Saturday, December 29, 2012

PUMP PROBLEMS

Pool Pump Problems Pump Running But Not Pumping Water (or not enough flow) One of the main pool pump problems I hear from customers is" the pump is running but it’s not pumping any water". This is because the pump is not "primed" or at least not primed fully. When the pump is primed, it means the water is flowing through the pump at top speed, creating suction and pressure. Here’s a few of the MAIN causes of a pump not being fully primed or primed at all: 1) The water level has dropped below the skimmer level and the pump is sucking air-or, if you have a weir flap in the skimmer it may get stuck in the closed or up position. (Also, if you have a skimmer basket with a round weir that bobs up and down inside, if the basket gets full of leaves it may get stuck in up position cutting off water flow). 2) Possibly the pump lid is not on tight or needs a new or cleaned/lubricated o-ring 3) If the pump has a closed face impeller , possibly debris has gotten past the pump basket (maybe broken basket?) and clogged impeller.....or, impeller shaft may be broken and the motor is spinning but NOT the impeller. 4) The plumbing going to your pump may be clogged 5) If you have a check valve on the inlet side of pump, part of it may have broken off and is blocking inlet 6) The inlet or outlet plumbing of pump has become loose, causing an air leak (often due to PVC pipe shrinking because pump ran dry and heated plumbing) 7) A diverter valve in front of pump is leaking air (through stem and/or cap o-rings) 8) The ceramic shaft seal is leaking water and/or air 9) Most pumps have a threaded plug before and after the impeller on the lower side (usually right side) of pump-these small plugs(about 1/4 inch) may come loose, letting in air. 10 )If you have just installed a new pump or motor or the pool was drained or any plumbing has been redone or for any reason air has gotten into your plumbing line you may need to force water through your plumbing from the skimmer to the pump to remove air....this can be done with a device called a "drain jet" (shown below) that is available from a hardware store....it can also be used in reverse FROM the pump TO the skimmer to fix problem #4 above!...AND possibly FROM skimmer TO pump while pump is off to find air leaks for problems #5,6,7,8 and 9 above! 11) If your pump has a problem catching prime AFTER cleaning the pump basket, try installing a swing check valve in front of pump. 12) If pump is 230 voltage, is it running on only 115 volts? 13) Dirty filter? Drain jet which is a canvas "balloon" that attaches to water hose and forces water down pipe - below that is more common rubber version. Pump Making Excessive Noise 1) Most often this is due to bearings in motor failing 2) Sometimes a blockage such as a filter backwash in the halfway position can cause excessive noise 3) Sometimes the motor endbells can wear out letting the bearings oscillate inside creating a rhythmic noise(more on this in motor section) Capacitors shown below with microfarad value (uF) highlighted in orange. The smaller capacitor is for a 1 HP or smaller motor, the larger capacitor is for a 1.5-2 HP motor Motor Stuck - Hums Then Trips Breaker or Just Shuts Off 1) Most likely a bad capacitor(shown above),which is located on the top of most motors under rounded cover and sometimes on the end of motor...it can be checked by an ohm meter - the correct reading would be a drop to zero followed by a slow rise in resistance. If you replace capacitor, the capacitor should be of the same value or at least within a few percent of value of microfarads (MFD or uF symbol on capacitor) 2) Stuck impeller usually due to debris caught in impeller, but can also be caused by calcium build up from leaking seal-to check, try turning motor shaft or impeller by hand with power off to see if impeller is stuck Sometimes if you have an air leak somewhere in equipment, after pump shuts off the flow of water may reverse causing debris from filter to back up into the pump impeller. When the pump tries to start the following day, the motor cannot overcome the friction of debris to start. This may be a very slow process, perhaps hours after pump shuts off. 3) Motor has improper voltage or is simply old and start winding is burnt out 4) The bearings have seized 5) Also, a thermal overload switch will just shut off pump if it overheats. Problems unique to two speed pumps 1) Pump starts in low speed but will not start in high speed or go to high speed - this can be caused by a capacitor which is partially damaged (it has enough power to start at low speed and perhaps even go to high speed with the inertia, but cannot start at high speed). After changing capacitor, try running pump at night when its cooler to get a longer capacitor life. 2) Pump starts in high speed but NOT in low speed...usually caused by obstruction (debris on/around/in impeller)- the pump does not have enough torque to overcome friction on low speed...clean out pump impeller and surrounding area, check for cracks in pump basket. 2-speed pumps should be started in high speed for a few minutes to catch prime and avoid the problem above...in fact most utility companies require some of two speed controller to be eligible for rebate programs, which offer automatic switching to low speed after catching prime. PLEASE VISIT US AT WWW>POOLHELPUSA>COM

Friday, December 28, 2012

GREEN POOL

DOES YOUR POOL LOOK LIKE THIS? DO YOU NEED HELP? PLEASE VISIT WWW.POOLHELPUSA.COM

BLACK ALGAE

What are black algae? A black algae is a thread-like growth on the rough surfaces of the swimming pool. Black algae will appear as dark black slippery spots on pool surfaces (walls and floor), and also forms a protective coating. Black algae form a layered structure where the first layer (which chlorine may kill) protects under layers from further destruction. Black algae are similar to the black algae that are found on bathroom shower tiles and in silicone seams near the bath. This form of algae is very slow growing but very hardy. It is extremely chlorine resistant. Some other articles I have read claim that black algae is very difficult to get rid of. In my experience, this is not true even with a severe break out. The only difficult part is making sure you brush all affected areas in the pool. The process I mentioned brushing. Before adding any chemicals, you will need to brush the entire pool (all black algae spots) with a STEEL bristle brush. Your nylon wall brush will not work since the black algae have a protective coating that needs to be brushed off and exposed. Once the head of the all black algae have been brushed and exposed you will shock or super-chlorinate the pool using granular chlorine (Calcium hypo chloride). Make sure you raise the chlorine to at least 15ppm for 24 hours. See my other articles on shocking the pool. After 24 hours the black algae should be completely gone. I recommend a quart of black algae algaecide as a precaution and for regular maintenance doses.
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Thursday, December 27, 2012

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Keeping your pool sparkling clean

Keeping your pool sparkling clean doesn't have to be as cumbersome as you might think. All pools are different, and so are their maintenance needs. However, they all share one commonality: The secret to pristine pool health is regular, routine care. If you choose to handle common problems like murky water or broken pumps on your own, make sure to always consult manufacturers' manuals before fixing or using equipment. No matter if you rely on a service company to take care of your pool, you still need to do a few things on your own to ensure your pool stays in good condition for years.


Pool Chemicals Explained



Pool Chemicals Explained

Pool chemicals fit into distinct categories each of which performs a different function. Balancing chemicals, sanitizers, oxidizers, algicides and miscellaneous agents when used correctly, provide the foundation for clean sparkling pool water. The emergence of various pool chemical treatment systems in our free marketplace however gives consumers a choice of how they want to accomplish this task. Mixing components from different systems though can be counterproductive, so understanding what to use and how it affects your pool water is critical.
 
    Types of Pool Chemicals
    Balancers

        Balancing chemicals adjust three of the natural properties of water to provide an acceptable medium for all other chemicals to function properly. Municipal drinking water used to fill swimming pools usually requires the addition of these balancing chemicals in varying quantities. The alkalinity of pool water must be between 80 and 120 ppm (parts per million). The Ph needs to be set between 7.2 and 7.6 on the Ph scale that ranges from 1 to 14, with 7.0 considered neutral like the water in a fish tank. Calcium hardness must be between 180 and 240 ppm to prevent either the corrosion of any metal that is exposed to the water or the depositing of a scaly material on the pool wall.
    Sanitizers
        Once the water is balanced, it is time to use a sanitizer. This is the first line of defense against an onslaught of negatively charged particles in the pool, such as dirt, pollen, body oils, suntan lotion and organic waste. Sanitizers penetrate the outer membrane of organic particles and destroy them. They also bind themselves to inorganic particles and render them ineffective on a molecular level. Both scenarios however, leave the debris of the bound or destroyed cells in the pool, which may appear as cloudy water.
    Oxidizers
        Oxidizers burn up and remove the debris left by the sanitizer. Chlorine shock is a powerful oxidizer that will raise the chlorine level in a pool from between a normal 1.5 to 3.0 ppm up to 9.0 ppm, which will burn a person's skin. Each manufacturer places a label warning about re-entering the pool only after the level of oxidizer has decreased to a safe level of under 3.0 ppm once again. Hydrogen peroxide is a primary ingredient in other oxidizers, which also requires careful handling due to its caustic nature.
    Algicides

        Algae can bloom in a swimming pool overnight if the conditions are right, so most systems include an algicide as part of their regular pool maintenance program. Algicides come in various concentrations, engineered to combat the widest variety of algae types that may affect the pool. Black algae, mustard algae and something called pink slime are all stubborn variations of organisms that each require an application of a specific product designed especially to neutralize their one type.
    Miscellaneous
        Other pool chemicals such as flocculent combine small particles together so their larger size will trap them in the filter instead of simply passing them through it and back into the pool. Metal binding chemicals are required if the pool's source water has iron, copper or manganese. These metals if not neutralized will become visible when chlorine mixes into the water, turning it brown, purple or even black.


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Video On How To Clean A Green Pool

MrDgvb1: Pool Learning Channel

 

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Ideal Chemical Ranges




PH is the most important factor controlling your pool water balance. It refers to the measure of the relative acid or base of the pool water and should be tested daily.

If PH is too high - PH values above 7.8 will lead to cloudy water, staining, scale deposits, filtration problems and reduces chlorine efficiency.

If PH is too low - PH values below 7.2 may lead to metal corrosion, etched plaster, rapid loss of chlorine residual and possible irritation to swimmers.

Ideal PH - To maintain an ideal PH level in your pool water, use liquid chlorine when the PH drops below 7.2. When the PH level rises above 7.8, use muriatic acid to lower the PH.

Total Alkalinity

Total alkalinity is the measure of your pool water's ability to resist change in PH. Alkalinity does not have to be tested on a daily basis. This is a measure of the buffering capacity or the ability of pool water to resist a change in PH.

High Total Alkalinity - When the total alkalinity is above 140 ppm (parts per million), the PH will tend to slowly creep up and resist efforts to change.

Low Total Alkalinity - When the total alkalinity is below 75 ppm, the pH is likely to "bounce" from one extreme to the other and it will be difficult to keep the PH in the proper range.

Ideal Alkalinity - When the total alkalinity of your pool drops below 100 ppm use baking soda/ bi carb. If the total alkalinity rises above 140 ppm use soda ash to reduce it.

Calcium Hardness

High Calcium Hardness - Calcium hardness above 300 ppm can cause calcium to precipitate from the water causing cloudy conditions and scale deposits.

Low Calcium Hardness - Calcium hardness below 100 ppm may lead to corrosion.

Ideal Calcium Hardness - If the calcium hardness level in your pool rises above 300 ppm, the use of a good reducer will prevent cloudy water and hard water scale. A low calcium hardness level can be corrected by adding an increaser.

Stain Producing Metals

Iron, copper, silver and manganese are metals which commonly cause colored water, or stains in pools. If you are fortunate enough to have "ideal" fill water, and a properly constructed and maintained pool, these would not be a problem. Since ideal conditions rarely exist, we recommend the regular use of a good metal removal agent like metal out to continually protect the pool against stain producing metals.

Sanitizing Your Pool Water

Disinfection is an essential element of any pool water treatment program. chlorinated products are designed to disinfect your pool water by releasing "free chlorine" into the pool water to control germs and microorganisms, algae and organic matter.

The best method for maintaining a proper chlorine level in pools is by using one of the stabilized chlorine products. They also contain a much higher percentage of available chlorine than liquid chlorine products and do not alter the hardness level.

Because water conditions change rapidly, it is very important to test the water every day for chlorine residual. The free available chlorine reading should be 1-3 ppm. You should also test pH at the same time.

Protect your chlorine from sunlight. At the start of each season, test your pool for stabilizer content, and if necessary add Stabilizer following label directions. Sunlight will rapidly lower chlorine level in outdoor pools unless the pool water is "stabilized." Stabilizer, technically known as Cyanuric Acid, will shield your chlorine from rapid destruction by sunlight's UV rays.

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Chemical Dosage Charts



Chemical Dosage Charts - English Units
(Based on Taylor Tests)
These charts outline the amount of swimming pool chemicals that need to be added based on volume of water.


 
INCREASING PH USING BASE DEMAND TEST
(SODIUM CARBONATE)
DROPS
500gal
5,000gal
10,000gal
20,000gal
50,000gal
100,000gal
1
0.25 oz
2.50 oz
5.00 oz
10.00 oz
1.56 lbs
3.12 lbs
2
0.50 oz
5.00 oz
10.00 oz
1.25 lbs
3.12 lbs
6.24 lbs
3
0.75 oz
7.50 oz
15.00 oz
1.88 lbs
4.68 lbs
9.36 lbs
4
1.00 oz
10.00 oz
1.25 lbs
2.50 lbs
6.25 lbs
12.50 lbs
5
1.25 oz
12.50 oz
1.57 lbs
3.13 lbs
7.80 lbs
15.60 lbs
6
1.50 oz
15.00 oz
1.88 lbs
3.75 lbs
9.35 lbs
18.70 lbs
7
1.75 oz
1.09 lbs
2.19 lbs
4.38 lbs
10.90 lbs
21.80 lbs
8
2.00 oz
1.25 lbs
2.50 lbs
5.00 lbs
12.50 lbs
25.00 lbs
9
2.25 oz
1.41 lbs
2.82 lbs
5.63 lbs
14.00 lbs
28.00 lbs
10
2.50 oz
1.56 lbs
3.13 lbs
6.25 lbs
15.60 lbs
31.20 lbs
INCREASING TOTAL ALKALINITY
(SODIUM BICARBONATE)
REQUIRED
500gal
5,000gal
10,000gal
20,000gal
50,000gal
100,000gal
10 PPM
1.20 oz
12.00 oz
1.50 lbs
3.00 lbs
7.50 lbs
15.00 lbs
20 PPM
2.40 oz
1.50 lbs
3.00 lbs
6.00 lbs
15.00 lbs
30.00 lbs
30 PPM
3.60 oz
2.25 lbs
4.50 lbs
9.00 lbs
22.50 lbs
45.00 lbs
40 PPM
4.80 oz
3.00 lbs
6.00 lbs
12.00 lbs
30.00 lbs
60.00 lbs
50 PPM
6.00 oz
3.75 lbs
7.50 lbs
15.00 lbs
37.50 lbs
75.00 lbs
60 PPM
7.20 oz
4.50 lbs
9.00 lbs
18.00 lbs
45.00 lbs
90.00 lbs
70 PPM
8.40 oz
5.25 lbs
10.50 lbs
21.00 lbs
52.50 lbs
105.00 lbs
80 PPM
9.60 oz
6.00 lbs
12.00 lbs
24.00 lbs
60.00 lbs
120.00 lbs
90 PPM
10.80 oz
6.75 lbs
13.50 lbs
27.00 lbs
67.50 lbs
135.00 lbs
100 PPM
12.00 oz
7.50 lbs
15.00 lbs
30.00 lbs
75.00 lbs
150.00 lbs
110 PPM
13.20 oz
8.25 lbs
16.50 lbs
22.00 lbs
82.50 lbs
165.00 lbs
120 PPM
14.40 oz
9.00 lbs
18.00 lbs
36.00 lbs
90.00 lbs
180.00 lbs
AMOUNT OF SANITIZER TO YIELD
1 PPM FREE AVAILABLE CHLORINE
SANITIZER
% ACC
500gal
5,000gal
10,000gal
20,000gal
50,000gal
100,000gal
CL2-GAS
100%
.004 lbs
.042 lbs
.835 lbs
.167 lbs
.417 lbs
.834 lbs
TRICHLOR
90%
.005 lbs
.046 lbs
.093 lbs
.185 lbs
.463 lbs
.926 lbs
CAL HYPO
70%
.006 lbs
.060 lbs
.119 lbs
.238 lbs
.596 lbs
1.190 lbs
CAL HYPO
65%
.006 lbs
.064 lbs
.128 lbs
.257 lbs
.642 lbs
1.280 lbs
DICHLOR
62%
.007 lbs
.072 lbs
.144 lbs
.287 lbs
.718 lbs
1.440 lbs
NaDCC.2H2O
56%
.008 lbs
.075 lbs
.149 lbs
.298 lbs
.745 lbs
1.490 lbs
LITHIUM
35%
.013 lbs
.128 lbs
.238 lbs
.476 lbs
1.190 lbs
2.380 lbs
SOD. HYPO
10.3%
.65 fl oz
6.5 fl oz
13 fl oz
1.6 pts
2 qts
1 gal
CHLORINE NEUTRALIZATION
(SODIUM THIOSULFATE)
REQUIRED
500gal
5,000gal
10,000gal
20,000gal
50,000gal
100,000gal
1 PPM
0.10 oz
0.96 oz
1.92 oz
3.84 oz
9.60 oz
1.20 lbs
5 PPM
0.48 oz
4.80 oz
9.60 oz
1.20 lbs
3.00 lbs
6.00 lbs
10 PPM
0.96 oz
9.60 oz
1.20 lbs
2.40 lbs
6.00 lbs
12.00 lbs
15 PPM
1.44 oz
14.40 oz
1.80 lbs
3.60 lbs
9.00 lbs
18.00 lbs
20 PPM
1.92 oz
1.20 lbs
2.40 lbs
4.80 lbs
12.00 lbs
24.00 lbs
30 PPM
2.88 oz
1.80 lbs
3.60 lbs
7.20 lbs
18.00 lbs
36.00 lbs
50 PPM
4.80 oz
3.00 lbs
6.00 lbs
12.00 lbs
30.00 lbs
60.00 lbs
DECREASING PH USING ACID DEMAND TEST
(MURIATIC ACID)
DROPS
500gal
5,000gal
10,000gal
20,000gal
50,000gal
100,000gal
1
0.43 fl oz
4.30 fl oz
8.60 fl oz
1.10 pts
2.70 pts
2.70 qts
2
0.86 fl oz
8.60 fl oz
1.10 pts
1.10 qts
2.70 qts
1.35 gal
3
1.20 fl oz
12.90 fl oz
1.60 pts
1.60 qts
1.00 gal
2.00 gal
4
1.60 fl oz
1.10 pts
1.10 qts
2.20 qts
1.35 gal
2.70 gal
5
2.00 fl oz
1.25 pts
1.25 qts
2.50 qts
1.70 gal
3.30 gal
6
2.40 fl oz
1.60 pts
1.60 qts
3.20 qts
2.00 gal
4.00 gal
7
2.80 fl oz
1.90 pts
1.90 qts
3.80 qts
2.35 gal
4.70 gal
8
3.20 fl oz
1.10 qts
2.20 qts
1.10 gal
2.70 gal
5.50 gal
9
3.60 fl oz
1.20 qts
2.40 qts
1.20 gal
3.00 gal
6.00 gal
10
4.00 fl oz
1.25 qts
2.50 qts
1.25 gal
3.30 gal
6.70 gal
DECREASING PH USING ACID DEMAND TEST
(SODIUM BISULFATE, DRY/ACID)
DROPS
500gal
5,000gal
10,000gal
20,000gal
50,000gal
100,000galL
1
0.50 oz
5.00 oz
10.00 oz
1.25 lbs
3.13 lbs
6.26 lbs
2
1.00 oz
10.00 oz
1.25 lbs
2.50 lbs
6.25 lbs
12.50 lbs
3
1.50 oz
15.00 oz
1.88 lbs
3.76 lbs
9.40 lbs
18.80 lbs
4
2.00 oz
1.25 lbs
2.50 lbs
5.00 lbs
12.50 lbs
25.00 lbs
5
2.50 oz
1.57 lbs
3.13 lbs
6.26 lbs
15.70 lbs
31.30 lbs
6
3.00 oz
1.88 lbs
3.76 lbs
7.52 lbs
18.80 lbs
37.60 lbs
7
3.50 oz
2.19 lbs
4.38 lbs
8.76 lbs
21.90 lbs
43.80 lbs
8
4.00 oz
2.51 lbs
5.00 lbs
10.00 lbs
25.10 lbs
50.10 lbs
9
4.50 oz
2.82 lbs
5.65 lbs
11.30 lbs
26.20 lbs
56.30 lbs
10
5.01 oz
3.13 lbs
6.26 lbs
12.50 lbs
31.30 lbs
62.60 lbs
DECREASING TOTAL ALKALINITY(MURIATIC ACID)
REQUIRED
500gal
5,000gal
10,000gal
20,000gal
50,000gal
100,000gal
10 PPM
1.04 fl oz.
10.40 fl oz.
20.80 fl oz.
1.30 qts.
3.26 gal
1.63 gal
20 PPM
2.08 fl oz.
1.30 qts.
1.30 qts.
2.60 qts.
1.63 gal
3.25 gal
30 PPM
3.08 fl oz.
1.98 qts.
1.98 qts.
3.90 qts.
2.44 gal
4.88 gal
40 PPM
4.16 fl oz.
1.30 qts.
2.60 qts.
1.30 gal
3.25 gal
6.50 gal
50 PPM
5.20 fl oz.
1.63 qts.
3.25 qts.
1.63 gal
4.07 gal
8.13 gal
60 PPM
6.24 fl oz.
1.98 qts.
3.90 qts.
1.98 gal
4.88 gal
9.75 gal
70 PPM
7.28 fl oz.
2.28 qts.
1.14 gal
2.28 gal
5.70 gal
11.40 gal
80 PPM
8.32 fl oz.
2.60 qts.
1.30 gal
2.60 gal
6.50 gal
13.00 gal
90 PPM
9.34 fl oz.
2.92 qts.
1.46 gal
2.92 gal
7.30 gal
14.60 gal
100 PPM
10.4 fl oz.
3.26 qts.
1.63 gal
3.26 gal
8.15 gal
16.30 gal
INCREASING CALCIUM HARDNESS
(CALCIUM CHLORIDE)
REQUIRED
500gal
5,000gal
10,000gal
20,000gal
50,000gal
100,000gal
10 PPM
1.00 oz
10.00 oz
1.25 lbs
2.50 lbs
6.25 lbs
12.50 lbs
20 PPM
2.00 oz
1.25 lbs
2.50 lbs
5.00 lbs
12.50 lbs
25.00 lbs
30 PPM
3.00 oz
1.88 lbs
3.76 lbs
7.52 lbs
18.80 lbs
37.50 lbs
40 PPM
4.00 oz
2.50 lbs
5.00 lbs
10.00 lbs
25.00 lbs
50.00 lbs
50 PPM
5.00 oz
3.13 lbs
6.26 lbs
12.50 lbs
31.30 lbs
62.50 lbs
60 PPM
6.00 oz
3.75 lbs
7.50 lbs
15.00 lbs
37.50 lbs
75.00 lbs
70 PPM
7.00 oz
4.38 lbs
8.76 lbs
17.50 lbs
43.80 lbs
87.50 lbs
80 PPM
8.00 oz
5.00 lbs
10.00 lbs
20.00 lbs
50.00 lbs
100.00 lbs
90 PPM
9.00 oz
5.65 lbs
11.30 lbs
22.60 lbs
56.50 lbs
113.00 lbs
100 PPM
10.0 oz
6.25 lbs
12.50 lbs
25.00 lbs
62.50 lbs
125.00 lbs

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