swimming pools design

How to keep your Fiberglass Swimming Pool clean

SignaturePools · Jul 31, 2009 ·

One of the most common, and simplest questions to answer about your in-ground swimming pool is how to keep it sparkling clean. There are actually three components at play in the cleaning process:

Circulation- Make sure your pool equipment is properly circulating the water through the system. Clean the pump basket regularly and make sure the pump is not drawing any air through the skimmer or a loose fitting. Your filter pump is at the heart of the circulation process, and is what draws water out of the pool (through the skimmer and main drain), and discharges clean water back into the pool (through the return jets).

Filtration- As the pump is circulating water through the equipment, it passes through some kind if filtering system. All of our pools at Signature Pools and Spas use cartridge filters to clean the water. Making sure these cartridges are free of debris is a major component in maintaining crystal clear water. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions and clean these cartridges several times a season.

Sanitation- The third and final component in maintaining a clear swimming pool is water sanitation. Although there are many ways to kill bacteria, chlorine products are most commonly used in swimming pools to eliminate any biological organisms. Use test strips or a chemical test kit to make sure you have the right amount of chlorine in the pool water.

If you have other questions about keeping your swimming pool clean, please feel free to contact us at 630.845.1145 or visit us on the web at: www.sigpoolschicago.mysites.io

All About Swimming Pool Tile

SignaturePools · Jul 30, 2009 ·

A great option to consider with your in ground fiberglass swimming pool is the addition of a tile perimeter around the pool. This feature can add a personal touch to any backyard water-scape, and will add to the beauty of your swimming pool design.

There are literally hundreds of colors, sizes, and styles to choose from when picking a pool tile. Whether you’re looking for something to match an existing deck, house color, or a natural element in the yard, tile can give the look of your very own Signature Pool. We partner with National Pool Tile Group for the majority of our pool tile needs. Their selection and quality of products has benefited our customers over the years.

Take a look at just a few examples of what a perimeter tile can add to your very own fiberglass swimming pool.

These two examples incorporate tile both around the perimeter of the pool as well as on a raised spa and water feature. The spa on the left blends the pool tile right into the spa wall, while the elevated water feature uses a contrasting tile color to accentuate it against the natural landscape in the background.

If you have questions or would like further information please call 630.845.1145 or visit us at:

www.sigpoolschicago.mysites.io

2009 Master of Design Winner!

SignaturePools · Jul 30, 2009 ·

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Signature Pools and Spas is honored to receive the 2009 Masters of Design award for fiberglass swimming pools. Published in the July issue of Pool and Spa News, Signature Pools is featured along with an elite class of pool builders from around the country; companies all recognized for their outstanding designs and installations of in ground swimming pools and spas. This nationally recognized award is issued just once a year- and published by an industry leader in swimming pool news, development and design.

Check out the full article here…

In the design and development of the project, Signature Pools featured a Leisure Pools Elegance 33′ fiberglass pool with many additional features. Laminar water features, a sheer discent waterfall over the spa, and fiber optic lights are just some of the touches that gives this project the ‘Signature Look’.

Signature Pools is proud and excited to receive the recoginition, but would also like to congratulate the other contributers and winners in the various catagories.

Chlorine Generators, T-Cells, and Saltwater Pools: Mystery or Magic?

SignaturePools · Jul 29, 2009 ·

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These three terms are all used to describe the same thing: natural chlorine generation using sodium chloride. As magical (or complicated) as this may sound this process of generating chlorine is just some basic chemistry put to work. Simply put, salt is added to swimming pool water and then broken into the two chemical compounds that make up the salt (sodium and chloride). The chloride is then released back into the water providing sanitation for the pool.

This process of breaking salt into its elements is commonly known as electrolysis. Inside the pool equipment is a ‘cell’ with several metal plates that are mildly charged with a positive and negative current. As the saltwater pass by the cell, the current causes a reaction to happen, breaking down the salt into its two chemical compounds (NaCl). The sodium is collected onto the plates, while the chloride is released back into the water.

This system of sanitation is a very popular alternative to the chlorine feeders of the past. Prior to the salt chlorination development, most people added chlorine tabs or ‘pucks’ to an in-line feeder in the pool equipment. As water flows past these pucks, they dissolve into the water providing chlorine to the pool. The disadvantage to this type of system is two fold:

You must remember to ‘feed the pool’ chorine on a regular basis. Customers with this type of chlorine delivery system must refill the tabs ever week to maintain proper sanitation levels in the pool.
You can taste, smell, and feel the chlorine. The reaction is exactly what you might expect- burning eyes, faded swimming suites, and the residual smell of chlorine on your skin once you get out of the water.

A chlorine generating salt systems does not have these problems. Chlorine is constantly being produced by the salt in the water and you only need to add salt once or twice a season. The only way to loose salt from the water is by adding fresh water to the pool. Salt cannot be “burnt off” by the sun like chlorine or otherwise evaporate over time. Only the addition of fresh water from rain or a garden hose will deplete the amount of salt in the pool. Secondly, because the chloride is produced in its natural state, there is no smell, taste, or feel of chlorine in the pool water. No more burning eyes or faded hair!

The only maintenance necessary on the salt cell is a cleaning every now and then. Just like the oil change reminder on many modern cars, the system tells you when it is time to clean the cell (typically once a month). Follow the simple instructions from the manufacturer for the cleaning procedure and you’re ready to get back to the pool!

If you have further questions about chlorine generators, feel free to contact Signature Pools and Spas at 630.845.1145 or visit us at: www.sigpoolschicago.mysites.io

Why is my fiberglass pool leaking?

SignaturePools · Jul 24, 2009 ·

As many consumers know, fiberglass pools have sky-rocketed in popularity over the past decade. Here at Signature Pools and Spas we have installed over 300 fiberglass pools for satisfied clients in the Chicago land area and all over Illinois. Part of being the leader in the midwest for fiberglass pool isntallation is our commitment to educating our customers on the ownership and operation of their very own Signature Pool!

This season we have received a few phone calls from concerned fiberglass pool customers because they believe there pool is leaking. Although this is a rare occurance, it is something that can happen from time to time for various reasons. If you are experiencing slow water loss turn off the skimmer valve to the pool, allowing only the deep end floor or wall drain to circulate water. This will allow the water to safely drop below the skimmer box without sucking air into the pump and harming other equipment.

After a few phone calls and a visit from our service team we have discovered some of the causes of water loss and would like to share this information with you.

You pool is TOO full! Yes, this can happen- if you fill your swimming pool above the center of the skimmer, water can leak out the back of the skimmer extension ring (between the concrete and the skimmer ring). To check, look inside the skimmer and see where the water has stopped. More than likely the water level stopped just below the skimmer extension ring. Filling the pool any higher will just cause the water to drain back to that point.

There is a gasket leaking by the equipment pad. Take a look on the concrete pad around your equipment. Leaky filters, pump lids, and gaskets all can cause a slow leak in the pool and will affect the water level. Tighten the filter plug, reset the pump lid, and check all other seals for failure. There is a gasket on the underside of the pump lid, a large ‘O’ ring between the upper and lower half of your filter, and gaskets on all the plumbing clean-out points. You can use a dab of Vaseline on the rubber gaskets to ensure a water-tight seal.

A water return line may be leaking. If you notice rapid water loss from your pool it may be caused by a leaking or detached return line. Water loss in this case is very rare but possible. The leak will usually be severe and happen very quickly (6″ or more per 24 hours). Shut off you pool equipment and contact a swimming pool service company to repair this problem.

A light niche may be leaking. Behind some of the larger pool lights is a ‘wet niche’ that allows the light housing to be removed for bulb replacement and service. The chord of the light runs through a small conduit opening in the back of the niche. Over time the sealant between the chord and the conduit can deteriorate and needs to be re-applied. As with the return lines, leaking lights are not all that common, but an easy fix if you do have a ‘slow leak’.

Water is evaporating. In summer months the water level in you pool can drop quickly from sunlight evaporation and swimmer splash-out. Keep in mind that every time the pool is used, some amount of water is splashed out and the sun evaporates water. When the pool is uncovered and being used customers can expect to ‘top off’ the water in their pool at least once a week.

Signature Pools and Spas is commited to our customers questions regarding pool ownership. If you have further questions or concerns about water loss in your pool, feel free to contact our service department at 630.845.1145 or visit our website at: www.sigpoolschicago.mysites.io