http://aquamagazine.com/content/post/Scale-It-Back.aspx
This is a good read article!!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Is there an easier way to Chlorinate your pool?
Have you ever wondered if there was an easier way to chlorinate your pool? Are you getting tired of having to handle tables, transporting and storing all the different kinds of chemicals? Well there might just be something different that would work for you. Have you ever heard of Salt Pool? Or many people say they have salt water? Well this is called using a Salt Chlorine Generator...
What is a Salt Chlorine Generator?
Products like the SGS Salt System uses common table salt to product all the chlorine a pool need so you don't have to buy, store or handle chlorine. By installing a salt generator, you get the same sanitization performance as manual chlorine. Also remember that in times you might still have to some chlorine.
Clean, sparkling water- water is cleaner and clearer than before.
Softer Skin- your skin won't dry out.
Easier on the Eyes- No more red irritated eyes.
Nicer to the nose- eliminates harsh chemical odor.
Gentler on fabrics- no more faded swimsuits
Safer for you family- no more liquid chlorine spills
How Does it work?
A salt system is plumbed into a pool's pump and filter system along the return side of the plumbing. Once installed, ordinary salt is added to the pool water. Usually it take a hundred pounds of salt to get the system going. As salt water begins to flow through the generator it is electrolytically converted to pure chlorine. The chlorine is then automatically distributed to your pool, sanitizing your water by eliminating biological and bacterial growth.
The genius of the system is that when the chlorine breaks down it becomes salt again. So the salt you add to the pool earlier is not consumed, it is continually recycled. You won't need to add salt often, but remember that you will lose some from splash-out with regular use. Most salt generators will clearly indicate when salt needs to be added to the pool.
Last thing is that the amount of salt in the water is less than what we humans have naturally in our bodies. You won't taste it. but you will feel the effect it has on your skin- soft- skin. It is also much easier on your eyes, skin, hair and swimsuits.
What is a Salt Chlorine Generator?
Products like the SGS Salt System uses common table salt to product all the chlorine a pool need so you don't have to buy, store or handle chlorine. By installing a salt generator, you get the same sanitization performance as manual chlorine. Also remember that in times you might still have to some chlorine.Clean, sparkling water- water is cleaner and clearer than before.
Softer Skin- your skin won't dry out.
Easier on the Eyes- No more red irritated eyes.
Nicer to the nose- eliminates harsh chemical odor.
Gentler on fabrics- no more faded swimsuits
Safer for you family- no more liquid chlorine spills
How Does it work?
A salt system is plumbed into a pool's pump and filter system along the return side of the plumbing. Once installed, ordinary salt is added to the pool water. Usually it take a hundred pounds of salt to get the system going. As salt water begins to flow through the generator it is electrolytically converted to pure chlorine. The chlorine is then automatically distributed to your pool, sanitizing your water by eliminating biological and bacterial growth.
The genius of the system is that when the chlorine breaks down it becomes salt again. So the salt you add to the pool earlier is not consumed, it is continually recycled. You won't need to add salt often, but remember that you will lose some from splash-out with regular use. Most salt generators will clearly indicate when salt needs to be added to the pool.
Last thing is that the amount of salt in the water is less than what we humans have naturally in our bodies. You won't taste it. but you will feel the effect it has on your skin- soft- skin. It is also much easier on your eyes, skin, hair and swimsuits.
Monday, August 12, 2013
check this out!!!!
APSP members continue to get the word out about drain cover safety. Tom Sheehy of Crystal Clear Custom Pools spoke to NBC 5 in the Dallas-Forth Worth area about why installing an ANSI/APSP-7 Standard compliant drain cover is so important.
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Drain-Covers-Raise-Pool-Safety-Questions-218945991.html
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Drain-Covers-Raise-Pool-Safety-Questions-218945991.html
Friday, August 9, 2013
Pool Ownership Benefits
Did you know that there are benefits in owning a pool? Yes, there are many different types keep reading to find out.
Convenience- Nothing beats being able to stay at home and enjoy the pool! With a pool at home you don't have to pack up the car and battle the public for space. By having a pool at home you have the convenience of taking a dip when you come home from work or after you have finished cutting the grass.
The benefits of Pool Ownership
Some people think that a swimming pool would be a non-necessity, like many other high priced items. Many other people have grown up with a pool and would not know what to do without one. Owning a pool does take time and commitment.
But here are some of the major benefits we have found for owning a pool.
Family, Lifestyle, health, convenience, entertainment, and aesthetics.
Family- This is biggest reason of pool being so popular, swimming and being around the pool creates a family atmosphere.
Lifestyle- Relaxing!!! A common place to relax is out by the pool catching some sun! Poolside reading and meditating are popular activities that are usually not considered when purchasing a pool.
Health- Swimming has been rated at or near the top of the list for favorite recreational activities for many years. Water aerobics is very popular activity to help some keep in shape. These activities are medical benefits of weight control and heat and lung conditioning.
Convenience- Nothing beats being able to stay at home and enjoy the pool! With a pool at home you don't have to pack up the car and battle the public for space. By having a pool at home you have the convenience of taking a dip when you come home from work or after you have finished cutting the grass.
Entertaining- Everything that happens in the backyards seem to be better with a pool. Such as cookouts, birthday parties, holidays, anniversaries and any other festivity.
Aesthetics- Over the years pools have formed into the backyard centerpiece. Consumers today are adding more of a natural tropical look to their backyards. This way they have a their own tropical paradise right at home!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
D.E filtration affords intense water clarity
Article taken from Service Industry New July edition
Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized skeletal remains of marine life know as diatoms.
Diatoms are a type of algae known as phytoplankton with porous silica cell walls that makes them useful in industrial applications. Diatomaceous earth is used extensively as filters, fillers, insulation and abrasives.
The pool industry began incorporating D.E as a filter medium in the 1940's because its minute porous structure enable extremely fine filtration. In fact, today, it is among the best types of filter media, capable of filtering particles as small a 3 microns.
In a D.E. filter, the filter media is held against a support such as a cloth-covered grid by the movement of water.
The filter is designed such that a rigid structure, called a grid, holds and supports a flexible septum, which can be composed of variety of materials.
In most cases, the septum, which can be composed of a variety of materials. In most cases, the septa made of woven polyester cloths, but they can also be made from porous stone, or stainless steel hardware cloth.
When the D.E is added, the septa acts as a screen to hold it in place. D.E produces fantastic water clarity. However, the main disadvantage is that the medium is temporary. This mean that it must be replaced, or recharged, frequently D.E filters must be recharged after every backwashing or cleaning. Another disadvantage lies in how to dispose of the used and dirty D.E. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency prohibits releasing spent D.E into a drinking water source or into storm drains.
It is recommended that backwashed water be sent into a separation tank. The tank has a bag that collects the D.E from the water, which can then be disposed of according to local regulations.
Finally, care must be taken when handling D.E, which may pose a further disadvantage, While it might seem like a harmless substance, D.E is very dangerous if inhaled because it is composed of microscopically sharp silica. A protective mask should be worn to avoid inhaling.
D.E filters at a rate of 2 gallons per minute per square foot. There are three main types of D.E filtration systems and these include the pressure D.E filter, which uses a closed pressurized tank; the regenerative D.E filter, which is also a pressure system but uses an interrupt filter step to redistribute partially soiled D.E; and the vacuum D.E filter, which has an open tank that is usually fed water by gravity.
The pressure D.E filter is comprised of a closed pressure tank containing the septa and grids and is places after the pump in the water path. In this arrangement, the water is forced through the tank by the outward pump pressure.
Water generally comes in from the bottom of the tank and forces the D.E up to the grid. As the water passes through the septa, any suspended debris is collected by the D.E These types of filters are cleaned by backwashing, which results in D.E loss, that must be replaced.
The time to backwash is determined by a pressure increase on the influent (incoming) gauge of 8-to-10 psi over the start-up reading. When recoating the grid elements, the new coating of D.E should be applied slowly and evenly. A slurry of D.E and water is fed into the filter, and care should be taken when mixing the D.E to avoid pulverizing it and there fore reducing its efficacy.
A regenerative DE filter is also a pressure filter in which water id forced into the filter by the pump. It differs from a standard D.E filter in that it uses an interrupt filtration step called "bumping" in which the pump stops briefly, allowing the D.E filter to drift away from the septa, presenting a different, cleaner surface to the water.
Bumping the D.E preserves the life of the filter and associated D.E because it recycles the D.E in the tank, extending the filter cycles before backwash becomes necessary. Bumping can regenerate the D.E to near original flow rates. The filters can be bumped multiple times prior to back washing. By using regenerative filters, backwashing is not necessary nearly as often, which obviously saves a lot of time, water and D.E.
While regenerative D.E filters automatically bump, other types of D.E filters can be manually bumped. Here, we comply close the valves to and from the pool, and turn off the pump for 3 minutes or so. Gravity will cause the D.E to fall away from the septa, but when the pump is turned back on, it will recoat the elements with new surface, thus maximizing the use of the same D.E
In a vacuum D.E filterm the filter is in an open tank that uses gravity to feed water to the filter. The tank will contain at least one spetum with an element to hold the D.E. Because the pump is located after the filter, suction pull the water through the D.E- coated septa.
Unlike pressure D.E filters, these are no influent and effluent gauges. Instead, a vacuum gauge is installed between the pump and the filter and as the media collects pollutants from the water, there is an increase in vacuum on the pump side. The reading on the vacuum gauge, in inches of mercury, gets higher as the filter gets dirty. Eventually, when the suction becomes too great (around 17 inches of mercury), alarms and switches are used for safe shutdown.
Gravity vacuum D.E filtration has become common in the design of exceptionally large pools. Here, the pool has a below deck, gravity-fed surge pit, with a very large D.E element suspended inside. Maintenance of these systems is facilitated by walkways inside the surge pit so that service technicians can observe the entire operation of the filter.
While the excavation required is costly, a configuration such as this is easy to inspect, and requires infrequent cleaning. Incases where the filter is higher than the pool, a lift pump is used to pull water to the filter. This configuration has the obvious disadvantage that the two pumps are now required to maintain the pool: both a lift pump as well as a circulation pump, doubling the electrical costs, and adding to future maintenance concerns. This would be an installation option when excavation of a surge pit is impossible.
One of the main differences between vacuum filter, and pressure filters is in maintenance. Technicians do not backwash a vacuum filter, as the water flow is not reversed to clean the septa. Instead, the tank must be drained, and the dirty D.E washed away. This can be done with a hose and some systems are equipped with water jets to a completed this.
And as with all D.E filters the drained water associated D.E must be disposed of according to local regulations.
Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized skeletal remains of marine life know as diatoms.
Diatoms are a type of algae known as phytoplankton with porous silica cell walls that makes them useful in industrial applications. Diatomaceous earth is used extensively as filters, fillers, insulation and abrasives.
The pool industry began incorporating D.E as a filter medium in the 1940's because its minute porous structure enable extremely fine filtration. In fact, today, it is among the best types of filter media, capable of filtering particles as small a 3 microns.
In a D.E. filter, the filter media is held against a support such as a cloth-covered grid by the movement of water.
The filter is designed such that a rigid structure, called a grid, holds and supports a flexible septum, which can be composed of variety of materials.
In most cases, the septum, which can be composed of a variety of materials. In most cases, the septa made of woven polyester cloths, but they can also be made from porous stone, or stainless steel hardware cloth.
When the D.E is added, the septa acts as a screen to hold it in place. D.E produces fantastic water clarity. However, the main disadvantage is that the medium is temporary. This mean that it must be replaced, or recharged, frequently D.E filters must be recharged after every backwashing or cleaning. Another disadvantage lies in how to dispose of the used and dirty D.E. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency prohibits releasing spent D.E into a drinking water source or into storm drains.
It is recommended that backwashed water be sent into a separation tank. The tank has a bag that collects the D.E from the water, which can then be disposed of according to local regulations.
Finally, care must be taken when handling D.E, which may pose a further disadvantage, While it might seem like a harmless substance, D.E is very dangerous if inhaled because it is composed of microscopically sharp silica. A protective mask should be worn to avoid inhaling.
D.E filters at a rate of 2 gallons per minute per square foot. There are three main types of D.E filtration systems and these include the pressure D.E filter, which uses a closed pressurized tank; the regenerative D.E filter, which is also a pressure system but uses an interrupt filter step to redistribute partially soiled D.E; and the vacuum D.E filter, which has an open tank that is usually fed water by gravity.
The pressure D.E filter is comprised of a closed pressure tank containing the septa and grids and is places after the pump in the water path. In this arrangement, the water is forced through the tank by the outward pump pressure.
Water generally comes in from the bottom of the tank and forces the D.E up to the grid. As the water passes through the septa, any suspended debris is collected by the D.E These types of filters are cleaned by backwashing, which results in D.E loss, that must be replaced.
The time to backwash is determined by a pressure increase on the influent (incoming) gauge of 8-to-10 psi over the start-up reading. When recoating the grid elements, the new coating of D.E should be applied slowly and evenly. A slurry of D.E and water is fed into the filter, and care should be taken when mixing the D.E to avoid pulverizing it and there fore reducing its efficacy.
A regenerative DE filter is also a pressure filter in which water id forced into the filter by the pump. It differs from a standard D.E filter in that it uses an interrupt filtration step called "bumping" in which the pump stops briefly, allowing the D.E filter to drift away from the septa, presenting a different, cleaner surface to the water.
Bumping the D.E preserves the life of the filter and associated D.E because it recycles the D.E in the tank, extending the filter cycles before backwash becomes necessary. Bumping can regenerate the D.E to near original flow rates. The filters can be bumped multiple times prior to back washing. By using regenerative filters, backwashing is not necessary nearly as often, which obviously saves a lot of time, water and D.E.
While regenerative D.E filters automatically bump, other types of D.E filters can be manually bumped. Here, we comply close the valves to and from the pool, and turn off the pump for 3 minutes or so. Gravity will cause the D.E to fall away from the septa, but when the pump is turned back on, it will recoat the elements with new surface, thus maximizing the use of the same D.E
In a vacuum D.E filterm the filter is in an open tank that uses gravity to feed water to the filter. The tank will contain at least one spetum with an element to hold the D.E. Because the pump is located after the filter, suction pull the water through the D.E- coated septa.
Unlike pressure D.E filters, these are no influent and effluent gauges. Instead, a vacuum gauge is installed between the pump and the filter and as the media collects pollutants from the water, there is an increase in vacuum on the pump side. The reading on the vacuum gauge, in inches of mercury, gets higher as the filter gets dirty. Eventually, when the suction becomes too great (around 17 inches of mercury), alarms and switches are used for safe shutdown.
Gravity vacuum D.E filtration has become common in the design of exceptionally large pools. Here, the pool has a below deck, gravity-fed surge pit, with a very large D.E element suspended inside. Maintenance of these systems is facilitated by walkways inside the surge pit so that service technicians can observe the entire operation of the filter.
While the excavation required is costly, a configuration such as this is easy to inspect, and requires infrequent cleaning. Incases where the filter is higher than the pool, a lift pump is used to pull water to the filter. This configuration has the obvious disadvantage that the two pumps are now required to maintain the pool: both a lift pump as well as a circulation pump, doubling the electrical costs, and adding to future maintenance concerns. This would be an installation option when excavation of a surge pit is impossible.
One of the main differences between vacuum filter, and pressure filters is in maintenance. Technicians do not backwash a vacuum filter, as the water flow is not reversed to clean the septa. Instead, the tank must be drained, and the dirty D.E washed away. This can be done with a hose and some systems are equipped with water jets to a completed this.
And as with all D.E filters the drained water associated D.E must be disposed of according to local regulations.
Why do your eyes turn red after swimming?
ALL ABOUT CHLORINE
KEEPING CONTROL OF YOUR CHLORINE
Make sure you are testing your water regularly. Make sure you are using methods that allow you to differentiate between fee and combined (total) chlorine. When combined chlorine is present, shock your water with chlorine or non-chlorine shock. This will help keep the chlorine odor away.
PH BALANCE
Monday, August 5, 2013
Guide to Sizing your Filters
Beyond the decision as to which filter to choose,the most important consideration is that the filter be appropriately sized.
The size of your filter is based on the desired flow rate. This is defined as the as the amount of time that is required to move the pool or spa's water volume once through the system.
Obviously, this does not man that every drop of water will reach the filter; but rather, if we have 20,000-gallon pool, 20,000 gallons will experience the filter in a given amount of time.
Different areas of the country have different recommendations and/or regulations as to what the standard quantity of time should be : Hourly intervals 12,8,and 6 are common.
Once the turnover rate is decided, the desired flow rate can be calculates. This calculation is done in gallons per minute (gmp) in relation to the volume of water that is in the pool Specifically the formula is
VOLUME (GAL) / TURNOVER RATE(HRS) X 60 (MIN) = DESIRED FLOW RATE (GPM)
For example, if we have 30,000 gallon pool and we want to be filtered once every 8 hours, then our desired flow rate would be 63 gallons per minute, or:
30,000 (GAL) / 8 (HRS) x 60 (MIN)= 63 (GPM)
From this information, we can now determine the appropriate-size filter to accomplish the goal of 63 gallons passing the filter per minute. One more piece of information will be necessary, and that is the rate at which water can be filtered through on- square foot of the filer medium. This is called the filter rate and varies from filter medium because of the intrinsic properties of the composition of the filter. Filter rates for common filters media are shown in the table below.
To determine the appropriate-sized filer, measured as the filter area, in square feet (ft2) we use the following formula:
DESIRED FLOW RATE (GPM)/ FILTER RATE(GPM)FT2= FILTER AREA
So for the given examples of a 30,000 gallon pool with a flow rate of 63 gallons per minute, if we choose a D.E filter with a filter rate of 2 fpm, we will need 32 square feet.
D.E. FILTER (RATE OF 2 GPM) 63 (GPM) / 2 (GPM) FT2 = 32 FT2
A cartridge filter of 1 fpm will require 63 square feet.
CARTRIDGE FILTER (RATE OF 1 GPM) 63 (GPM) / 1 (GPM) FT2 = 63 FT2
A sand filter 0f 20 fpm will need 3- square feet
SAND FILTER (RATE OF 20 GPM) 63(GPM)/ 20 (GPM) FT2 =3 FT2
Service professionals are always advised to choose a filter somewhat larger than is needed as this tens to give longer filer cycles. Larger filters will also mean less manual labor in servicing the filter. With proper chemical balance, following- the simple formulas provided here could very well earn you a crystal clear pool.
The size of your filter is based on the desired flow rate. This is defined as the as the amount of time that is required to move the pool or spa's water volume once through the system.
Obviously, this does not man that every drop of water will reach the filter; but rather, if we have 20,000-gallon pool, 20,000 gallons will experience the filter in a given amount of time.
Different areas of the country have different recommendations and/or regulations as to what the standard quantity of time should be : Hourly intervals 12,8,and 6 are common.
Once the turnover rate is decided, the desired flow rate can be calculates. This calculation is done in gallons per minute (gmp) in relation to the volume of water that is in the pool Specifically the formula is
VOLUME (GAL) / TURNOVER RATE(HRS) X 60 (MIN) = DESIRED FLOW RATE (GPM)
For example, if we have 30,000 gallon pool and we want to be filtered once every 8 hours, then our desired flow rate would be 63 gallons per minute, or:
30,000 (GAL) / 8 (HRS) x 60 (MIN)= 63 (GPM)
From this information, we can now determine the appropriate-size filter to accomplish the goal of 63 gallons passing the filter per minute. One more piece of information will be necessary, and that is the rate at which water can be filtered through on- square foot of the filer medium. This is called the filter rate and varies from filter medium because of the intrinsic properties of the composition of the filter. Filter rates for common filters media are shown in the table below.
To determine the appropriate-sized filer, measured as the filter area, in square feet (ft2) we use the following formula:
DESIRED FLOW RATE (GPM)/ FILTER RATE(GPM)FT2= FILTER AREA
So for the given examples of a 30,000 gallon pool with a flow rate of 63 gallons per minute, if we choose a D.E filter with a filter rate of 2 fpm, we will need 32 square feet.
D.E. FILTER (RATE OF 2 GPM) 63 (GPM) / 2 (GPM) FT2 = 32 FT2
A cartridge filter of 1 fpm will require 63 square feet.
CARTRIDGE FILTER (RATE OF 1 GPM) 63 (GPM) / 1 (GPM) FT2 = 63 FT2
A sand filter 0f 20 fpm will need 3- square feet
SAND FILTER (RATE OF 20 GPM) 63(GPM)/ 20 (GPM) FT2 =3 FT2
Service professionals are always advised to choose a filter somewhat larger than is needed as this tens to give longer filer cycles. Larger filters will also mean less manual labor in servicing the filter. With proper chemical balance, following- the simple formulas provided here could very well earn you a crystal clear pool.
Take from July issue of Service Industry News
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