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Prepping Your Pool For Winter

Posted By Peita Otterbachon July 17, 2014

With the air cooling down and the weeks marching on, it’s time to think about how to prepare your pool for winter. Some people heat their pool and continue to use it during most of the cooler months, while others cover it up and put it into hibernation. Whichever you’re planning to do, there are a few things that you should do before the temperature gets too low. If you are a new pool owner and haven’t already developed a seasonal routine, then this will help get you started.

Pool Cover

Cleaning is Always a Good Idea

Whether or not you plan to keep using the pool, a good autumn cleaning is a must. Throughly scrub the interior of the pool, then vacuum. Clear the lint basket attached to the pump and the skimmer baskets, as well. Finally, clean the filter. If you’re shutting the pool down for the winter, then clean it just before covering it. Please keep in mind, we do not recommend turning off the pump and filter over winter - it is designed to run everyday and if doesn't the pump's motor can cease and come Spring, you will need a new pool pump.

For Winter Pool Users

If you have a good system in place for heating your pool and you don’t mind a chill in the air, then you may be planning to use your pool on all but the coldest days of winter. If the pool is how you stay fit, then chances are, you are willing to brave the cold air in order to get your daily laps in.

First the good news: if the water is cool, there’s less risk of algae and contamination and you will need less chlorine. The government recommends a minimum chlorine level of 2.0mg/L for water that’s cooler than 26°C and a minimum level of 3.0mg/L for water that’s warmer than 26°C. However, you will still have to keep close tabs on the pH; make sure it’s between 7.4 and 7.6. Corrosion is more likely to occur at lower temperatures, so you must keep the alkalinity level and pH within bounds during the winter.

Even if you’re still using the pool this winter, you’re likely to use it less than you do in the summer. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it can be cleaned less often. You should continue to clean the pool regularly, keeping it free of leaves and debris, and run the filter for at least four hours a day. It’s also a good idea to keep the pool covered with an insulating pool blanket when it is not in use. That will keep some of the heat in and some of the debris out.

For Winter Shut-Down

If you plan to close the pool during the cooler months, then clean it and then cover it, but don’t forget about it.

Before covering up the pool, adjust the chemicals. Make sure that the alkalinity is between 100 and 150 parts per million and that the water hardness — the calcium — is at 200 to 300 parts per million. Next, add a large dose of chlorine to ‘shock’ the pool and kill off anything that might want to grow in it over the winter (BioGuard's Burnout Extreme is a great 'shock' product). If you’re purchasing a prepared formula, then choose a shock product that’s strong enough to require a temporary shut down. After all, you were planning to stop using the pool, anyway. Then, wait for the chlorine level to return to one to three parts per million.

You can't turn off the pump and filter during the winter, if you do you can damage your pool pump, your filter sand among other things. Just 2-4 hours per day in winter is all it takes and it is a great idea to use an algaecide to prevent a green pool. Continue to clean the pool occasionally, too, especially if it is at all exposed to the elements. Be sure to remove all the equipment and ladders before covering the pool for the winter, too.

The onset of winter temperatures require a little more attention to the pool than usual. If you properly prepare your pool for winter, then it will be much faster and easier to bring it back up to full speed in the spring.

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How to choose a pool builder and compare pools?

Posted By Peita Otterbachon March 27, 2014

Want to know how to choose a pool builder?

Do you have three swimming pool quotes but have no idea what to base your final decision on? A swimming pool is one of the smartest investments you can make; yet it is also one of the most difficult products to understand and compare.

It is not uncommon for potential pool owners to become overwhelmed with information as they try to understand their options and pricing when researching pools. Unfortunately, some even choose not to get a pool as the decision becomes just too hard.

Whether your reasons for wanting a pool are driven by property investment, health benefits or enhancing your family’s lifestyle, I have found emotion often plays a large part in the decision making process. Similar to a house extension, you cannot return a swimming pool nor can you take it back for a refund. For this reason, it is important the final decision be made largely based on facts more so than emotion.

So you now have three pool quotes, what next? Apart from the pool price (which is important), how do you compare each pool quote? My advice, investigate each pool type quoted (is it a pre-engineered, concrete or fibreglass pool) and also look into the corresponding pool builder’s reputation.

How to compare swimming pool types?

You may choose to base your comparison on the overall aesthetics of a pool and although the look of the pool is definitely important, there is other key criterion worth consideration. The pool warranty, maintenance and after sales support offered once the swimming pool is complete should also be high on your list. The Pool Comparison Table below touches on a number of points worth consideration when comparing pool types and pool quotes.

Pool Comparison Criteria	Pre-engineered Swimming Pools	Concrete Swimming Pools	Fibreglass Swimming Pools
Design
Design Flexibility - Any Pool Shape - Any Pool Size	Yes	Yes	No – must choose from predefined shapes and sizes
Choice of Depths - Diving Floor Profile	Yes	Yes	No – depths are fixed in a fibreglass pool and the depths quoted are usually shell depth not water depth
Choice of Colours	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom Bench & Step Design	Yes – pre-engineered pools feature a unique gently padded underlay creating a cushioned effect	Yes	No
Pool Structure
Self Supporting	Yes *The pool can be emptied without voiding the structural warranty.	No	No
Ideally suited to volatile soil types - pool structure won’t crack, warp or lift	Yes	No	No
Can be built on a slope	Yes	Yes	No
Transport Costs and Crane Required (can add between $1,500-$3,000 to the pool price)	No	No	Yes
Ideal for Poor Access	Yes	Yes	No
Pool Interior
Non-Slip Pool Interior	Yes	Yes *Pool Tiles are the exception	Depends on the brand of the fibreglass pool
Smooth to Touch/Non-Abrasive Pool Interior	Yes	Depends on pool interior chosen	Yes
Resistant to Algae	Yes *Inbuilt fungicide	No *All pool interior options for a concrete pool are porous and are prone to algae and bacteria growth	Yes *Can get ‘black-spot’ or Osmosis under the Gel Coat
Low Maintenance Pool Interior	Yes – in fact Aqualux requires no cleaning at all	No *All pool interior options on a concrete pool are porous and therefore require more maintenance	Yes
Pool Installation
Who Installs the Pool – Manufacturer or Franchisee	Manufacturer	Not Applicable	Franchisee
Construction Time Frame	5-10 days	6 week minimum (average 3-4 months)	2-3 days
Quality Controlled	Yes	No	Yes
After Sales Support Pool Shops/Bricks and Mortar Locations	Yes – Open seven days a week year round	Depends on pool builder	Depends on franchisee
Pool Warranty
Pool Structural Warranty	10 years	6 years and 9 months	Depends on the brand of fibreglass pool *Some manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty – what a lifetime warranty actually means is worth investigating as well as what voids such a warranty i.e. the water level drops by 30%.
Pool Warranty Entity - Name of entity which provides pool warranty	Pool Manufacturer	Pool Builder	Split Responsibility – Pool Installer and Pool Manufacturer
Split Responsibility Warranty on Pool Structure	No	No	Yes *What is a split responsibility warranty on a fibreglass pool?
Pool Interior Warranty	10 years	Depends on the pool interior chosen For Example: Pool Tiles – 2 years Render 2-8 years depending on the brand	Depends on the brand of the fibreglass pool

How to choose a pool builder?

Now that you know how to compare swimming pool types, the next and final step when comparing quotes is to examine each pool builder’s reputation and history.

There are some pool builders not prepared to make the long-term investment in the industry and to their clients and choose to operate from home. Contactable on mobile only and with no office or display centre, it is very easy for these types of pool builders to vanish in difficult economic times leaving their clients with no support and more importantly, no warranty.

There will always be plenty of bargain-basement operators, there will be pool builders laying claim to being the biggest and the best, and there will be those who use gimmicks or 24-hour super specials to make the sale.

The real test lies in how long the pool builder has been in business and what their clients have to say about them and their product. When deciding on a pool builder, be sure to do your homework and look into:

1. The Pool Builder’s Reputation – talk to family, friends and colleagues who have a pool, seek out referrals, testimonials and recommendations. Review websites and forums are also another platform to gain insight into a pool builder’s reputation.

2. The Pool Builder’s Creditability

- Are they a member of SPASA and the Building Commission of Victoria

- Do they have a physical work address, website and landline or do they work from home

- Are they a registered licensed builder

- Do they have the appropriate insurance and liability cover

- What experience do they have, how many years have they been in business and how many pools have they built (both in total and annually)

- Can you see samples of their work i.e. display centres

3. The Pool Builder’s Custom Ability

Can the pool builder custom design and tailor your swimming pool to achieve what you want instead of what they want to sell you?

4. The Pool Builder’s Pricing

As with most things, quality comes with creditability and price. If the pricing quoted is too good to be true, then it probably is. If you are comparing two or three quotes, be sure to compare like-for-like (the same size, shape, optional items etc) – there will certainly be large differences in price if each quote is for a different pool size.

Armed with an understanding of different types of pools available and each pool builder’s reputation, you can now make an informed and final decision. Be comfortable with this decision and enjoy the exciting times ahead relaxing by your soon-to-be-built swimming pool.

If you haven’t received an obligation free swimming pool quote from Albatross Pools, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you before you make a final decision.

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Thinking about buying a pool but don’t know where to start?

Posted By Peita Otterbachon March 27, 2013

Buying a swimming pool is one of the smartest moves you can make but it can also be one of the most confusing products to understand. Concrete pool, fibreglass pool or a pre-engineered pool? Chlorine pool, salt-water pool or fresh water pool? Solar pool heating or gas pool heating? Standard pool pump or energy efficient variable speed pump? So many options to choose from. Continue reading "Thinking about buying a pool but don’t know where to start?" →

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