Contact me for a quote on your swimming pool repair or service! ​

Contact me for a quote on your swimming pool repair or service! ​

Dr. Dryden's Activate filter media is a wonderful product I like to use when installing a new sand filter as an alternative to silica sand. Dr. Dryden, a marine biologist, invented the glass media to improve the lives and life span of marine animals held in captivity. He proved that these marine animals were experiencing lung infections and dying sooner in captivity than the animals living in the wild. This was due to the animals breathing the chloramine gas above the surface of the water.  Chloramines come from the combination of the chlorine disinfectant (chlorine produced by a salt system, or chlorine tabs, or chlorine shock) and the perspiration, body oils and urine from swimmers. Chloramines then off gas into the air just above the water. I use products like Zeo sand that also traps ammonia particles that produce chloramines, but this product is even more effective. 

Activated glass media, or AGM, is 300x more effective than silica sand for pool filters. This media requires less backwashes and less water to clean the filter. It traps particles as small as DE filters, but does not need to be recharged with DE powder, a known carcinogen ​that is expelled into the yard when a backwash is done and turns to loose white dust once dry. 

The media comes in two sizes, coarse and fine. The course media is put in first, which is larger and provides better water flow around the laterals of the filter (the arms inside the filter that allow clean water to flow back to the pool) and the fine, which goes on top. The glass is not sharp, and is treated to have a negative charge; it's actually electromagnetic. This keeps any dirt from sticking to the glass itself and reduces the amount of water required for doing a backwash. AGM prevents biofilm from forming inside the filter (a thin, slimy film of bacteria that adheres to a surface) thus reducing the chlorine demand and algae growth.

​Because of the electromagnetic charge,  dirt does not stick to the glass and clump up like silica sand, creating wormhole channels inside the filter that reduces the filters ability to function (and reduces water circulation). These benefits continue, because it never has to be replaced. Once added when the filter is installed, it will last as long as the filter and never needs to be replaced (ever). It is not an inexpensive media and one I dont use on old filters when changing sand. However when added  during a new filter installation, this media will save you money over the life of the filter. Savings in water, using less to backwash and having to backwash less frequently, and it eliminates the need for sand changes. Normal silica sand is effective up to 5 years. Never having to replace the media saves you money in labor costs and the cost of replacing sand. 

The Polaris 280 pressure side cleaner and booster pump is what I like to install on old pools without dedicated cleaner ports, or an in ground cleaning system. There are products available ​that will allow you to run a cleaner using the skimmer at a low cost, but this often makes the pool more labor intensive. What do I mean by labor intensive? Products like the Zodiac Flow Keeper render the skimmer useless as the basket has to be removed to plug it into the suction hole.

With out a skimmer, nothing skims debris from the surface of the water leaving a less attractive pool and more netting for you. There is very little control over the cleaner with this kind of device. The Vac Mate is another product that allows you to run a cleaner. Its a step up from the flow keeper, because it has a basket and a tiny weir gate that retains the function of the skimmer. There is even a valve providing control between the cleaner suction and the amount it skims. However, these are press fit hose connections that wear out and come loose. The water level has to be kept higher to keep these press fit connections under water so they dont leak. The gasket stretches out frequently and needs to be replaced. Over time, the pressure cracks the body of the vac mate too. Any of the above stops the cleaner from working. It is a nice product and one I've sold many times, however both the flow keeper and Vac Mate restrict water flow, forcing the water to run thru the 3/4" hole at the cleaner and 30' of cleaner hose and can make the pool more difficult to care for.   

A better way is running a cleaner off the return side of the system with a booster pump. This increases water flow dramatically by using the pools drain and skimmer instead of the restricting water through a hose and a cleaner. The Polaris cleaner shoots water out of its tail, stirring up dirt so the pool drain and skimmer can take it out. The cleaner is very fast and it only takes 4 hours to do its job. Depending on the model, there are 2-3 jets of water shooting up inside the body of the cleaner. This creates a vortex that sucks up large debris into the collection bag. The Polaris cleaner does an incredible job of keeping the pool clean while allowing the system to draw from the skimmer and the drain, increasing water flow instead of restricting it. 

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The Booster pump runs off a 3/4" flex line that is fed from the return side plumbing after the pool filter. It can be tied into an existing 1.5" return line to the pool or the 3/4" aerator line. I prefer to use the aerator line because it is the easiest way to retrofit an old pool with out taking away a return jet. This pump is very small and very efficient. It only needs to run 4 hours a day and draws very little power. 

There are less expensive pressure side cleaners available, but they do not have a booster pump. The return eyes on the pool are important for water circulation in the pool and directing debris toward the skimmer. The cleaners that use a return eye are fine in some cases as long as there is still enough water movement left once a port is sacrificed. If the pool has 4 return eyes and after one is taken away there is still 3 remaining that's okay. Many old pools only have 2-3 return eyes and using a pressure cleaner that runs off one of those affects the water circulation in the pool enough I don't use them. The booster pump ensures the cleaner has enough water pressure to run at optimal performance with out effecting water flow in the pool on the suction side, or return side when the 3/4" aerator line is used. 

The Polaris has a back up valve in between the wall and the cleaner. Every so often, the water will stop running to the cleaner and instead, shoot out from this valve. The cleaner is picked up, and pulled backward for about 10 seconds. This ensures the cleaner will never get stuck. 

This cleaning system is not inexpensive, but it is one of the best options for old pools with out automated cleaning systems. 

A heat pumps ability to heat pool water depends on the outside air temperature, pool size, the current water temperature, the desired water temperature, and use of a solar blanket. Air temperature is important, because heat pumps heat the surrounding air to warm the pool water. Heat pumps operate best in temperatures that exceed 50°F. In temperatures below an average of 50°F, heat pumps cannot efficiently heat the outside air and therefore require more time to warm the pool.

Heat pumps are great for extending the swim season in the spring and fall and are up to 70% more efficient than gas and propane heaters, making them much more affordable to run.

Swimming pool heaters are sized according to their British Thermal Units (BTU) per hour. One BTU raises one pound of water by 1°F. One gallon of water is equal to 8.34 pounds of water, so 8.34 BTUs raises one gallon of water by 1°F. I typically suggest 85,000-145,000 BTU heaters depending on the size of the pool, based on 10,000 gallons to 20,000 gallons, but the larger the heat pump, the faster the pool will warm up. The greater the difference is between your current and desired water temperature, the longer you will need to run your heat pump.

Solar blankets  reduce the required heating time. 75% of a swimming pool’s heat loss is because of evaporation. Adding a solar blanket will retain heat by minimizing evaporation. It acts as a barrier between the water and the air. It's easier to manage solar blankets when they are cut into 2'x2' squares, so they can be easily removed and stacked when not in use in a storage bin. 

Overall, a heat pump usually requires between 24 and 72 hours to heat a swimming pool by 20°F depending on the factors mentioned above.