I spoke with quit a few pool builders this past week and in nearly every case pricing came up very quickly. The discussions quickly turned to competition, everyone slashing prices etc, etc...

In the pool industry this has been experienced many times in the past through ups and downs, sure, many pool builders have really been beat up the past 3 years, however many companies continue to stay in business and find a way to make things work. This is a resilient industry and there are many good organizations and much very competent leadership out there. The current issue of Pool & Spa News talks about this.

The point I want to make is this, when top leadership talks about this so openly and you can see it on the faces of staff you are doing a disservice to your organization. It is my belief that value certainly needs to be sold but that you have to believe not only in your service and product but also maintain a positive optimistic attitude and leadership style. It is pretty hard to expect sales staff or employee's to go fight the battle if they feel that you or management already has a negative or pessimistic perspective. even worse is clients pick up on this quickly and easily.

The new year has began and it is up to management to lead the charge with a fresh, eager and highly motivated outlook. The year will be as good as you make it. Maybe not the levels a few years ago but you can make some big strides from last year and the year before.

As with any turn down, lessons are to be learned and those times are the best times to really focus on what your business will look like as things continue to get better. Operationally this is and has been a great time to assess everything your organization does. Processes, practices, procedures, plans, staffing you name it!

Let's be prepared for success! Cheers and good luck to you all in 2011!

Kevin...

Kevin...         

Pool Maintenance Mistakes

Don't Make These Common Swimming Pool Mistakes

From Kevin Woodhurst, for About.com

If you have your own swimming pool, you are one of the lucky ones. In Phoenix, some people use their swiming pools all year long. Swimming pool maintenance doesn't have to be difficult, but knowing how to properly maintain your pool will make it last longer and be a safer place for family fun. 

12 Common Swimming Pool Maintenance Mistakes

1. Not checking your pool's chemistry often enough. Check the pool's chemistry twice per week in the summer and once per week in the winter. By doing this you can make minor adjustments to your water chemistry instead of big adjustments that create a wild up and down graph of activity.
2. Allowing pH to get above 8.0. At 8.5 chlorine is only 10% active. At 7.0 it is about 73% active. By just maintaining pH around 7.5 the chlorine is 50-60% active. Keeping the pH in check will allow you to use to the full potential the chlorine that is already in the pool.
3. Not keeping alkalinity between 80-140 PPM. Low or high alkalinity can affect water balance and ultimately a sanitizer’s ability to perform.
4. Not checking TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) or calcium hardness on a regular basis. Check TDS every 6 months and calcium hardness every month. These also affect water balance which is different from sanitation, although related.
5. Not cleaning the cells in salt water systems (chlorine generators). Corroded or calcified cells will produce little chlorine.
6. Backwashing sand or DE filters too often. If you do this, the filter can never reach its cleaning potential. If you backwash on a regular basis for no reason, you are wasting water. Most filters require backwashing when the pressure gauge rises 8-10 PSI from clean.
7. Not cleaning the skimmer basket and/or hair and lint pot in the pool pump often enough. If these are full of debris you will get little flow resulting in poor circulation, potentially creating a big problem.
8. Adding chemicals, especially liquid chlorine, during the day. Try to add chemicals in the evening after the sun has set. You will get more out of them.
9. Not brushing the walls and tile down often enough. If your circulation system is suspect, and many are, brushing down the walls will help eliminate algae problems. Keeping your tile clean will save you money. Once the tile gets calcified it becomes like plaque and will take a specialist to get it off.
10. Make sure that you keep the space between the bottom of the cantilever on the deck and the top of the tile in check. If this cracks, then put in some silicon. You do not want water migrating from the inside of the pool out under the decking.
11. Not running pumps long enough. You should run your pump about 1 hour for every 10 degrees of temperature. This assumes you have a decent circulation system. It is ALL about the FLOW! Circulation IS the key to a low maintenance swimming pool.

12. Not replacing broken or ition of an acid (similar to pH).  Experts recommend "pooling" the acid in a small area of low current for a greater effect on alkalinity.  That is, adding an acid will lower both pH and alkalinity.  Walking the acid around the pool in a highly distributed manner is said to have a greater effect lowering the pH than the alkalinity. Pooling the acid has the opposite effect.  A very important component of water balance, alkalinity should be maintained in the 80-120ppm range for "gunite" and concrete pools and 125-170ppm for painted, vinyl, and fiberglass pools.  Levels should be tested weekly.

     

    Calcium Hardness

     

     

    When we speak of scale, we are talking about calcium carbonate which has come out of solution and deposited itself on surfaces.  It is a combination of carbonate ions, a part of total alkalinity and calcium, and a part of the Calcium Hardness level.  The test for Calcium Hardness is a measure of how "hard" or "soft" the water is testing.  "Hard" water can have high levels of calcium and magnesium.  If these levels are too high the water becomes saturated and will throw off excess particles out of solution which then seeks to deposit themselves on almost any surface inside the pool.  This is calcium carbonate scale; a "white-ish," crystallized rough spot. If the levels are too low, the water is under-saturated.  If under-saturated, the water will become aggressive as it attempts to obtain the calcium it needs.  Such "soft-water" will actually corrode surfaces inside the pool which contain calcium and other minerals to maintain its hardness demand.  If your Calcium Hardness levels are too high you can use TSP to lower the levels or a product called Hydroquest 100.  It can also be accomplished by dilution (adding water to the pool which has a lower calcium hardness content).  Levels which are too low require the addition of calcium chloride.  Recommended range for calcium hardness is 200-400ppm.  Calcium Hardness levels should be tested weekly.

     

    The Saturation Index

     

    Also called the Langelier Index, this chemical equation or formula is used to diagnose the water balance in the pool.  The formula is "SI = pH + TF + CF + AF - 12.1."  To calculate the Saturation Index, test the water for pH, temperature, calcium hardness, and total alkalinity.  Refer to a chart for assigned values for your temperature, hardness, and alkalinity readings then add these to your pH value.  Subtract 12.1, which is the constant value assigned to Total Dissolved Solids and a resultant number will be produced.  A result between -0.3 and +0.5 is said to indicate balanced water.  Results outside of these parameters require adjustment to one or more chemical components to achieve balance. This formula is not guaranteed; however, some readings for pH, calcium, and alkalinity which, if taken individually would be considered to be well beyond recommendations, can combine within the formula to produce "balanced water."  The SI can be used to pinpoint potential water balance problems.

Beware of diving board dangers

Kevin Woodhurst

Jul. 23, 2005 12:00 AM

This year more than ever I have done major renovations of existing pools, and many of them were older diving pools that did not meet a diving pool standard. In at least two cases it is a miracle that no one had been injured. We either converted them to play pools or removed the diving board. 

With so many people moving into our state and so much construction going on, my hunch is some diving pools being built today may not meet the industry standard. It is just not as easy as making a pool a little deeper and installing a diving board. 

Although there is little that can be done with older pools other than updating them during renovations and remodels, you could take off the diving board if the pool is suspect. If you are considering a new swimming pool with a diving board, make sure your builder builds to the standards. These standards have been published for years and are available through the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. 

Diving board manufacturers also specify the shape, size, depth and other specifications for the installation of their boards. Exceeding the standards can only make the pool safer. 

Diving accidents can be catastrophic, life-changing injuries, so it makes sense to take this seriously. 

I believe residential diving pools should be a least 36 feet long and 16 feet wide. They should be no less than 8.5 to 9 feet deep, and the break where the pool makes the transition from the deeper end to the shallow end should be at least 18 feet from the tip of the board.

The deepest part of the pool should slope no more than 1 foot every 3 feet until it gets to the break, at which point the slope should be no more than 1 foot in 7 feet. This is important because of the way you may be deflected off the bottom of the pool should you dive at the wrong angle.

The size of the board is the No. 1 contributing factor in determining the correct size of the pool, so this is generalized information. A professional pool builder should know and adhere to the standards. Make sure it is built that way. Understanding this will make you a more aware pool owner. Ask your builder about this and have him or her explain how the pool will be constructed. 

If you have an older pool and you think the pool is unsafe - maybe you have scraped your own nose on the floor of the pool once or twice during a dive - this may be an indication that something is not right. If this is the case, then take off the board. We do this regularly on renovations or remodels because so many older pools do not meet the standards. In some cases, we may replace the board with a platform-style rock that juts out over the pool a bit so that you may still dive. With the platform lower and with no spring action, it is difficult to get the trajectory and momentum to facilitate an injury.

Another important thing is to learn how to dive correctly. Most residential pools are neither big enough, nor deep enough, to perform some of the dives you did at the public pool on 1-meter boards. Those pools are much larger and deeper and were designed specifically for that purpose. Learn to shallow dive. Our national association has a great publication explaining how this is done. It can be downloaded at www.theAPSP.org. 

As professionals it is up to us to ensure the public has safe environments to swim in. This is a great way to pick up some additional remodeling work!

Dive safe, swim safe and be safe.