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1. Cheaper technicians mostly clean commercial pools 

Big pool-cleaning corporations land deals to clean commercial pools by undercutting their competitors. Thus, because the rates charged by these companies are deemed to be cheaper, they often are given the deal. However, most commercial property owners fail to recognize that this company most likely hires the services of poorly qualified technicians that are most likely less experienced, less qualified, and underpaid hence less motivated. Consequently, the quality of service provided in most cases is dismal.

2. It is much simpler to clean residential pools 

Residential pools are much simpler to clean compared to commercial pools. This is because they have less water, are smaller, and have fewer swimmers using it, subsequently making it cheaper to clean them.

3. Commercial pools are not regularly super-chlorinated 

Have you ever wondered why commercial pools always have stronger chlorinated smell compared to residential pools? Well, that smell is not caused by chlorine but by chloramines, which result from chlorine killing the organic materials. Therefore, the stronger this smell is, the filthier the pool. To neutralize this pungent smell, the levels of chlorine in the commercial pool should be boosted by adding three to five times the standard level of chlorine to make the pool super chlorinated. Doing this will restore the chlorine levels to normal devoid of all the chloramines. Thus, the strong chlorine smell in commercial pools is because they are not super chlorinated regularly.

4. You will find more outdoor contaminants in residential pools 

About 99.9% of all residential pools are situated outdoors; hence, your pool gets stained with outdoor pollutants every time you make use of it. You thus need to skim the contaminants, including those invisible to the naked eye, like pollen from the residential pool more frequently in comparison to commercial pools. Nevertheless, this is the only maintenance downside of having a residential pool.

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Steps to getting your pool summer ready:

1. Clean, remove and store your pool cover
2. Measure your water level and add more if necessary
3. Turn on and reconnect your equipment
4. Test your pool chemistry
5. Scoop away any debris and then brush and vacuum your pool
6. Shock your pool and then apply algaecide

Step 1: Clean, remove and store your pool cover

This is pretty self-explanatory so we won’t dive into too much detail. Though, this really is a moment of truth. If you have maintained your pool throughout winter and kept your pumps and filters running for a few hours per day, the water waiting for you should still pretty blue. If not, it might look like a swamp and then you need to read our guide on how to clean a green pool.

Step 2: Measure your water level and add more if necessary

This is a great chance to check if your pool has any leaks before the swimming season begins. To do this you need a bucket and a marker. Then:

• Fill the bucket with water and then place it on the top step of your pool.
• Mark where the water comes up to on the inside and outside
• Wait 24 hours

If the water significantly decreases outside the bucket then there’s a pool leak. If the water only decreases insight the bucket then you’re losing water to evaporation. In any case, when you do fill your pool water, it should be about half-way up your skimmer.

Step 3: Turn on and reconnect your equipment

In most cases, your equipment will already be up and running all winter long. Only where freezing temperatures are common will you need to perform this step – not most people in Australia! In any case, the equipment you will need to reconnect and turn on includes your pumps and filters.

Step 4: Test your pool chemistry

Even with proper winter maintenance, your water balance will need some slight adjusting for the warmer weather. Therefore, take a sample of your pool water to your local pool shop. When you’re scooping the water out, make sure you stick your arm in until your elbow, so that you may get a more accurate reading.

Step 5: Scoop away any debris then brush and vacuum your pool

This means get rid of any floating leaves and then apply some elbow grease and get scrubbing. Once you’ve completed all that, it’s time to vacuum the remaining debris off the floor. If you’re not into the hard labour though, you can try buying a robot pool cleaner instead. Here’s how you can make sure that you’ve chosen the right one.

Step 6: Shock your pool and apply algaecide

Over winter, your pool probably hasn’t received as much chlorine as it should have. To kill off any potential bacteria use some pool shock – a much stronger dosage of chlorine. Then, apply algaecide to kill and prevent and further algae from growing.

Finally, don’t forget to invite your friends over and enjoy your pool. We hope this guide helped.

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The practice of hydrotherapy has been around in some form since 4500BC. The Romans were the first to adopt this practice with their famous Roman Baths being part of their everyday lives. Today, hydrotherapy is widely used as part of therapy and in some cultures is even considered a way to cure disease.

In this article, we’re sticking to why your institution might need a hydrotherapy system for medicinal purposes and what the benefits of hydrotherapy systems are.

Aquatic therapy

This type of therapy is often administered by a physiotherapist for recovery from injury. They will often require their patients to assume various physical positions based on the results they wish to achieve.

Contrast baths

A proven method to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling, contrast bath therapy involves patients using hot and cold baths interchangeably.

Hydro-massage

For this type of therapy, jets are used as a massage mechanism to ease pain and provide relaxation.

Kneipp System

This hydrotherapy method involves using varying water temperatures along with herbal and mineral baths. It is commonly used in spiritual practice.

Benefits of hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy is useful for the following types of treatments:

• Pain management
• Rehabilitation i.e. pre- and post-joint replacement surgery
• Treating arthritis
• Improving joint range of motion and muscle flexibility
• Strength conditioning through resistance training
• Weight loss
• Relaxation

How does hydrotherapy work?

Hydrotherapy is a unique treatment method as it treatment can be administered through both assistive an resistive forces thanks to the principles of water. They are as follows:

Buoyancy: a body immersed in a liquid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the displaced liquid. This explains why patient’s body’s feel lighter in water as opposed to on land.

Hydrostatic Pressure: This refers to the increase in pressure as depth increases as well. This occurs as the density of water increases at greater depths.

Viscosity: This refers to the resistance to movement in water. The higher the water speed then the higher the resistance to movement.

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Winter is the perfect time for algae to grow in your swimming pool. If you let that happen, it can damage your pool linking and equipment. Though it may not seem like it, winter is actually the perfect time to perform little bits of pool maintenance.

By doing a little bit often, you’ll have a healthy pool come summer. Below, we’ve detailed five steps that you need to take to properly maintain your pool during winter. Let’s dive into it.

Step 1: Prepare Your Pool Before You Close It

If you prep your pool correctly before closing it for the season then you’ve taken a major step toward keeping it clean for summer. So, what do you need to do to prep it properly?

• Skim your pool and remove all debris
• Scrub all pool surfaces, to get rid of algae
• Manually vacuum your pool

Step 2: Run Your Pool Filters

No doubt, your pool will be a little cloud after all that scrubbing. You can clear up that cloudiness by running your pool filters. You should be doing this for about 8-hours per day during the on-season anyway.

By running your filters, you will be preventing fats and oils from accumulating in your pool. Thereafter, continue to run your filters for about 4-hours per day during the off-season.

Step 3: Get Your Chemical Balance Right

This is the most important part of keeping your pool healthy all year round. Make sure your pH levels are where they should be – between 7.2 and 7.6. Common chemicals that you will require to do this include:

• Algaecide
• Chlorine
• Clarifier
• Stabiliser

If you’re not sure about what these do then you can have a chat with us and we’ll be happy to explain.

Step 4: Buy a Pool Blanket

This is an obvious one. You’ve spent all this time manually removing debris from your pool. The pool blanket will help you keep them out. Other than that, a pool blanket helps trap the heat in your pool water. This will in turn stabilise your pH levels.

Step 5: Check on Your Pool from Time to Time

Here’s where you don’t want to undo all your hard work. You need to monitor your pool from time to time. Check your pH levels about once a week and add the appropriate chemicals as needed. Also, don’t forget to run your filters for about 4 hours per day. Finally, winter is a great time to clean the surrounding pool elements such as the pavement and decking, which are also magnets for algae.

The post How to Correctly Maintain Your Pool During Winter appeared first on Hydrocare Pools.

Physically cleaning a swimming pool is one of the most dreadful tasks pool owners face. After all, a pool is all about relaxing, soaking in some sun, and enjoyment with friends.

Unfortunately, having fun in the pool is only the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg can be found in the pool maintenance you need to do to enjoy your pool. This is why many pool owners opt to buy a robot cleaner, and you should too.

If you don’t already own a robot pool cleaner, keep reading to find out what the top 8 benefits of robot pool cleaners are.

Environmentally friendly

Modern robot pool cleaners (RPC) are eco-friendly and this is one of their best benefits. Firstly, RPCs run underwater and don’t produce any harmful chemicals. That means you, your family and the surrounding environment are perfectly safe. Additionally, RPCs don’t produce any gases, unlike many other robotic devices.

Energy efficient

Robot pool cleaners are kind of like air conditioning units. They don’t consume as much electricity as people think they do. RPCs don’t consume high amounts of voltage. In fact, they consumer about as much electricity as a regular light bulb – about 60 – 70 watts/hour. So, you’re saving time and money.

Money saver

RPCs go beyond saving you money on electricity, particularly for businesses. If you run/own any sort of commercial pool i.e. aquatic centre then an RPC will help reduce some of your staff costs. An RPC is a one-time investment that takes up a little bit of electricity. Staff, on the other, require you pay their wage/salary, super etc. Now, if you’re a residential pool owner that’s sick of cleaning your pool manually, an RPC will save you from having to pay for expensive pool cleaning services.

Maintains safe pool chemicals

RPCs reduce the amount of chemicals that you need to use to keep your pool clean. Pool disinfectants can have a high level of chlorine concentration – between 10% and 90%. These chemicals are mostly used to rid a swimming pool of algae and other bacteria. RPCs use advanced brushing technology to scrub away dust, algae and bacteria from all parts of your pool. This means that there is less work that the chemicals need to do.

Water saver

Blockage of pipes and filters is an issue that requires backwashing and wastes large amounts of water. Swimming pool systems have meters worth of pipes bending leading to a pump and then filter. Dirt particles get sucked through to the filter where they often stay until their backwashed. As we mentioned, backwashing wastes quite a bit of water. RPCs independently remove dirt and debris from the pump. This means that your filter will get clogged less often and require less backwashing.

Low maintenance

RPCs are low maintenance and this is another one of their major benefits. An RPCs only job is to collect dirt. Conveniently, RPCs have self-contained filter bags, which means that you don’t need to do any backwashing to remove dirt that the RPC collects. Simply take out the bag, remove the dirt, and put the bag back in. Simple!

Advanced cleaning technology

RPCs have superior cleaning capabilities that both humans and circulation pump filters. Their job is to navigate the pool walls and floor (including corners) and suck out all pollutants. This means, internal pollutants such as algae, dust and microscopic bacteria, as well as external pollutants such as human sweat, urine (don’t be one of those people), and suntan lotions. Also, they can get rid of pollutants carried into the pool by wind i.e. leaves, pollens, twigs etc.

Plug and play

Finally, an RPC epitomises what pool ownership is all about – leisure! RPCs are plug and play. This means you don’t need to worry about following a manual to assemble the device. There is some setting up to do i.e. pool size and intensity of cleaning, but that’s like setting your washing machine. Other than that, however, you simply take out your RPC, turn it on, put it in the water, and you’re ready to go. That’s all there is to it!

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Why do you want a pool?

If you’re installing a pool at a residential property then some reasons you might want to build a pool include: increasing property value; showcasing status or perhaps for aesthetic reasons.

For commercial projects such as theme park pools or roof-top hotel pools, reasons could include improving the customer experience, or getting 5-star status for your hotel.

Asking these questions will help you answer whether you need a residential or commercial pool builder. In either case, you will need to place your trust in someone with the capabilities and experience to realise your project.

If you’re after a commercial pool builder, Hydrocare Pools has 30+ years of industry experience, on which you can rely to successfully complete any pool building project regardless of shape, size or position.

What do you want to use the pool for?

This question is most often overlooked by those in the market for a residential pool. Uses could include lap swimming and leisure for home use. There’s no sense in building a figure-8-shaped pool if you want to use it for exercise.

If you’re building a commercial pool and it’s located in a fun park, then you want to be across all the available water features. If it’s in a sporting complex and used for diving, you want to ensure your pool has adequate depth.

In any case, this is one of the most important questions that you can ask to give you and your chosen builder an idea of what type of pool you require.

What is your budget?

A key question, that will definitely help your pool builder set realistic expectations for you. A responsible pool builder won’t push you to blow your budget. They will be able to suggest shapes, sizes, materials etc, all to suit your budget.

As far as materials are concerned, concrete has been the standard for years. Though, now fibre glass, stainless steel and vinyl are all becoming increasingly popular.

Where will build your pool?

Another key question, and one that your pool builder will also ask you no doubt.

Will your pool be located indoors or outdoors? If it’s inside, is it in a large building with plenty of space or is it the centrepiece of magnificent hotel basement? For indoor builds, you will need to take insulation and ventilation into consideration.

For outdoor builds: will your pool be in a backyard or perhaps on a hotel rooftop? What kind of work will be involved in making room for the outdoor pool? Will any landscaping be required?

Again, these are questions that an experienced pool builder can help you answer.

How do you choose the right pool designer and builder?

This is where you need to do your research. First, check the company portfolio of all candidates you short list. Ask for examples of past work and ask the pool builder to explain to you their process.

An additional step is to ask your pool builder if their happy for you to talk some past clients that they’ve worked with. Though, if not, check out some online reviews. Google reviews is a good place to start.

Do you want any pool accessories?

Pool accessories have gone beyond traditional inflatable toys. Today, there are a wide variety of pool accessories that you can install for your pool. Common accessories include slides, waterfalls, fountains and special lighting.

How will you look after your pool?

You need to be completely across pool maintenance after you’ve invested a significant sum of money into your pool project. This involves creating and following a regular pool maintenance schedule, as well as understanding what’s involved in pool maintenance.

Pool maintenance needs to occur on a daily basis, particularly for commercial pools. If you’re a residential pool owner, then hiring a pool servicing professional for weekly pool maintenance is a sound idea.

For commercial pool owner, if you don’t have an expert employed full-time then hiring a company capable of providing commercial pool services is your best option.

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At Hydrocare, we’ve got 30+ years of industry experience. During that time, we’ve undertaken quite a number of projects as a leading commercial pool builder.

Continue reading this article to find out what 10 steps are involved in building a swimming pool.

Paperwork:

It all starts with your local council. You need approval to build a pool in your backyard. Part of the approval process involves preparing all levels of detail to the council, including:

• Plans and drawings
• Details of levels
• Datum points
• Steel plans
• Concrete plans
• Hydraulic plans

Some councils, such as those located in NSW will require a geotechnical survey, check for underground cables, as well as other site considerations i.e. nearby sewers of storm water drainage systems or other pipes that may be running beneath the site.

Excavation:

Once your local council has approved the new project, excavators will be brought in on site to begin digging. The first step involves creating a bright ‘mark-out’ (or outline) of the pool. Thereafter, excavation begins. As excavation is completed, the steel load will be delivered, preparing for the next step.

Steel fixing:

You’ve probably seen steel fixing applied to various sorts of construction. Essentially, professional steel fixers will create a steal cage around the pool. The cage will feature cross-cross shapes for the concrete to be sprayed onto.

Part of this step is pre-installing the plumbing for the interior of the pool. At this stage a pool building professional will layout the piping that will need to go through the concrete. Items include, blower lines, electrics, pool returns and suctions, solar provisions and water features.

Concreting:

Next, professional concreters are called in with their specialised tools to spray concrete mix onto the pool wall. The concrete mix is then shaped using special tools. Thereafter, the shell needs to be watered down twice a day for a fortnight, in order for it to absorb moisture.

External plumbing:

Once you decide where you’d like for your pump and filter to be situated, a plumber can get to installing those on site. This involves running all lines from the pool i.e. blower lines, heating lines, return lines, suction lines and spa lines.

Coping and landscaping:

Here’s where your pool really begins to take shape. During the coping and landscaping phase, coping and/or granite rocks, surround paving, waterline tiles and any water feature rocks or blocks will be delivered and constructed/laid.

Licensed professionals will lay the coping and waterline tiles on a bed of cement and sand. To allow for concrete movement, expansion joints will also be installed.

Keep in mind, you may need to seal your coping/paving depending on the type you choose.

Fence inspection:

The penultimate step to building a pool before start up is to make sure that your pool fence is compliant with all regulations. These will vary from state to state. The inspection would have already been paid for during the initial lodgement for approval. Once your fence has passed inspection, you may begin pebbling.

Pebble interior:

The last step of pool construction is pebbling the interior. This is the final step before you pool is filled up with water and started up. Pebbling prevents any further leakages. Once your pool has been pebbled, it will then be acid washed and filled up.

Start up:

Once your pool has been filled it is time to arrange for your pool start up. This includes cleaning the entire pool and all filtration equipment, including starting up the chlorinator, filter and pump, as well as chemically balancing the pool.

It’s a good idea to be completely across pool maintenance. Be sure to read plenty of articles about pool maintenance to avoid any big long-term problems. Though, a professional should still take you through pool maintenance during hand over.

Hand over:

During the handover stage a pool servicing professional should take you through pool maintenance – both on and off season. They will teach you how to take care of your pool, from equipment to balancing your chemicals.

The post The Pool Building Process in 10 Steps: appeared first on Hydrocare Pools.

A robotic pool cleaner may sound like quite the expensive investment but it definitely pays off in the long run.

If you’re in the market for a robotic pool cleaner then it pays to be educated. There’s plenty to consider. After all, your robotic pool cleaner isn’t cheap, as it will be doing all the heavy lifting for you.

Though robotic pool cleaners seem quite expensive, they’re actually more economical than hose-fed pool cleaners in the long run.

Here’s what you need to consider before you purchase a robot for your pool:

What type of pool do you have?

This is simple. Do you have an in-ground or above-ground pool?

In-ground pools have a solid foundation and often come in all shapes and sizes, and also have varying surfaces. You will need a suitable robotic pool cleaner that can accommodate.

Above-ground pools can be assembled by the owners themselves. Therefore, most have a simple shape and size, as they are likely for family use. Naturally, you will need a robotic pool cleaner that accommodates to above-ground pools.

Note: it’s easier to find a robotic pool cleaner for an above-ground pool, as there aren’t too many to choose from.

What’s the purpose of your pool?

Is your pool for commercial or residential use? This is an important question to answer.

A backyard pool and community/commercial pool have vastly different requirements. As such, they require different RPCs.

For example, the Dolphin S20 robotic pool cleaner is a viable option for a backyard pool. As for a commercial pool, you will want to buy a commercial robotic pool cleaner i.e. Dolphin Wave 300XL

What’s the size and volume of debris falling into your pool?

Debris are definitely annoying. Your pool seems to be a magnet for them. Though, it’s something you need to pay attention to. Particularly if there are plenty of trees around your pool.

Depending on the debris falling into your pool, your robotic pool cleaner should be able to swim to the top, as well as clean the floor. Dolphin Robot Pool cleaners by Maytronics are a popular brand to consider.

Some robotic pool cleaners have larger filter bags. Choose one of these if there is a high volume of debris falling into your pool.

How big is your pool and what elements does it possess?

Size is an obvious question that needs answering. Your robotic pool cleaner needs to be able to reach the far edges of your pool. All robotic pool cleaners come with a fixed length cable.

What you really need to consider is your pool elements i.e. steps, inclines, slopes. If you have these in your pool, then you need to choose a robotic pool cleaner that can climb.

For RPCs that can climb walls, ensure that your pool walls are sturdy enough for your cleaner to suck up to, particularly for above-ground pools.

What type of pool floor do you have?

Finally, determine the type of pool floor that you have. This is an important factor to consider when choosing a robotic pool cleaner as that’s what it will be cleaning mostly.

Is your pool floor flat, irregular or rocky? What’s it made of i.e. fibreglass, tiles or vinyl? You need to check whether your RPC will be able to cope with your pool floor surface.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, it’s important to know the ins and outs of your pool and robotic pool cleaner before making a purchase. It’s an expensive mistake to make should you choose the wrong one.

If you’re not sure, talk to your local pool shop or contact us. We have 30+ years of residential and commercial pool building and servicing experience. We also sell both residential and commercial dolphin robotic pool cleaners.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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How to clean a Green Pool

If you have ever removed your pool cover after a lengthy off-season only to see that your pool resembles a swamp then you’ve encountered the infamous green pool. This is the result of a serious chemical imbalance as well as plenty of neglect. Your pool needs to be shown plenty of TLC even during the off-season to remain at its sparkling best. Fortunately, you can clean up a green pool on your own and expensive pool cleaners can be avoided. Keep reading to find out how.

What makes the pool green?

You need to understand what causes your water to turn green before you can begin clearing it up. The simple answer to the above question is algae. When there’s a chemical imbalance in your pool algae is given the chance to grow. Also, algae grow when you don’t regularly scrub your pool walls, liner and surroundings.

The six steps to clearing up your green pool

1. Determine if your pool is too far gone
2. Test your pool’s chemical balance
3. Shock your pool
4. Pump and filter your pool to achieve optimum pH levels
5. Apply some elbow grease
6. Consistently maintain your pool going forward

Step 1: Is your pool water too green?

If you can see between 20 and 30cm into your pool then you’re in luck – you can perform a green pool recovery all on your own. If you can’t, then your best bet is to call in a pool servicing professional who will most likely drain, acid-wash and then refill your pool – sounds expensive! That’s why you should maintain your pool regularly to avoid any potential headaches.

Step 2: Test your pool water:

The next step is to test your pool water’s pH levels, also known as the chemical balance. The ideal pH level is 7.4, which is the same pH level as that of the human eye. Green pools are often indicators of little to no chlorine inside the pool, meaning you will have to shock it. Though, simply adding lots of chlorine will result in cloudy water. So, it’s important to know your pH levels first.

When you test your water using a test kit, your pH level should be lower than 7.2. If it’s not, bring the pH level down by adding about 4 litres of muriatic acid. Allow your pool water to circulated for about an hour first and then test your levels again.

Step 3: Shock your pool:

Now that your pH levels are low enough, it’s safe to shock your pool with lots of chlorine. You can use either granular or liquid chlorine to do this. If you opt for the former, then evenly distribute about 2.5kg of granular chlorine across your pool surface. If you would rather use liquid chlorine then pour about 5 litres into your pool. In any case, make sure your pool filter is on when you’re shocking your pool.

The next step is to kill the algae by adding in some algaecide. Then, it’s time to add some floc so that the dead algae may clump together and you can easily scoop it out of the pool.

Step 4: Run your pumps and filters to regain chemical balance:

At this stage you will let your filters and pumps do the heavy work. There are three main filter types – DE, sand and cartridge filters — and how you run your filter depends on what type you have. You will have to run each type at least for 24 hours. Thereafter, your water should look completely transformed. It could still be a little cloudy and that’s nothing to worry about.

Step 5: Brush and filter your pool:

The next step is to use your muscles to get rid of hard-to-remove stains. You should notice some green patches along your pool walls. No matter how stubborn they are, just keep scrubbing. They will eventually disappear. Also, keep your filters running for the next few days. This will help get rid of that cloudiness we mentioned above.

If you find, however, that your pool is still green then you will definitely need to call in the professionals. This is why the next step is very important.

Step 6: Consistently maintain your pool going forward

Don’t forget to show your pool much needed TLC, ever. By doing a little bit often, you will be avoiding major headaches that could involve expensive bills. It’s important to note that winter pool maintenance is just as important as summer.

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