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Landscape Lighting Around Your Pool: Expert Tips

. Posted by in , • Houston
A yard where a homeowner has recently updated their landscape lighting around the pool

Well-placed lights around your pool area can enhance the beauty of your backyard and help you get the most out of your investment, day or night. In addition, installing landscape lighting can illuminate walkways to help your swimmers find their way from your back door to your pool more safely. Some common options include lights next to a patio, pergola, seating area, walls or perimeter. Additionally, lighting on water features, trees, plants, garden beds, decorations or statues can help create a welcoming atmosphere and accent certain areas of your property.

If you’re considering adding to the aesthetics and function of your pool area through lighting, you’ll want to keep some other considerations in mind. For instance, if you choose lighting that’s too bright or harsh, then you can inadvertently ruin the casual and serene atmosphere you’re probably trying to achieve. In some situations, low-voltage LED lighting can effectively provide the extra … Read Full Post »

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I Have Cloudy Pool Water: What Is Going On?

. Posted by in • Houston
A swimming pool with cloudy pool water

It can be quite alarming when you head outside, ready to take a dip in your pool, only to notice that your pool water is cloudy. What went wrong, and what can you do to fix it? Can you still swim in cloudy pool water? And, perhaps most importantly, how can you keep your water crystal clear going forward?

Quite simply, cloudiness means that your pool is dirty. Whether it’s because of organic matter or bacteria, you’ll want to resolve the problem before getting in, as it’s generally not hygienic nor safe to swim in a pool that is murky. The first step to clearing up your cloudy pool is figuring out the cause of the problem. A pool professional will likely tell you that there are a few reasons that this would be happening.

Unbalanced Chlorine Levels

Chlorine is the main chemical in a pool to keep the water safe. This sanitizer … Read Full Post »

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Pool Pump Won’t Prime: What Is Going On?

. Posted by in • Houston
A blue pool with a pump that isn't priming

Pool pumps are supposed to make it easier for you to keep your pool beautiful, clean and ready to enjoy with family and friends. However, when a pool pump won’t prime correctly, it can spell disaster at the worst possible time.

Priming is the process of creating a vacuum effect so the pump can pull water out of the pool, pass it through the filter and push the filtered water back into the pool. When this process fails, pool water can quickly become dirty, cloudy and overrun with algae and bacteria.

Some common issues that can prevent a pool pump from priming correctly include:

  • Air in the pool pump
  • A dirty pool pump impeller
  • Low water pressure
  • Pool pump leaks

When your pool pump won’t prime, the best way to save time and money is to call a swimming pool repair expert. A professional can identify and fix most of these problems quickly and help prevent future … Read Full Post »

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My Hot Tub Is Not Heating Up: What Is Going On?

. Posted by in • Austin
A hot tub that is not heating up correctly

Hot tub owners often look forward to the end of the day when they can unwind and relax as they step into the warm water. If you turned your hot tub on hours ago and it still feels lukewarm, you are likely left wondering why your hot tub is not heating up. What might be going on with your hot tub and how can you fix it?

There are a few reasons why your hot tub may not be working properly: clogged parts, broken switches, a malfunctioning thermostat, a broken pump or a faulty heating element.

Clogged Pipes Or Filters

Dirt, debris and leaves can make their way into your hot tub either because of the wind or sometimes on the bottoms of your feet. The filters throughout the hot tub help to keep the water clean and the experience enjoyable. But, if too much dirt enters the filters, there won’t be any … Read Full Post »

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Pool Pump Humming But Not Working: What Should I Do?

. Posted by in • Houston
Pool Pump Humming But Not Working

The pump is the heart of your pool. This important part creates the pressure that moves your pool water through the filters, chlorinators and all the other components of your pool’s circulation system. Recently you’ve started to worry because your previously crystal clear swimming pool is turning a muddy greenish color and you’re not sure why.

You know the pump is on because you can hear it. Did you make a mistake in your calculations for how long you need to run it? Is it the time of day? The wrong pump? What could be the reason for your pool pump humming but not working?

Unfortunately, several things could be the culprit. Some of the most common reasons are that:

  • You might have a bad capacitor.
  • Debris might be blocking the impeller and consequently disabling the pool pump.
  • There might be problems with the motor shaft.

What do all of these issues mean? Quite simply, your … Read Full Post »

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How To Vacuum A Pool Using A Skimmer

. Posted by in • Austin
How to vacuum a pool using skimmer

Most pool owners keep their chemicals balanced and use a hand skimmer when necessary to fish out leaves, twigs and other yard waste. But sometimes, big storms can bring all sorts of dirt and debris that can end up in a pool.

After one of these major weather events, or even after an infestation of algae, you may hope that your skimmer system can get your pool water clean again. But what if a few days go by, and it isn’t happening? Does this mean it’s time to manually vacuum your pool?

If you want to clean the bottom of your pool using your skimmer, you’ll need to gather the following materials:

  • A vacuum head—otherwise known as a vac head.
  • A telescopic pole that is long enough to reach even the deepest parts of your pool.
  • A vacuum hose that also can reach every part of your swimming pool.

You may want to use a skimmer … Read Full Post »

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Is There A Best Time To Run A Pool Pump In Summer?

. Posted by in • Austin

You finally did it—you got a pool installed in your backyard. And you were incredibly glad you did, since it’s a nice way to cool off at the end of a long day. Then, your power bill came and your jaw dropped. You had run the pool pump all day, every day, and now you’re wondering: When is the best time to run a pool pump in the summer?

Like some questions, the answer isn’t entirely straightforward. Depending on your situation, you could choose to run your pump at night only, you may decide to switch to a different sized component to save money or you could find that running your pump all day long is preferible.

Homeowners want to do what’s right and keep their pools pristine, but they often don’t quite realize what they’re getting into, or ways to cut costs while still maintaining your pool. Let’s explore how to … Read Full Post »

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My Pool Turned Green Overnight: What Should I Do?

. Posted by in • Houston
pool turned green overnight

It can be a nasty shock when you discover that the normally clear, sky-blue water in your pool turned green overnight. Why is my pool green? Typically, algae is the source of green pool water, and it’s certainly possible that it took over quickly, even overnight. This is especially likely if it is very warm outside, since algae blooms more rapidly in warmer temperatures. It is even more common, however, for there to have been an ongoing, undetected chemical imbalance in your pool water that enabled algae to grow.

As a rule of thumb, the deeper the shade of green, the more algae has bloomed. If your pool has just a mild green tint to it, that’s a good thing—it means you’ve likely noticed the problem before it has gone too far, which should make it easier to treat. The first step toward getting your pool back to normal? Determining the … Read Full Post »

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When To Open A Pool In Texas: A Complete Guide

. Posted by in • Houston
When To Open Pool

If you look forward to swimming in your own backyard oasis, as the winter months come to a close, your thoughts probably turn to when to open your pool. While that’s not always the case for every pool owner, winter can be painful for those of us who like to spend time outdoors, especially in those parts of the country where we are used to sunshine and short sleeves nearly year-round. Here in Texas, most of us open our pools for the season when the temperature is consistently above 70 degrees. Since we can have some strange cold fronts some years, that can be in mid-March some years and not until early April in others.

Before we know it, we will be lounging poolside, dipping our toes in refreshing, crystal-clear water and enjoying warmer weather. Until that time comes, you may be wondering how to clean a swimming pool after winter, which … Read Full Post »

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Closing A Pool For The Season: Tips From The Experts

. Posted by in • Austin
Closing a pool for the season

Closing your pool for the season? Why would you? Sure, the weather gets colder in the south over the winter, but it’s not freezing like in northern states. Even if you don’t plan on really using your pool, “closing” it seems like a lot of unnecessary work.

That’s what you thought—until last year.

This past winter, you neglected your pool in the off-season, and in the spring you paid for it—literally. Your backyard oasis sustained damage and cleaning that needed to be addressed before you could swim again.

You don’t want that to happen again this year, but you’re not quite sure exactly how to winterize your pool.

In this post, we’ll share expert advice with you on closing a pool for the season so you can dive in when the temperatures heat up again.

Why Maintain Your Pool During Winter?

Before we go into more detail about what pool owners need to do during the … Read Full Post »

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