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Pool Startup Tips: Opening your Swimming Pool for the 2011 Season

SignaturePools · Apr 1, 2011 ·

Moroccan 38 inground fiberglass pool

Every year around this time customers all over the Midwest prepare to have their swimming pools opened for the season.  And, inevitably, every year we receive calls from customers asking questions on how to successfully prepare their pool for the coming summer.  From proper water level to auto-cover and chemical questions, people sometime need a ‘refresher’ on the in’s and out’s of opening and maintaining a beautiful swimming pool from year to year.  Here are a few pointers to get you started on the right foot:

1. Remove all standing water and debris from your pool cover.  As obvious as this might sound, we can’t count the number of times a customer has asked us to open their pool….and the cover is FILLED with standing water and leaves from the fall and winter months.  Before a pool cover can be removed (or retracted, in the case of auto-covers) it is imperative that all water and debris is first removed.  Our winter covers come with a permeable mesh that allows rainwater and melted snow and ice to drain through.  Leaves and branched need to be cleared before removing the cover.  Auto-covers do not have a permeable membrane.  These covers need to be pumped clear of all water before the cover will operate.  Leaves and branches must also be removed before the cover is operated.  If not, this debris will collect in the cover box and can damage the cover system.

2.  Bring the water level in the pool half way up the skimmer.  This is not a critical step but something to keep in mind, especially if you have an auto-cover.  The cover is designed to be supported by the pool water underneth it.  By having the water at the appropriate level, the cover can operate smoothly and easily as the pool is being started up for  the season.

3.  Even under perfect conditions there will be some sort of dirt or debris in the bottom of your pool.  If you have a winter cover, the snow and ice that collected over the winter has now melted into the pool, bringing with it a fair amount of dirt.  If you have an auto-cover with your pool, a few leaves may have blown into the pool through a small gap between the cover and pool wall.  In either case be prepared to spend a little time removing or vacuuming this debris once the water is circulating.

4. Initial chemical balancing for the season is not a particularly difficult process, especially with a fiberglass pool.  When your pool is first started up for the season you will most likely need to ‘shock’ the water in order to kill off any algae that has collected over the winter.  Once the first round of shock wears off, test your pool chemicals to see where everything is starting at for the year.  If you have specific questions about chemicals feel free to contact us or take a sample of water to a local pool store for analysis.

5.  If you have a salt water chlorine generator on your pool make sure to heat the water to 77 degrees before testing the salt level of the water.  The ideal level is 3500ppm (parts per million).  The sensor in your pool equipment is calibrated to read the salt level most accurately while at this water temperature.  A lower temperature will produce a false low reading and a higher water temperature will produce an inaccurately high reading.  For every 5 degree change from the 77 degree point, the salt level will read 200ppm different from actual levels.

For those fiberglass pool owners in the Illinois and greater Chicago land area, you can download a copy of the Signature Pools 2011 opening letter directly on our website at http://www.signaturepoolschicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Letter-for-openings-2011-Computer-Version.pdf

Best Pool Design of 2010

SignaturePools · Mar 10, 2011 ·

We at Signature Pools have recently returned from the Leisure Pools Dealer Conference in San Antonio, Texas.  The weekend was filled with fantastic educational programs and was a wonderful opportunity to network with other fiberglass pool builders from all over the country.  From an up-close tour of the Leisure Pools factory and manufacturing process, to sales and marketing seminars presented by Marcus Sheridan and our friends at River Pools and Spas– the weekend was packed with useful industry information.

The conference concluded with a Cowboy Themed awards dinner that honored some of the country’s best swimming pool builders and design firms. We at Signature Pools were honored to be awarded the prestigious ‘Best Overall Design’ for 2010 along with two other awards: Best Riviera Style and Best Elegance Style pools of 2010.  Pictures of these jobs will be available on our website soon. We would also like to congratulate Earl’s Pools of Pelham, Alabama for Best Moroccan Style, Pools Now of Del Rio, Texas for Best Tuscany Style, and Enchanted Pools of Albuquerque, New Mexico for Best Roman Style.  Not only were we impressed by the other award-winning pools that were recognized that evening, but by the overall outstanding quality of the builders that comprises the Leisure Pools dealer network.  The room was filled with some of the most talented and experienced individuals in the industry.

The weekend was also a great opportunity for Signature Pools to get some ‘face time’ with other swimming pool builders, designers and installers from the Leisure Pools dealer network.  Meeting in person with such a large group of like-minded industry professionals provided us with a platform to brainstorm, dream and grow as a company.  We at Signature Pools certainly look forward to next year’s dealer conference as well!

Do I need to hire a pool service company?

SignaturePools · Jul 23, 2010 ·

Skimming the pool surface

Very often customers will ask me if I think it’s necessary for them to hire a pool service company to maintain their fiberglass swimming pool and equipment.  As with most things in life, the answer is not always short and easy.  Your lifestyle, available free time and how you use your pool are all factors to take into account. Here are a few things to consider before making the decision.

 

 

 1. How much time are you willing/able to put into your pool?

Some people think that as long as the water is clear, everything is working perfect in their fiberglass swimming pool.  Daily chemical checks can get neglected if a homeowner is not aware of the necessary water chemistry balance needed.  This process can take just a few minutes a day to test and adjust the chemicals in your pool water.

2. How often do you use your pool?

Are there always family gatherings and parties in your backyard and pool?  If so, keeping up with routine maintenance is crucial.  As more people get in the pool, so does the demand for sanitation and circulation of your pool water to stay clean and healthy.  Conversely, if you are a homeowner who rarely uses their pool, or are not home very often, pool maintenance  may be overlooked or ignored.  Not only chemical balancing, but vacuuming and filter cleanings need to take place at regular intervals to keep your pool and equipment in perfect running order.

3. Do you have a salt water system?

If you are using a chlorine generation system, it is crucial that the cell be cleaned on a regular basis.  Mineral deposits will build up on the cell over time and will eventually prevent the system from producing the chlorine necessary to sanitize your pool water.  Manufacturers recommend acid-washing the cell every 3 months.  Also, using a chlorine generator tends to make the pH of pool water drift higher, causing calcium buildup on the floor and walls of your pool.  It is important to keep the pH within an acceptable range to ensure your equipment runs efficiently and lasts a long time.  Check out this article for more information on adjusting the pH of your pool water.

How you answer these questions will determine if you really do need to hire a pool service company.  For many customers it’s a matter of time and convenience.  Signature Pools and Spas can help get you on the track to a worry free swimming season.  We offer weekly, bi-weekly, and one-time ‘check up’ services.  Rates vary by location and scope of services performed.  Contact Signature Pools if you have any questions about pool service, maintenance, or have questions about caring for your pool.

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

Vinyl to Fiberglass Swimming Pool: A Backyard Transformation Video

SignaturePools · Aug 5, 2009 ·

For information on transforming your own backyard please contact us at 630.845.1145 or on the web at:
www.sigpoolschicago.mysites.io

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