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Sand filter media replacement (sand change)

8/22/2017

 
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. 
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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. 

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Pool cleaner - Polaris pressure side cleaner with booster pump

6/21/2017

 
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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. 
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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. 

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Pool cleaner - Poolvergnuegen and Hayward Aquanaut

1/16/2016

 
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The Poolvergnuegen [pronounced POOL-VERG-NEW-JEN] Pool Cleaners tend to run longer, with out needing internal parts than other cleaners I have worked with. Hayward has recently purchased Poolvergnuegen and sells the product as the Aquanaut and the Phoenix. Both cleaners are identical, except for the cosmetics, and are both available in 2 and 4 wheel models. The Aquanaut is sold through retail channels while the Poolvergnuegen is sold through service channels. Hayward has made some engineering advancements to the cleaner since acquiring the company, adding bearings to the wheels, a fixed shaft to stop the wheels from egging out from wear and increasing the warranty to two years, rather than the original one year. The The new cleaners with a two year warranty, will be labeled on the cleaner as 'New Generation' with plastic clips covering the wheel bearings/holding the wheel on. [Tires and skirts are not covered under the two year warranty]
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As good as these cleaners are, parts do wear out. Cleaners run under pressure, 6-10 hours a day, each and every day. They are work horses and parts will wear out over time. After 1 year on the older Poolvergnuegen cleaners, and two years on the new generation cleaners, expect to start needing to replace some of the parts. Parts are available if needed separately, however, Hayward now offers a lower propulsion kit in both the 2 wheel and 4 wheel versions for a fraction of the price of a new cleaner, or replacing the parts purchased separately. The lower propulsion kits come complete with everything except the skirts, tires, turbine cover and top body cover. In the picture above, you see a lower propulsion kit for a 4 wheel cleaner. I like these cleaners. 

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Tires are the most common part to be replaced on these cleaners with in the first two years. Tires must be replaced once they  reach the wear markers. The wear markers are raised bumps as shown above in the screen shot from the owners manual. The tires can wear faster in pools with a rougher surface like 3M Quartz and Pebble Tech, but will wear down to the markers with-in a year. Allowing the tires to wear down past the markers too far, will put extra stress on the internal parts and causes bearings, drive shafts and gears/teeth to wear out prematurely. I check the tires every 6 months. Excessive wear of internal parts with in the warranty period as a result of negligence [not replacing the tires] will void the warranty.
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Val Pak replacement baskets

11/26/2014

 


My favorite brand of baskets is the Val Pak brand. Available for a variety of skimmers and pumps, these baskets are more than 3x the thickness of a standard basket. Not only are they really tuff and hold up for years, the built in molded handles won't break, or pop out like the handles of cheap baskets. 
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Another great benefit of the Val Pak skimmer baskets like the one Im showing in this post, is the weight on the bottom. Cheap baskets have little, to no weight to hold them down, so they float up when ever the pump isn't running. It's not uncommon for people, or pool professionals to add small rocks to weigh the baskets down, or even twist tie fishing sinkers [small lead weights] to the bottom of a basket to keep it from floating up. When baskets float, it allows leaves and other debris to get under the basket, or the basket can get turned upside down, making the skimmer useless. Val Pak stays put whether the pump is running or not. It's an awesome product and well worth the money.

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Sand change (filter replacement media) - Zeolite (Zeosand)

9/4/2014

 
When I do a filter media change for a sand filter, I replace the sand with Zeolite. Zeolite, or commonly known as Zeosand, is a silica sand substitute for pool filters. Zeolite is 100x more porous than silica sand. With so much more surface area, Zeolite filter media traps more dirt and smaller particles of dirt.

The porous nature and large amount of surface area of Zeolite offers additional benefits besides great filtration. More surface area, trapping more dirt in the Zeolite itself, means there is better water flow thru the filter. Zeo traps particles as small as a DE filter without the need to add DE powder, a known carcinogen that is expelled into the yard when a backwash is done and turns to loose white dust once dry. An important and additional benefit is the reduction of chloramines. 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. Zeo traps ammonia molecules that reduces the chloramine gas.

The Zeolite's high dirt loading ability also means fewer backwashes, saving you money on water costs throughout the year. Zeolite is a great product and one I highly recommend for your next sand change.


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Zeolite/Zeosand
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Heater repair and installation - spa heaters

4/23/2014

 
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Hayward propanne/natural gas heater
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Raypak electric heater

Above are the two most popular options for heating a spa. On the left you have a gas heater, either natural gas, or propane, and on the right is an electric heater. For heating a spa, which is typically 1000 gallons or less, you will often see 150,000 BTU - 250,000 BTU gas heaters and 5K - 11k electric heaters. Since there is often such a small difference in price between the smaller and larger sizes, I like to recommend the larger of the two, because they bring the water temperature up in less time. The electric heaters may end up costing you less over time to heat a spa. The price of gas can be expensive compared to the cost of electricity and depending on how often the spa is used and what time of year it is used, the cost of heating the water can differ greatly. An 11k electric heater is roughly 37,000 BTU's, which means it will take a lot longer to heat your spa than a 250,000 BTU gas heater. Though an electric heater can be cheaper to buy and cheaper to run [I have even heard some say it provides a more uniform heat] it simply cannot heat up the water as fast as the gas heaters, which is why I don't personally recommend them. 

Propane tanks 

You should know that if you have a propane system, your propane tanks are never filled all the way. Propane tanks are filled to 80% capacity. This is called the 80% rule. Leaving some air in the tank is a preventative safety measure against the fluctuations that happen inside a tank. Propane, like water, will expand when it heats up. However, propane, increases in volume nearly 17 times greater than water with the same increase in temperature. Here in Phoenix, the outside temperature can be as low as 32 degrees at night in January and as high as 103 degrees during the day in July. Considering the temperature differences through out the year and from day to night, space in the tank is necessary. If you have a 25 gallon tank, that does not mean you have 25 gallons of fuel to burn.

The temperature matters

Typically, it takes 75 minutes to raise the temperature of 1000 gallons of water 30 degrees with a 250,000 BTU gas heater. The amount of gas you use will depend on the temperature of the water to start with and how warm you want to make it. The colder the water is, the more time and fuel it will take to raise the temperature to 100+ degrees. Lets say for example you have a 1000 gallon spa and a 250,000 BTU gas heater. During the month of January, the water temperature is often 65 degrees here in the valley. When I use a spa, I like to heat the water to 103 degrees. This is an increase in temperature of 38 degrees, which will take about an hour and a half. Now on the other hand, if it were July and the starting water temperature is 80 degrees, it would only take about 45 minutes to go up 23 degrees, requiring a lot less fuel.

An 11K electric heater will raise the temperature approximately 5 degrees an hour in a 1000 gallon spa. Under the same conditions mentioned above, it will take about 8 hours to bring the 65 degree water to 103 degrees and 4.5 hours to raise the temperature from 80 degrees to 103 degrees. 

Fuel and energy consumption

With a 250,000 BTU gas heater, you can expect to use approximately 3 gallons of propane per hour and approximately 3 therms of natural gas per hour. The electric heaters use the kilowatts listed per hour. I have been using the Raypak 11K heater in my examples, so that is 11 kilowatts per hour of energy used.  

Water chemistry 

I cannot stress this enough...if you have a heater, you must pay attention to the water chemistry weekly through out the year. You want to make sure you are keeping your pH between 7.2 and 7.6. Scaling will form on the heat exchangers when the pH is allowed to get high, over 7.6. When the pH is left to drop below 7.2, the water is more acidic, which can also damage heat exchangers as a result of corrosion. Corrosion can also happen through oxidization, so you want to avoid putting chlorine tabs in the skimmer when you own a heater. Damaged heat exchangers due to poorly maintained water, or neglect, will void the manufactures warranty on new products. 

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How To Keep Your Pool Clean - Pentair Vac-Mate

6/14/2013

 
Jason the pool Guy

If you are one of many who own an older pool built without a floor head system, or a dedicated vacuum line, you probably know how frustrating it can be having a dirty pool. With out a cleaner, or floor heads, there is nothing to suck up dirt, or move dirt toward the drain. For most people, this means removing the dirt with a vacuum and cleaner hose. Not only is this cumbersome and time consuming, the pool will look dirty between each spot vacuuming. 



Zodiac Flow keeper valve
Zodiac Flow keeper valve
Adding a cleaner by plugging the hose directly into the skimmer will work, but this eliminates the function of the skimmer and forces all the water through the cleaner. This restricts water flow by forcing everything through the cleaners intake, which is usually a 3/4" hole. If the water pressure is too high at the cleaner, it will wear out the parts faster, causing the cleaner to fail prematurely, raising the cost of its maintenance. Manufactures that make cleaners, offer a solution to stop this from happening. One example is the Zodiac Flow keeper valve pictured above. It has a spring loaded flap that increases water flow to the system, by letting water pass, but takes some pressure off the cleaner. This is an improvement, but there is still a matter of not having a skimmer. 


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Vac Mate

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The Vac Mate is a device that is designed to sit in the skimmer. Its a great solution for an old pool with out a cleaner port, because it provides a basket and a cleaner hose port and skimmer functionality. The Vac Mate has a valve, allowing you to easily adjust the amount of suction between the cleaner and the skimmer. The Vac Mate does require some ongoing maintenance, as the gaskets get stretched out, or torn periodically. Because it does not perfectly fit every skimmer type out there, it may not always seat properly and the suction will stretch out gaskets, or tear them. The suction over time can also crack the plastic, causing a loss of suction to the cleaner. With all of its faults, the cost of replacing gaskets occasionally through out the year, or possibly replacing the unit itself from time to time if necessary, the benefits of having a working cleaner and skimmer, outweigh the cost. 

Jason the pool Guy
In every pool I have put them in, there has been a noticeable improvement week to week. Just look at this 35 year old pool below, with a Vac Mate. It used to require weekly vacuuming and was dirty through out the week. The surface of the pool is free of debris and the floor is spotless. 
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Pool service - PoolRx Algae Control Solution

2/2/2013

 

For some reason, each year around the time we start to see triple digit temperatures, I see algae starting to grow. Even though the water chemistry is perfect and chlorinated, there it is. I am usually able to kill it off with a phosphate treatment and an ammonium chloride algaecide. But often it recurs.

Mustard algae Pool RX
Pool RX algae control
The most common is mustard algae, seen in the picture on the left. Its name comes from the yellowish color, it often grows on walls and easily brushes away. Simply adding shock will not kill the algae, since in my case, the water is spot on. Its immune to the chlorine. There are many products available to get rid of algae and it may take more than one attempt, or even a different kind of algaecide altogether before its gone. For example, if copper doesn't work, you will have to try something else, depending on what type of algae is growing in the pool. Did you know that adding too much copper based algaecide can stain your pool plaster? Copper metal stains are purple in color and require special stain removers and an acid wash to remove them. Too many times I see people adding more than the recommended amount and the stains are bad. 





algae control Pool Rx
Pool Rx mineral purifier
​The specially treated alloy cylinder is packed with a mineral formulation. The purifiers minerals immediately dissolve out of the cylinder and form a stable, residual amount of minerals in the pool water, effectively killing algae. The active minerals free up available chlorine, meaning less chlorine is required to burn out contaminants. That's is a good thing. Using less chemicals makes the water more enjoyable to swim in. Less chemicals means your water is less irritating to the skin, eyes and nose. Its hard to find a reason not to like this product. Give PoolRx a try, it will definitely make a difference for you this summer. 
I have recently started using a product to control algae called PoolRx. Instead of adding harsh chemicals and metals to the water, PoolRx is a mineral purifier. It has been doing a very good job for me in the pools I've tried them in, eliminating all types of algae for up to 6 months. In Arizona, that means the whole swim season, which is why I love it when I run into recurring algae problems. Available in three different sizes, PoolRx can treat small pools between 7,000 gallons and 20,000 gallons and larger pools up to 35,000 gallons with the PoolRx Extreme mineral purifier. Pools larger than 35,000 gallons can be treated with an extreme PoolRx and the addition of a booster pack. A tiny purifier is also available, which can be used to treat in ground spas and water features. Simply placing a PoolRx purifier into the strainer basket of the pump and it will work up to 6 months. 
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The Best Suction Cleaner - Poolvergnuegen: The Pool Cleaner

12/16/2012

 
Poolvergnuegen 2 wheel cleaner
Poolvergnuegen 4 wheel pool cleaner
Poolvergnuegen [pool-fair-gnyoo-gen] is by far the best suction cleaner in its price range. Made in the USA, it has out performed all other cleaners I have used in recent years. Poolvergnuegen is available in both a 2-wheel version for small, odd shaped pools and a 4-wheel version, for larger pools and diving pools.
Both the 2-wheel cleaner and the 4-wheel cleaner have internal programmed steering systems, that cause the left wheel to periodically reverse, allowing the cleaner to spin itself away from obstacles and to move in another direction. 

For the 2-wheel cleaner, there are five different programmed turns ranging from 90 to 450 degrees. This makes the small cleaner ideal for small pools, especially with an odd shape. The 4-wheel cleaner has three different programmed turns, ranging from 90 to 540 degrees. The 4-wheel cleaner has an extra set of drive wheels, which is desirable in diving pools. The extra set of wheels helps the cleaner power up the steep slope from the deep end of the pool. The 4-wheel cleaner also travels in a straight line longer than the two wheel cleaner making it more suitable for larger pools with more surface area to cover.  



Poolvergnuegen turbine blades
 Adjusting turbine blades sets this cleaner in its own class as it is efficient and less likely to get stuck from a large piece of debris. The turbine shown on the left, is made up of two pieces that are connected together, rather than one solid piece. This pivoting connecting point allows the turbine to collapse and self adjust making it more efficient as a result. It moves easier with less water suction and lower pressure. This is especially important with the new variable speed pumps being set to run at lower speeds to save energy. The Pool-cleaners folding turbine vanes also allow easy passage of larger debris through the cleaner.



These large wheels on the Poolvergnuegen cleaners help it to crawl over drain covers effortlessly, which has started to become an issue with other popular cleaners, New drain covers must be used to comply with the Pool and Spa Safety Act and these are typically taller than the old style of drain covers. The Pool Cleaners large diameter tires and the tire treads provide incredible climbing ability and maneuverability.

Other than replacing tires, I do very little, if any maintenance on the Poolvergnuegen cleaners through out the year. In my professional opinion, there is no other cleaner in its price range that cleans as well, and runs as long with with such a low cost to maintaining it.
Poolvergnuegen tires
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