FAQs

Pool maintenance (testing, balancing and cleaning) should be carried out once per week in Summer, and every second week in Winter for optimal water quality.

To keep your pool clean, all the water in your pool should run through your pump’s filtration system at least once a day.  This is called turnover rate. 

Calculation: pool capacity (litres) / pump rate (L min) / 60 mins = hours

Example: 20,000 L / 200 L min 1HP pump / 60 mins = 1.66hrs

Your will know when to clean your salt-cell because you will see scale developing on the metallic grids.  At a minimum, it should be cleaned once a year.  Keeping it clean will prolong the life of the cell, while also improving and enhancing chemical performance.  We do not recommend using Hydrochloric Acid to clean your salt cell as it may cause damage to the cell and void your warranty. 

A good indicator that your filter needs cleaning is higher than normal filter pressure.  It is important to note down your filter pressure when it is clean, so that you have a benchmark to measure against. If the pressure of the filter is 8PSI or more above the optimal pressure reading, that is a good sign that your filter needs cleaning.

Frequency of cleaning is going to be influenced by many factors including environmental factors (dirt, dust, leaf matter etc) and by the build-up of oils (skin, sunscreen). 

As a rule of thumb, cartridge filters should get a good rinse out once a month and a deep clean every six months.  Cartridge filter media should be replaced when cleaning no longer reduces the pressure or if there are tears/damage to the material. 

Sand filters should be backwashed when the pressure indicator is higher than normal.  The sand in a sand filter can be replaced every 4-5 years.

Pool or Spa water should be tested at least once a week, more often in extreme weather conditions or high bather loads (eg: children’s party). A good quality test kit is therefore essential.  For more accurate results, testing by a pool professional is recommended on a fortnightly basis (once a month in winter).

A well balanced pool is a healthy pool.  Having your water balanced means ensuring that the five basic water components (pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, stabiliser and total dissolved solids) are maintained within their proper levels. These components work together to make the sanitiser more effectively.   

pH is the most critical part of water balance.  Every other chemical revolves around it. The optimum pH level is between 7.2-7.8 (depending on pool type).  If pH is too low, your sanitiser will not be able to do its job.

The ideal Alkalinity range is between 100-150 ppm.  Alkalinity is a pH buffer – it helps keep the pH from drastically moving up or down by absorbing (buffering) major changes to the water before the pH is affected.

The Ideal Calcium Hardness level ranges from 175-300 ppm.  Too little calcium can lead to calcification on your pool walls and floor.  Too much can cause scaling and other issues.  Checking these levels regularly will keep your pool and its equipment in good working order longer.

Stabiliser is important to help your pool retain chlorine longer. It is added to protect chlorine from breaking down in the sun. If levels are too low, you’ll find you go through a lot more chlorine than normal.  It is important not to let levels get too high, as the chlorine lock may occur (see Chlorine Lock). The optimal range is between 40-80ppm.

TDS are made up of dissolved minerals.  Water evaporation leaves minerals behind, and mineral levels get more concentrated over time which makes it harder for other chemicals to do their job. If you have a level of 3000ppm or more, you may need to drain some water out of the pool and add clean water.

Sanitisers are used to kill bacteria and inhibit the growth of viruses, algae and other organic contaminants that enter your pool water by way of wind, rain, dust and swimmers.  The most common sanitiser is Chlorine.

We need Chlorine in our pools to sanitise (disinfect) the water.  Using too much Stabiliser can lead to Chlorine Lock.  When it locks, Chlorine is rendered useless and no matter how much Chlorine you add, levels will not go up.  The most cost effective way to break chlorine lock is to dilute the stabiliser.  This is usually done by draining some water out of the pool and replacing it with clean water.  You should avoid using products that contain Stabiliser until the Stabiliser levels return to normal.

Shocking a pool refers to the process of adding chlorine or non-chlorine pool chemicals to raise free-chlorine levels to a point where contaminants (eg: algae, bacteria) are destroyed.

Phosphates are made up of plant nutrients that algae required to grow. Even low levels in a pool can accelerate algae growth without proper maintenance.

Algaecides are the chemical compounds whose active ingredients kill algae and or prevent it from growing in your pool.

Clarifiers will combine suspended particles so that they can be removed through normal filtration.  They should be used as part of a monthly pool maintenance program to keep your pool sparkling clean. 

Flocculants combine particles and cause them to settle to the bottom of the pool so that you can then vacuum them out to waste.  They are used on treating heavily contaminated water (eg: muddy or green pools).

A Mineral pool or spa is one that has had Magnesium (Magnesium Chloride) and water softener (Borate) added to the water.  The water has a smoother, softer, silker feel and can offer therapeutic benefits for muscle stiffness and relaxation, while being gentle on the skin, eyes and hair.  Like all pool chemicals, these can be kept in balance.

Your pool pump is the backbone of your pool. Too small and you won’t turn your water over quickly enough, too big and your filtration may not be effective.  Pumps can be single or variable speed.  Pumps are measured in horsepower (hp) and turnover rate (litres/minute).

A saltwater chlorinator uses electrolysis to convert Sodium Chloride (salt) to Chlorine.  They are measured by the number of grams/hour they can convert.  They are made up of a salt cell containing the electro plates that the water passes between, a controller that sets the output level and a timer to switch the pump on and off.

There are three main types of filter media. Cartridge, sand/glass, and Diatomaceous Earth (DE).

A sand filter will filter down to 20 microns and requires backwashing to clean.

In a cartridge filter, water is forced through a material fin and will filter down to 10 microns and requires remove to clean.

DE filters can filter down to 5 microns.  They are higher maintenance that the other two as they require refilling with media after every backwash and recoating of DE.