Maintenance and Service

How do I balance pH in my fiberglass swimming pool?

SignaturePools · Jul 6, 2010 ·

Part of what we do at Signature Pools, along with building fantastic in ground fiberglass swimming pools, is teaching our clients about the importance of maintaining their pool water chemistry. Many people have the impression that fiberglass pools are COMPLETELY maintenance free, and because of a salt water chlorine generating system, they don’t need to test or balance other pool chemicals. Although it is true that fiberglass pools are much easier to maintain than concrete or vinyl in ground pools, there are still a few things to keep an eye on throughout the week.

pH LEVELS ARE CRITICAL TO THE CLAIRTY OF YOUR POOL WATER AND LONGEVITY OF YOUR POOL EQUIPMENT.

By far the most important factor in keeping the overall health of your pool is the pH, or degree of acid or base in the water. pH is measured on a scale from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral.

Pool water pH is best kept in the 7.2 to 7.8 range. When pH remains below 7.2, the water is considered to be corrosive and can damage metals in the equipment such as heat exchangers or lights. It is also more difficult to keep chlorine in the pool because it becomes much less stable and is consumed faster than would be used at normal pH levels.

Keeping the pH higher than 7.8 will increase the tendency to form scale or cloudy water. Calcium is an unstable mineral and when pH is high, the calcium has a hard time dissolving in the water. High pH will also reduce chlorine effectiveness resulting in the need to maintain higher chlorine levels to achieve proper sanitation. Be aware that using a salt water chlorine generator will naturally increase the pH of your pool water and will need to be adjusted more frequently than when using stablized chlorine.

If pH levels are low, sodium carbonate (pH Up) is added to raise the pH. If the pH is high, ph Down is used. pH Down comes in two forms: liquid acid (muriatic acid) or dry acid (sodium bisulfate).

By keeing a close watch on your swimming pool pH levels, you will have a more enjoyable, safer, and easier to maintain environment in your backyard! If you have further questions about the pH of your pool water, or would like any other information about maintaining your pool, please feel free to contact us or call Signature Pools and Spas at 630.845.1145

There is air in my pool pump

SignaturePools · Jun 2, 2010 ·

This past week we have received several calls from customers asking about their pool pumps. In many cases they are not able to prime the pump completely or it looses prime when turned off. Here are a few things to look for if you come across this issue yourself.

1. Pump Lid- Make sure the lid for the pump is seated correctly and tightened all the way. Also check and see that the gasket between the lid and pump housing is in place and lubricated. A damaged, worn, or misaligned lid or seal can cause the pump to suck in air- preventing a full prime.

2. Skimmer and pump basket-check both the basket in the skimmer and inside the pump housing to make sure they are sitting correctly in place. A skimmer basket should align flush to the bottom of the skimmer pot. The pump basket should always be seated in the bottom of the pump. Many pump manufacturers such as Jandy and Pentair have a notch in the top of the basket that lines up with a grove inside the pump.

3. Water Level- make sure the water level is high enough in your pool. If it’s too low, air can be sucked through the skimmer and into the pump. Over time, this air can damage your pool equipment.

4. Loose pump union- check the threaded plumbing on the front of your pump. A loose union fitting may be allowing air to leak into the pump. Make sure to also check that the gaskets between the union fittings are also seated correctly and in place.

Preventing air from leaking into your circulation pump is important to keeping your pool equipment working well for years to come. If you have any questions about pool pumps, or any other pool equipment and maintenance, feel free to contact us at Signature Pools or call 630.845.1145.

What is wrong with my chlorine generator?

SignaturePools · May 28, 2010 ·

So your pool is up and running and the kids are ready to jump in the cool, refreshing water- but there’s a problem! The pool water is all cloudy, maybe even green!?! What gives?? You have a chlorine generator…no chemicals needed, right?

Not exactly….

Many pool owners have a misconception about what their chlorine generator (salt system) actually does. Here are a few ground rules to keep in mind when maintaining your system.

1. Salt Level: Make sure the NaCl (salt) is at the proper level in your pool water. This measurement is made in parts-per-million (ppm) and should normally range between 2700 ppm and 3400 ppm. Your pool equipment should have either a light indicator or internal digital salt tester to let you know if the level is correct. If you have doubts about the accuracy of the equipment, use an independent testing agent to verify the results. An easy test strip available from your local pool supplier will do the trick. I personally like the AquaCheck brand for ease of use.

2. System Diagnostics: Once you verify the proper salt level in your pool water, you may want to run a quick diagnostics check of the salt cell to make sure it is running properly. Most chlorine generator systems have a diagnostic mode that will measure the current that is running through the cell. This will indicate whether or not the system is functioning properly.

3. Clean the Cell: Over time, calcium and other minerals will collect on the internal fins of the salt cell. By cleaning the cell with an acid solution you will boost and extend the performance of the chlorine generating system. Refer to your owners manual and manufactures’ recommendations for this process because every system is different.

ALWAYS USE CAUTION WHEN HANDLING ACID AND OTHER POOL CHEMICALS!

4. Test your chemicals: Many people think that having a chlorine generator means they don’t have to worry about chemicals for their pool AT ALL. This is simply not true!!! Staying on top of pH, Alkaline, and Stabilizer will greatly enhance the performance of your chlorine generator. If these other levels are out of balance you may not be producing enough chlorine to safely sanitize the pool water.

Follow these simple steps to make sure your salt water pool runs smoothly, safely, and effeciently all season long. If you have further questions about chemicals, or would like to speak to us directly, please feel free to contact Signature Pools and Spas, Inc or give us a call at (630) 845-1145.

When Good Liners Go Bad: Interesting Seminar at the 2010 Mid-America Pool & Spa Show

Todd Emmerson · Jan 13, 2010 ·

mid-america-pool-spa-show-2

As the premier fibergass pool company in Illinois and as experts in fiberglass pool design and installation we take continuing education seriously so we can best serve our current and future clients. Every year the team at Signature Pools attends many conferences, trade shows, seminars, and webinars to further enhance our expertise. One show we attend almost every year is the Mid-America Pool & Spa Show. This is the largest pool and spa show in the Midwest so typically it’s a great opportunity for our team to meet with many of our different suppliers and learn about their new products being released. The Mid-America Pool & Spa Show will take place this year January 20 – 21, 2010 in St. Charles, IL.

While browsing through the seminars being offered this year I found one that caught my eye and if you’re currently researching or buying a swimming pool it should catch your eye too. The words I noticed were from a seminar entitled, “When Good Liners Go Bad”.

Here is the description given for this seminar:

Attendees will learn how to diagnose what is wrong with a liner and how to address the issue with their customer. Seminar discussion will include what problems can arise after liner installation and whether the issue is under warranty. Topics will include; wrinkling, leaking, fading, staining, dry rot, split seams, and customer expectations of how long a liner should last.

Keep in mind that this class is being offered by and taught by one of our country’s largest suppliers of inground vinyl liners and not from a concrete/gunite pool company or a fiberglass pool company. This class description spells out perfectly what we’ve been teaching the past 10 years about vinyl liner pools and why fiberglass pools are so superior. I’ll sum up for you here what this class really says about purchasing a vinyl liner pool:

1) You will have problems with your liner
2) You should hope that the company you purchased it from has been trained in how to address the situation with you
3) Problems can/will arise after liner installation
4) Some problems are not under warranty
5) Problems include wrinkling, leaking, fading, staining, dry rot, and split seams
6) Customers buying a liner should lower their expectations on how long a vinyl liner will last

Buying a swimming pool is a big investment and we’re here to help you make the best decision possible for your specific situation. You can find a review of the three different types of swimming pools by clicking here. If you’re currently researching different types of swimming pools we would love to talk with you about the benefits of building a fiberglass swimming pool from Signature Pools & Spas. You can contact our office at 630.845.1145, our sales manager Todd Emmerson directly at 630.973.8105, or visit us on the web at: www.sigpoolschicago.mysites.io

Do we build Fiberglass Pools in YOUR town?

SignaturePools · Aug 10, 2009 ·

View Signature Pools and Spas, Inc in a larger map

Quite often we get phone calls from prospective clients who wonder if Signature Pools builds, maintains, or services pools in their area. The short answer is: We build swimming pools in and around the Greater Chicago land area. This includes the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, but Signature Pools has also installed inground fiberglass pools as far north as the Wisconsin border and into Indiana as well. Below is a list of the cities where we have installed pools. As always, feel free to contact us if you have questions about your very own Signature Pool.

Signature Pools and Spas works in all of these towns and many others!

Addison, Algonquin, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Batavia, Belvidere, Big Rock, Bloomingdale, Bolingbrook, Boone County, Bristol, Buffalo Grove, Burr Ridge, Carpentersville, Cary, Channahon, Chicago, Clarendon Hills, Cook County, Crystal Lake, Darien, Deer Park, Deerfield, Dekalb, Dekalb County, Countryside, Downers Grove, Dundee, Dupage County, Elburn, Elgin, Elmhurst, Flossmore, Frankfort, Geneva, Gilberts, Glen Ellyn, Glenview, Grayslake, Grundy County, Hampshire, Hanover Park, Harvard, Hawthorn Woods, Highland Park, Hinsdale, Homer Glen, Huntley, Indian Head Park, Inverness, Itasca, Joliet, Kane County, Kankakee County, Kendall County, Kenilworth, Kildeer, La Fox, Lake Barrington, Lake County, Lake Forest, Lake in the Hills, Lake Villa, Lakewood, LaSalle County, Lemont, Libertyville, Lockport, Long Grove, Lombard, McHenry, Manhattan, Maple Park, Marengo, Medinah, Melrose Park, Mendota, Millbrook, Minooka, Mokena, Monee, Montgomery, Morris, Mount Prospect, Naperville, New Lenox, North Aurora, North Barrington, Northbrook, Northfield, Oak Brook, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Olympia Fields, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Oswego, Palatine, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Plainfield, Plano, Plato Center, River Forest, Riverside, Riverwoods, Rolling Meadows, Romeoville, Roselle, Salem, Sandwich, Schaumburg, Seneca, Shorewood, Somonauk, South Barrington, South Elgin, Spring Grove, St. Charles, Streamwood, Sugar Grove, Sycamore, Tinley Park, Vernon Hills, Villa Park, Wauconda, Wayne, West Chicago, West Dundee, Western Springs, Westmont, Wheaton, Wheeling, Will County, Willowbrook, Winfield, Wilmette, Winnebago County, Winnetka, Woodridge, Woodstock, Yorkville