List of Equipment for every Pool

• Telescopic Pool Pole up to 16ft
• Full size nylon brush
• Leaf Rake (Pool Net)
• Vacuum Head – match to your pool surface type, vinyl or marcite, vinyl has brushes on the bottom and marcite have wheels
• Vacuum hose, 40 ft is adequate for most pools
• 6 inch metal brush-marcite pools only!
• Optional:  Automated Pool Vacuum - you will still need the manual vacuum equipment listed above

Skimming Debris

Skimming by hand is one of the quickest and most effective ways to keep a pool clean. A few simple swipes will remove floating objects such as leaves before they sink to the bottom, greatly increasing the efficiency of the pool's circulation system.

Cleaning Out the Baskets

Keeping the strainer baskets clear will also boost the efficiency of the circulation system, resulting in a much cleaner pool.

Remove leaves and anything else that could obstruct the water flow at least once a week, especially if your vacuum is connected to the mechanical skimmer. Strainer baskets may be in the pool deck or, for an above-ground pool, attached to the side.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming every week helps keep the water clear and reduces the need to add sanitizing chemicals. Vacuums come in many designs and styles. All manual vacuums should be worked back and forth across the swimming pool, overlapping slightly on each stroke.  See below for detailed instructions.

Filter Cleaning / Backwashing

On the filter you will find a pressure gauge.  Clean or backwash the filter thoroughly (don’t forget to use the rinse setting for 10 seconds after backwashing).  Turn the pump on and after the system fully primes itself take a pressure reading from the gauge.  This is your normal operating pressure.  When the pressure gauge rises 8 – 10 pounds of pressure is when the filter requires cleaning.  I.E. if your clean pressure is 10 psi then the filter will need to be cleaned when the pressure rises to 18 – 20 psi.  Again, due to chemical dilution please try to restrict backwashing to the day prior to your service day.

Cleaning the Walls

Brushing the pool walls at least twice a week helps eliminate everything from calcium scale to algae buildup before they start to become serious problems.

In-ground or Aboveground Pools:

1. If your pool is equipped, be sure that the valve on the suction line coming into the pump is selected for the port (either skimmer or lower suction fitting) you will be using to vacuum.
2. Attach the vacuum hose to the vacuum head (the piece with the brushes or wheels on it). The better quality vacuum hoses come with a swivel end to prevent tangling of the hose.  Be sure that this is the end that is attached to the vacuum head; if not the system will draw air & not work properly.
3. Make sure the hose is secure and the vacuum head is firmly attached to the pole.
4. Place the vacuum head, hose & pole into the deep end of the pool (make sure one end of the pole is sticking out of the water!)
5. Take the UN-attached end of the vacuum hose & hold it in front of one of the water return fittings.  This will fill the hose with water & prevent binding of the pump with air.  You know you've got enough water in the hose when the vacuum head bubbles up to the top.
6. Put your hand over the end of the hose to keep the water IN.
7. Place the hose into your skimmer adapter or directly into your skimmer pipe.After you have placed the hose on the adapter fitting or in the skimmer pipe, you will probably notice a sudden drop in filter activity.
8. This is normal.  The filter system is just readjusting itself to the change in suction.  Let it operate for about 30 to 90 seconds.  It should automatically bleed any air out of its system and return to normal operation.  You'll hear the sound becoming "normal" again.
9. Vacuum away!

***NOTE***  An automatic pool vacuum will reduce the frequency of the needed vacuuming as stated above, but it is NOT intended as a complete substitute for manual vacuuming.

Troubleshooting

No suction.  The hose has come off of the basket, the filter has lost its prime (not sucking water) or the hose a leak (make sure you've got the proper end of the hose on the vacuum head).  If you have more than one suction line, be sure you're drawing from the proper one.

Dirty water is returning to the pool.  If you have a sand filter, DO NOT BACKWASH THE FILTER BEFORE VACUUMING.  Backwashing stirs up the sand & prevents good trapping of dirt for several HOURS.  In cartridge or DE filters, this rarely happens.

I vacuum for a few minutes & then it doesn't work anymore.  How dirty is the pool?  If it's REALLY dirty, you may be better off vacuuming to direct waste (sand filter) or otherwise vacuuming directly out of the pool by-passing the filter.

Green Pool Clean Up

If your pool has turned green, following this procedure will expedite the recovery.

1. Brush the pool vigorously, walls and floor, right before or right after your service visit.
2. Our technician will apply all the necessary chemicals.
3. Run the filtration system for 24 to 48 hours to clear the water.
4. Vacuum the pool following the steps above.
5. Clean the filter and return to normal filtration times.

Recommended Minimums

Filtration           Sand Filter        11-12 hours daily, all at one run

                        Cartridge Filter  10-12 hours daily, all at one run

                        D.E.                    9-11 hours daily, all at one run

Vacuum the pool weekly

Empty the skimmers and pump pot daily

Sweep/brush the pool at least 2 times a week.

If the pool will be unattended due to vacation, illness, etc. please contact our office to arrange for temporary Full Service coverage while you’re away.