Cannonball Pool Service

Pool Service Maintenance & Repair

Pool Maintenance Tips & Tricks

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Having a swimming pool in your back yard brings a ton of enjoyment, relaxation, and quality family time. Unfortunately, the fun comes at a price. One crucial element of pool ownership is maintenance. You cannot have fun without pool maintenance. Besides being unsightly, A dirty pool can be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Below are 7 swimming pool maintenance tips to keep you happily swimming all year long.

POOL MAINTENANCE TIPS & TRICKS

  1. Check Pool Chemistry

    You should check your pool chemicals 2x a week. Testing your pool water is simple. Testing kits are readily available from your local pool store or online. Improperly balanced water looks murky, irritates skin & eyes, and can cause your pool to become a breeding ground for bacteria.
    pH should be between 7.2 – 7.6
    Alkalinity 100 -120 ppm
    Total Hardness 200 – 400 ppm
    Cyanuric Acid 30 – 50 ppm
    Free Chlorine 1.0 -1.5 ppm

  2. Skimming & Scrubbing

    Skim the top of the pool surface as well as rinse out the skimmer basket(s). Skimming should be done daily in order to keep unwanted debris out of the pool (leaves, grass, mulch, etc.). Along with skimming, you need to scrub. Scrub your pool tiles to prevent algae buildup.

  3. Clean Pool Filters

    Pool filters are the “kidneys” of your swimming pool. Clean your pool filters regularly or as needed. They should also be cleaned after a heavy storm.

  4. Keep An Eye On Your Water Level

    Your pool water level should not be too high or too low. Water levels will naturally fluctuate after a heavy rainstorm or an afternoon of kids doing cannonballs. Your pool water should be right at the center level of your pool skimmer for best results. If the water is too low it can run the pump dry and burn it up. If the water is too high your skimmer door will not work properly.

  5. Tennis Balls Are Great For Your Pool

    Use a tennis ball to absorb oils, sunscreens, hair product etc. Just simply toss a tennis ball into your pool and let it do the work. Tennis ball fibers help reduce that slick sheen on top of your pool water.

  6. Shock Your Pool

    Don’t be afraid to shock your pool if it looks like it needs it. Did you just have a pool party or did your dogs swim in your pool? Is your pool murky and clouded? That is bacteria that you will want to get rid of as soon as possible. Shocking drastically raises the chlorine levels for a short period of time to kill bacteria.

  7. Power Wash Your Pool Deck

    Pressure washing will help get rid of any rust or weather stains that occur over time. The area that surrounds your pool is as important as your pool itself. A dirty pool deck means a dirty pool. Dirty pool decks track dirt, algae spores, & bacteria right into the pool.

Hurricane Ready Your Pool

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Hurricane season has started. Hurricane season in Florida lasts from June 1st through November 30th. Let’s talk about hurricane pool safety. Have you checked your swimming pool and its surroundings? Pool owners need to take steps to ensure that their pool is hurricane prepared. This means pools as well as pool decks. Below are some helpful tips you can do to protect you and your pool before, during, and after a hurricane strikes:

Before A Hurricane:

  • Do not drain your pool. – Make sure the water levels are good
  • Do shock your pool. – Power may be lost and this would help super chlorinate it
  • Remove loose objects from the pool deck. – These can get picked up from the wind. You can store them inside your pool if you do not have any other place. Put them gently inside of your pool
  • Trim tree branches.
  • Turn off all circuit breakers before the storm hits.
  • Don’t put glass items inside of your pool.

During A Hurricane:

  • Don’t swim in your pool before a storm hits. – High chances of lighting strikes
  • Don’t go outside and check on anything during a storm.

After A Hurricane:

  • When the storm has passed wait before you turn on your pool pump system. -Make sure all electrical equipment is dry before you power up.
  • Clean your pool. – Use a skimmer to clear debris. Don’t use your pool vacuum until all debris has been taken out of your pool.
  • Shock your pool. – This will help balance your pool chemicals
  • Schedule a service with Cannonball Pool Service to check out all of your pool equipment.

Follow these steps to practice hurricane pool safety. Remember that you and your family’s safety is the most important during the threat of a hurricane or tropical storm.

The Salt Pool Advantage. Or Disadvantage?

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Contemplating salt water (saline) pool ownership? There are a few things that you need to know before diving right in. Salt pools aren’t anywhere close to being as salty as seawater. In fact, they have only about one-tenth the salinity. They aren’t completely chlorine-free either. With a saltwater system, pool maintenance is much simpler. The chlorine required is minimal. Which eliminates the need to store and handle hazardous chemicals.

Balancing salt pool chemicals can be a little bit more complex. In a chlorinated pool, when sanitation issues arise, the usual response is add more chlorine. In a salt water pool it takes a bit more than that. Any problems that occur are likely to require the assistance of a swimming pool technician. With that said, there are some great advantages with a saline pool.

Advantages

  • More gentle on the skin – lower chlorine levels means less skin irritation
  • No more itchy or stinging eyes
  • Softer water – smooth and silky water
  • More cost effective – in the long run
  • Simpler maintenance – salt cells will produce any chlorine as needed

Disadvantages

  • Salt pools require a large initial investment – $1,000 – $5,000
  • Complex sanitation – when issues arise a technician is more than likely needed
  • Damaging to metals – avoid using specific types of heaters, fixtures, underwater lighting, liners
  • The cell needs to be cleaned periodically which is a bit of a messy job
  • High phosphate levels can cause the generator to malfunction

When considering upgrading your current pool or building a new swimming pool it is important to keep both advantages and disadvantages in mind.

 

Should Your Dog Swim In Your Pool?

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Dogs swimming in pools are fun. They are fun to watch. They are great to play with in the pool. It makes us (and them) happy. But, is it OK for your dog to swim in your pool? There is not a direct yes or no answer to this question. There are both pros and cons to letting your dog swim in your pool (as well as some safety concerns). Many people will ask if chlorine is bad for dogs? What we are asking is, are dogs bad for your swimming pool? Dogs ALWAYS have small particles of fecal matter stuck in their fur. They can also bring along insects, body oils, & dirt.

Things that need to be known about dogs in pools:

  • Increased transmission of Recreational Water Illnesses (RWI)
  • 1 Dog in a pool is equal to 3-30 people in a pool (depending on size/breed)
  • A dog in a pool will deplete your chlorine & raise pH
  • Be prepared for scratches or tears in your vinyl pool liner
  • Added stress on pool equipment – Dog hair
  • Extra pool cleaning – Filters need to be cleaned more
  • Can add Phosphates and Nitrates to the pool

Swimming with your companion is entertaining, fun, & great bonding time, as long as you follow the precautions! Dogs add an extra layer of care to your pool. Pool owners need to monitor chemicals more frequent, maintain equipment more often, & inspect their pool structure regularly. Cannonball Pool Service offers complete pool care. Call 239.440.9888 for more information on our custom service plans.

 

Water Safety Month

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Did you know that May is National water safety month? Hot Summer Sun means more outdoor fun. Below are 5 tips to keep you and your family swimming safely all season long.

  1. Never leave a child unattended in the water. – Always swim with a buddy.
  2. Teach children how to swim – The American Red Cross has a swim app that can help with teaching children how to swim.
  3. Make sure all children know to stay away from pool drains. – Children love to play around pool drains. Inform all children in and around your pool about the hazards of swimming pool drains.
  4. Install proper barriers, covers and alarms on and around your pool and spa. – Pools need to be enclosed properly by fences or safety pool covers.
  5. Know how to perform CPR on children and adults. – This is a valuable lifesaving skill.
  6. Keep your pool chemicals balanced & maintained. – A well balanced pool keeps harmful bacteria at bay.

Always remember that we need to keep safe swimming all year long not just during water safety month. Contact Cannonball Pool Service at 239.440.9888 for all of your pool service needs.

Chlorine And Covid

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Owning an at-home pool or hot tub can be fun for the whole family. However, it is important for people who own pools or hot tubs in their homes to know how to take care of them and keep themselves and their families healthy and safe. Everyone is wondering how protected are the swimming pools against Covid – 19 also known as the Coronavirus. According to the CDC, ” There is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas.” In short, as long as your pool chemicals are balanced your pool water should be good. There is a specific way to kill germs in your pool.

The best way to kill germs is by properly maintaining the free chlorine concentration and pH. As a residential pool or hot tub/spa owner, it is your responsibility to regularly check the chlorine concentration and pH of the pool or hot tub/spa water to help protect yourself and your family and friends from recreational water illnesses. Free chlorine concentration and pH should be tested at least twice per day. Test more often when the pool or hot tub/spa is being frequently used. There are some things that can help with pool safety.

Simple things you can do to help ensure pool safety:
1. Maintain Proper Free Chlorine And pH Levels.
2. Regularly Check Pool Chemicals.
3. Maintain Pool Equipment.
4. Don’t Swim If Pool Chemicals Are Not In Balance.

It is always a good idea to get a quality pool service company to maintain, service, and repair your swimming pool. This ensures that your swimming pool chemicals are balanced and your pool equipment is functioning properly. Call (239.440.9888) Cannonball Pool Service For A Free Onsite Estimate.

 

*By using this website, you accept this disclaimer in full. If you disagree with any part of this disclaimer, please do not use Cannonballpoolservice.com. Cannonball Pool Service accepts no responsibility of any kind for any information provided in our posts. Cannonball Pool Service can’t guarantee the information in the blog is accurate or current. Use of the site is on an “as is basis” and we can’t say whether the material is accurate.

Phosphates And Your Pool

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Pool phosphates. What? Phosphates are non-metallic chemicals that pool owners should be knowledgeable about when it comes to their swimming pools. Phosphates are found in many things from sunscreen to yard mulch and soil. Lawn fertilizers, which may blow into the pool, have high phosphate content. For all of these reasons, swimming pools can quickly build up high phosphate levels.

Phosphates are plant food. Algae is a plant. Therefore, phosphates are a great food source for algae (insert excitement here). Eliminate phosphates and say goodbye to your pool’s algae problems.

When excess phosphates are present in a swimming pool, the symptoms often include the following:

  • Cloudy, Green Water
  • Slippery and Slimy Surfaces
  • Mustard & Green Colored Debris
  • Excessive Chemical Consumption
  • Poor Water Quality

But…how do you eliminate phosphates? Re-balancing just your chemicals won’t fix the algae and phosphate problem. Even performing a chlorine shock won’t solve the problem. A shock will only drop the ppb of phosphates, which will then bounce back to a higher level. Chlorine cannot remove phosphates, because they do not interact with each other directly. In order to reduce phosphate levels, you will need a special phosphate remover. Phosphates also need to be treated immediately.

Have you ever seen a pool with that bold shade of green? In Florida, phosphates are a common problem. Cannonball Pool Service will treat phosphates immediately when we notice that they are present in your swimming pool. We do our best to prevent algae growing and taking over your pool.

For expert pool service call us today @ 239.440.9888.

The Ultimate Pool Chemical Guide

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Whether it’s a salt pool or a chlorinated pool, your pool chemicals need to be in balance. Balancing pool chemicals mean keeping pool chemicals at the proper levels. Properly balanced pool water creates and optimal environment for the sanitizing processes. It also protects your pool and its components against corrosion and extends the life of expectancy of the pool equipment. Some of the factors that contribute to pool water balance are pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, temperature, and total dissolved solids.

Chlorine is popular because it handles the 3 main jobs in keeping a swimming pool clean: It sanitizes (kills bacteria and germs), oxidizes (controls organic debris from perspiration and body oils), and deters algae. The total free chlorine in your pool should range between 1.0 -1.5 ppm (parts per million). The chlorine in your pool needs to be continuously monitored and replenished.

The pH in your pool is just as important. It controls the acidity of the pool which helps minimize irritation and assists in protecting your pool equipment as well. The Alkalinity in your pool helps control your pH (which should be between 7.2 – 7.6).

Obtaining a quality and reliable pool service company is important to you and your pool’s over all health. A poorly managed pool can deteriorate your pool and its equipment as well as become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and algae.

Cannonball Pool Service custom service and maintenance programs keep your pool running at an optimal level all year round. Get your free pool service estimate today.

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