter. It is not generally possible to plaster when it is a lot colder than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, although we will work when temperatures dip down into the 40s. If the weather gets too hot and dry, the newly-applied plaster may dry too fast and develop tiny cracks that can affect integrity.
Wind may also affect the timing involved because it can kick up dirt and debris that may wind up stuck in the wet plaster. In some areas, certain months of the year that are ideal temperature-wise may be too windy for pool replastering. The combination of these factors makes it difficult to say with certainty when it is best to replaster a pool. Your local professional will make a recommendation based on your specific circumstances.
Testing Your Freshly Filled Pool Water
To find out the water balance of your source water, just use a pool test kit or test strips. Be sure that your kit or strips are fresh, last years supply may produce inaccurate results.
To produce the full battery of water tests , you will need a complete test kit like the Taylor Deluxe K-2005. If you prefer test strips, AquaChek Select 7-Way, and LaMotte Insta Test 6 are both complete test strips.
Taking a water sample to the pool store may not be the best option, as their system is designed to sell you chemicals, after which you will need to test the water again, and test all summer – so you may as well buy the K-2005 , or buy some fresh 6-way or 7-way test strips, which aren’t as accurate, but may be close enough.
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The #1 Item For Dad To Enjoy Around The Pool
While a new tie or some socks are the gift that all fathers really want, they are not able to use them in the pool which makes them less-than-ideal as a pool themed gift for dear old Dad. Why not get him something that he can really use in this pool toy golf pitch floating practice pad.An astute parent would realize the benefit of both entertaining Dad as well as tiring the kids out since someone needs to swim around and collect all the shots that missed the floating pad. Getting a great gift for Dad can be tough but working on your golf game is certainly more interesting than just floating in the pool holding your noodle!
Check Filter And Backwash As Needed
The three most popular types of filters – sand, cartridge and vertical grid DE – screen out debris and particles from your pool water. You should clean and maintain your filter according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Check your pool filter weekly, removing any debris that has gathered within.
Backwash the pool filter as needed .
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Why Do I Need To Vacuum My Pool If I Have A Robotic Pool Cleaner
If youve ever seen your robotic pool cleaner push a pile of waterlogged leaves from one end of your swimming pool to the other, you know what were talking about: Robotic pool cleaners are great for light, day-to-day maintenance, but theyre not designed for heavy lifting. If debris isnt removed promptly, it can wreak havoc on your water quality and lead to maintenance issues like algae. A pool vacuum makes short work of heavy debris, helping you keep your pool clean and inviting and preventing maintenance headaches.
Old Carpet A Free Option
This is another good material that will help you decide. We really like this solution since it can be FREE if you can find someone disposing of their old carpet. Just put the carpet down under the pool, with the plush side up. The carpet provides good protection from the stones and pebbles that could cause a tear in the liner, but it does not provide as much cushion and uniform surface for cleaning as the foam tiles do.
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Above Ground Pool Accessories
These fun accessories are really self-explanatory, so we arent going to spend a lot of time on them.
There are a lot of accessories that can actually make your life easier as far as maintaining your above ground pool . In most cases, you will be provided with basic maintenance equipment when you purchase your pool, but its important to know there are variations of this equipment and differing levels of these tools.
Once your pool is installed and you start to see what you need help with, then you can upgrade or add to your equipment. For example, if leaves are a problem in keeping your pool clean, there are specifically designed leaf vacuums and even a bracket & net you can install on your wall that will collect the leaves before they drop to the bottom. This will help prevent algae from having something to bloom on and you winding up with a bright green pool.
On the vacuum heads, you will discover there is a wide variety to choose from. There are different vacuum heads you can upgrade to that will cover more surface area as you vacuum, or ones that will brush the pool floor as you vacuum, helping you collect more of the fine dirt/dust from the bottom.
If the thought of vacuuming anything else around your home makes you cringe, there are robotic vacuums that are essentially a self-contained unit. You simply plug them in and turn them on and they will vacuum the pool while you are at work or sleeping at night very similar to a Roomba!
Alkalinity Adjusting Chemicals For Pool Start Up
If your pools initial test shows an incorrect amount of alkalinity, then you need to add some chemicals to fix it. It doesnt matter if it was too high or too low, chemicals are going to be needed.
This should be the first chemical that you add to your pool during start-up. This one can really affect the pH level of your pool. Sorting this out first prevents you from ruining your hard work on your pools pH level by doing it afterward.
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The Best Time To Use Pool Stabilizer
You will probably only need to add pool stabilizer to your pool water once a year. No, that is not a misprint.
Once. A. Year. Amazing right?
Pool stabilizer not only stabilizes the chlorine in your pool but is pretty darn stable itself. It just stays and stays and stays in your water, working hard, doing its job, and not getting used up .
Its because of this chemical longevity that you dont need to add it very often to your pool, which is good news for your schedule and your wallet. The only caveat to this is if you use a combination product like stabilized chlorine.
The #1 Item To Have Fun With In The Pool
Other than your significant other, or booze, or both, the Sea Doo Dolphin Scooter is just about the most fun you are ever going to have in your pool. While made for children these units will easily drag around a full grown man and hold a battery charge for 1.5 hours.When I was young the best pool toy that we had was a ball…and we were happy to have it. I mean, we would have preferred the Sea Doo Dophin Scooter hand-held personal water propulsion vehicle…but a ball was good too!
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Chemicals Youll Need To Start Up Your Swimming Pool
Starting a pool up, either for the first time or for the season, is a big task. Between the cleaning and chemicals for a pool start-up, it is hard work for any pool owner.
Pools are seasonal in most areas of the world. Weather and climate sadly necessitate most being closed for certain periods of the year. This is bound to make start up difficult.
If you consider how much work goes into weekly pool maintenance and maintaining your pools chemical balance, it isnt surprising that a dormant pool requires quite a bit of work to be safe for use again.
Using the right chemicals when staring a pool up will get your water off to the right start. The rest of the season can go well, with only need maintenance work needed to keep your water in good health. However, if you get things wrong the entire start-up could drag out as you attempt to fix your pools water.
What chemicals you need for a pool start up is actually going to vary on a few things, like what water youre filling your pool with. However, testing your water should give you all the information to get things done right.
Beginner Swim Workout To Get You Confident In The Pool
Swimming might not be the first workout you think of when you decide to get active. With a lot of people nowadays flocking to the gym, the benefits of an aquatic workout are sometimes forgotten. But do yourself a favor and dont underestimate the power of the pool.
Swimming is a great way to strengthen your muscles, improve your endurance, and improve your health overall . With all the cardio that swimming provides, youre sure to get your heart rate up and trim your weight down. If you arent used to exercising in water, however, it can seem a bit intimidating. Thats why weve compiled a couple of workouts to get used to the water.
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How To Use Pool Stabilizer
In many aspects of life, its a good idea to read the instructions: board games rules, cooking recipes, or IKEA furniture-assembly. Usually, we recommend following the manufacturers instructions when it comes to pool maintenance too. Pool stabilizer is one giant exception.
Many pool stabilizer manufacturers will instruct you to add the chemical directly into your pool water or maybe straight into the filter. Dont do this. Remember, pool stabilizer is cyanuric acid which is an acid. Although its a mild acid, it can still damage your pool equipment if it comes into direct contact.
The best method is to dissolve the pool stabilizer granules completely in a big bucket of fresh water before dumping the whole thing into your pool. Be patient while it dissolves, the timing will depend on the brand, consistency, and form of the stabilizer. But either way, youll be safeguarding your expensive pool equipment and also adding some extra water into your pool.
Addressing Alkalinity In Your Pool
Now it’s time to keep the water hardness in check, otherwise known as alkalinity. Think of pH as an air conditioner that cools your home and alkalinity is the thermostat that adjusts your temperature. The two are linked, meaning one changes with the other. Alkalinity is important since water that is too hard negatively affects your pool pump seals, o-rings, jet nozzles and immersed equipment.
Lastly, make sure you add some algaecide for good measure. Most people think algaecide is only for when you see algae. However, it should also be used as a preventative treatment. Use an algaecide before you have a need for it, and keep the nasties at bay.
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How Do Salt Test Strips Work
Test strips are the easiest way to test pools and they work the same for both chlorine and salt water pools.
They’re made with pads on the end of the strips that are specially treated with a chemical that reacts with pool chemicals.
You just hold the strip under water for a few seconds and then let it set out for a few minutes.
You’ll then read the color on the strip and compare it to the chart in your manufacturers instructions.
Easy peasy!
Testing Your Sand Bottom
The weight of the water in the pool will help to compact the sand bottom underneath the liner. Generally it takes 5-10 days for the sand to be fully compacted and become hardened.
The first time you get in the pool to swim, gently feel the bottom of the pool to ensure the sand is sufficiently compacted. If the bottom is still soft, give it a few more days before walking around on the bottom.
***Country Leisure Pro Tip: Leaving footprints in the bottom of the pool will make it extremely difficult to vacuum your pool dont rush this step!
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Bonus: Factors That Lower Ph
For the most part, pool pH will rise over time, so there are not too many cases where a pool’s pH remains low, or continues to lower over time. That’s why we have devoted an entire article to rising pH, and a mere bonus segment within it for lower pH. In a cementitious pool , pH will almost always rise. This segment is really more for fiberglass and vinyl liner pools.
Some reasons for pool pH being reduced or staying low include using acidic chlorine like trichlor and getting a lot of rain. Rainwater tends to be acidic, and it can be even more acidic the closer you are to a major city. Another thing: rainwater contains no calcium carbonate, meaning it’s not only acidic but super aggressive on the LSI. Other things that can lower pH in a pool are leaves and pine needles. This is an underestimated factor, especially during the offseason.
Climates that get a lot of rain or snow in the winter time, combined with leaves and pine needles on a mesh cover? Yep, that pH is going down in the short term, probably making the water low on the LSI, so it has to correct itself. This leads us into entirely different conversations about types of calcium dusting in pools that occur during the winter, as well as other issues like pool crystals and calcium formations. Fortunately, we have already written about those topics.
Chemicals that lower pH
To lower pH, you must increase dissolved CO2. There are two ways to do this.
