Frequently Asked Questions About Pool Care & Maintenance

Cloudy water can be caused by many different things. The most common is a lack of chlorine—get your water tested or use test strips at home to check your chlorine (or bromine) levels. If shocking the pool does not clear it up, you may need to run your pump more often, clean your filters/ backwash your filter, or adjust the direction of your jets/returns. Ideally, jets should point 45 degrees downward for proper circulation.

If cloudy water is a problem you are battling often, it may be time to change the sand in your filter or get new cartridges.

A good first step is to bring a water sample by our retail store at 1800 Appleby Line, Unit 14
Burlington, ON L7L 6A1 for a free test and professional advice.

Shock your pool and brush the walls thoroughly. You may have to do this several times. You can also consider using an algaecide. 60% concentration (or higher) of Algaecide is preferred for active algae issues, while lower concentrations should only be used for prevention. For best results, run your pool pump for 24 hours/day as often as possible to maximize the amount of water passing through your filtration system.

As with frequent cloudy water, if you are facing chronic algae issues in your pool, getting your water professionally tested is a good first step, eliminating water chemistry as the source of the issue.

A common misconception is that a “salt pool” has no chlorine. This is untrue—salt pools use chlorine to sanitize the water, the same as any other pool. The difference lies in the source of the chlorination method.

A salt system uses the water’s salinity to produce chlorine when passing through the salt cell using a process known as electrolysis. This allows chlorine to be maintained at a constant, steady level, as opposed to requiring the pool owner to manually add chlorine each week. This helps reduce common issues such as algae growth and cloudy water.

This is a common problem with two potential sources. Your salt cell may simply need to be cleaned, which can be done easily at home.

However, as salt cells age, they tend to have a tougher time getting accurate salt readings, and so if you find that your salt system is constantly shutting off due to “low salt,” it may indicate that the cell itself is reaching the end of its life.

“LO” is a low-flow error code, meaning not enough water is running through the heater for it to function. A good first step is to perform a backwash on your sand filter or to clean your cartridges. For those with variable-speed pumps, it is also possible that the speed at which the pump is running is too low and needs to be raised when the heater is running. If this does not resolve the issue, a gas service call may be required.

Ideally, the pump should run 24/7 for maximum filtration and circulation from pool opening to closing. This tends to resolve close to 50% of common water clarity issues.

Your pool jets/returns should point 45 degrees downwards, creating a circular water flow through the pool. You should not see ripples on the surface of your pool. This prevents dead zones at the bottom of the pool, which can grow bacteria and algae.

Both sand and cartridges should be replaced every 5 to 7 years for best results.

To lower stabilizer levels, you must drain water from the pool. Stabilizer (cyanuric acid) has no other reliable mechanism through which it leaves water. For best results, we recommend draining water from the bottom of the deep end of the pool.

To avoid high stabilizer and chlorine lock, make sure you are using the correct amount of chlorine pucks per week. Never refill your chlorinator more than once a week. If your chlorine runs low and your pucks have all dissolved before the end of the week, it is preferable to shock the pool using liquid or granular chlorine rather than adding more pucks.

It should also be noted that unstabilized pucks do exist and are worth considering for anyone who is finding themselves struggling with high stabilizer levels every season.

Liquid chlorine is by far the easiest and most cost-effective option for every situation. That said, it can be messy, and the chlorine levels of the pool spike quite high. Granular chlorine is a valid alternative to replace liquid chlorine in most situations, though it should be noted that granular chlorine will raise the calcium levels of the pool, which may not be ideal for those in areas with naturally high calcium in their water.

Pucks are good for maintaining a constant chlorine level in the pool, but they have limitations. Most chlorine pucks are made up of stabilized chlorine (trichlor) and are quite acidic. Overuse of stabilized pucks will result in a very low (acidic) PH in your pool, and high levels of stabilizer (cyanuric acid), which can cause chlorine to become ineffective and lead to bacteria and algae growth in the pool. A low PH can cause significant damage to pool equipment very quickly, especially pool heaters. As such, pucks should never be the only source of chlorine for your pool—always use them in conjunction with liquid and/or granular chlorine (shock).

Pucks are also not suitable for “shocking” because they dissolve very slowly.

“Shocking” a pool, refers to a process in which you rapidly raise the chlorine levels in the pool in order to achieve what is known as “breakpoint chlorination”. This allows organic waste in the pool to rapidly be removed through oxidation.

For most pools, it will always be best to open early (e.g., April or May) and close late (e.g., September or October). This reduces the amount of time your pool sits full of stagnant water.

Yes, you can use pool chemicals in your hot tub or spa, but the concentration of some chemicals will be different. Always read the label for dosage before using any pool chemicals in your hot tub.

You should backwash your pool sand filter when the pressure gauge on the filter rises 8-10 psi above the normal operating level.

Here’s a general guide to follow:

• Routine maintenance: It’s common to backwash the filter every 1 to 2 weeks, depending on pool usage and environmental factors.
• Heavy use or debris: If your pool gets heavy use or experiences a lot of debris (like after a storm or if there are many leaves), you may need to backwash it more frequently.
• Water clarity: If the water looks cloudy, it may be a sign that your filter is clogged, and backwashing is necessary.

Cartridge filters should also be cleaned when the pressure gauge rises 8-10 psi above the normal operating level. Cartridges should be deep-cleaned at least once a season, and some pool products require them to be cleaned after use.

Yes, free water testing is available at our store for both pools and hot tubs/spas. If it will be your first time testing your water with us, please make sure to bring the following information with you:

• Sanitizer type (chlorine or bromine)
• If you have a salt system, what brand? (You can take a picture of your equipment if you are unsure—our staff will be able to determine this information.)
• Pool/spa volume (or approximate dimensions)

We are located at:

1800 Appleby Line, Unit 14
Burlington, ON L7L 6A1