Do You Know How Many Gallons Are In Your Recipe?

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This game is similar to dodge ball. Give everyone pool-safe water balls (the super absorbent kind). Divide the group into teams and have them stand on opposite sides of the pool—far enough away that being hit with a ball won’t hurt and tell the participants that there are no head shots.

When the game leader says “GO!” let the balls fly. If you’re hit, you’re out.

Back to Main Games…

My 4 year old heater will run for 24 minutes then turn off with an error code of E05.

I can restart and it will last 18 minutes then turn off with same code of E05.

I can restart again and again and the time it will stay on dimishes each time....it will last for 14 minutes then only 10 minutes always getting the E05 code.

2 pool service guys who claim they know this heater well tell me all the parts check out fine...ignition, fan, hoses are clear etc.  

It does…

Better Control, Less Work, Less Worries

With new advances in technology and research…

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Salt for Safety

You might think that manufacturing your own chlorine at home would be  dangerous and unwise. You might think that adding chemicals to your pool is also  dangerous and unhealthy. Both of those statements are false.…

I have a customer that has a doughboy through wall skimmer installed and the cover does not fit correctly it falls in to the skimmer anyone else have this problem?

For those who don't already get Pool & Spa Marketing, here's a link to an article I recently co-authored with Steve Easley. We think it makes a pretty strong case for upgrading pool pumps to variable-speed.…

By removing impurities such as dirt, leaves, grass, hair, body oils, sunscreen, and even many bacteria from the water, the filter keeps your pool water clean, clear and inviting. Once the pump collects water from your pool, it is cycled through your filter to be cleaned before it enters the heater or heat pump or returns to your pool or spa.

The filter should be sized to meet…

Biofilm: The Hidden Accomplice

     So many times when I hear the word biofilm all I can conjure is the movie…

Work Less Use Enzymes

Enzymes are natural proteins made from a renewable fermented source that once introduced into a pool or spa, are able to collect and break down oils and other inorganic matter in the pool. Enzymes can be effected by temperature, water chemistry and…

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can significantly reduce swimming pool heating costs by installing a solar pool heater. They're cost competitive with both gas and heat pump pool heaters, and they have very low annual operating costs. Actually, solar pool heating is the most cost-effective use of solar energy in many climates.

How They…

Basic Algae Fundamentals

Algae are a type of plant life that blooms everywhere.  In swimming pools if given a chance, they are a nuisance that consume sanitizer, raise pH and give an uninviting appearance to swimmers.  They can stain swimming pool surfaces if not treated quickly and become more colonized and harder to remove.

We most often see green algae, black algae and mustard or yellow algae in swimming pools and spas.  I have often seen combinations of…

As I was doing research recently on vinyl liner fungus I came across the International Code Council (ICC) Acceptance Criteria for Vinyl-Lined Residential Swimming Pools (AC279). I found some of the information very interesting. This is not information that most builders, retailers or customers ever see but I find some of it very important. Of special interest to me is section 5.2…

When you have a large group of people, designate one person to be the gator and have them tread water in the deep-end of the pool, while all other participants stand on the side of the pool. When the game leader yells “GATOR!” the game begins. At that point, the players on the side of the pool have 30 seconds to jump in and swim to the other side without getting tagged by the gator.

Anyone who is tagged in the round becomes an additional gator and has to try and tag the…

Giardia is a recreational water illness and is the most commonly found parasite in swimming pool water. This parasite can cause an intestinal illness in humans. It is possible to be infected even in a properly treated pool if the parasite is ingested before it has had adequate time to be killed. Casual contact of pool water into the mouth can ingest Giardia.

Although most bacteria are treated with recommended chlorine levels parasites like giardia are 15,000 times more…