J.W.Green Swimming Pools Ltd.

Whilst most indoor pool owners keep their swimming pool open all year, there are several that close them for two or three months during the winter.

One  fairly obvious reason is to save on energy costs.

The second, as explained to me by a client, was that if he kept the pool open all year, there was a loss of interest by the family in using it. Wheras he found if it was closed for a couple of months – in his case  December and January , then once reopened, there tended to be more use made of it. On top of which, he said there was so much going on in December, with the build up to Christmas, that there was little time for swimming any way.

So on reopening your indoor pool.

Overfill by a good few inches and give the filter at least a five minute backwash.

If you are in a hard water area, chances are there may be a build up of calcium in your filter, which can cause the silica media to bind together into lumps. This is obviously detrimental to good filtration and water clarity.

Use a specialist product to dissolve this calcium and it will pay dividends.

Sanitise the system with a shock dose – preferably using a shock chlorine to raise the level and run the system for at least twenty four hours to help to sanitise the pipework, the pool it self and the general flow and return fittings in the plant.  After shock dosing, ensure the chlorine level drops  below 5ppm before starting to swim.

Biofilms can build up in filters and pipework, so it is advisable to use a specialist product to remove this potential hazard from your system. This is true for spas and hot tubs, as much as for swimming pools, especially in the pipework.

Get your boiler serviced by a fully qualified engineer every year. Ideally one month before you intend to start swimming. No use waiting until the sun shines or you have planned a swimming party, to find the boiler will not fire up.

If you have a TEC (Total Environmental Control), system with one unit serving the pool and pool room air, then this also requires regular servicing and will at the very minimum require the filters to be changed at least once a year.

Test regularly for your correct sanitiser levels, ensure the pH level is correct and always read the instructions on the containers. If in doubt ASK your pool shop for advice.

Many pool shops, like us, will have an in house water testing facility, to enable you to have a comprehensive test and computer print out on the state of your pool or spa water. The  print out from the information fed into the computer will then tell you what  products and amounts are needed to give you perfect water balance.

Good water management is paramount to you and your family’s  health.

My advice is to never swim alone, even if the other person is only sitting in the same room or round the swimming pool and in site of the swimmer.

To all our customers and suppliers merry Christmas and a happy new year. After a great break and a good knees up over the festive season we’re back and ready for the new one. We hope Santa got everything you wanted.

Best wishes and good tidings, from all the team at JWGSwimming.co.uk

Opening your swimming pool is a pretty simple process. If you winterised your pool before closing, it should be easy … removing the winter cover, balancing the pH and chlorine levels, cleaning your summer cover and relocating the bolts in your roller .

If you didn’t winterise your pool then the chances are it may have gone green with algae.

Don’t panic, and don’t waste chlorine granules trying to kill the algae, you will need to shock dose your pool with the appropriate amount of liquid sodium hypochlorite. This is a much more concentrated, unstabilized form of chlorine that will kill the algae within a day or so. (When you’ve add the sodium hypochlorite run your pump for 6-12hr then turn it off.(NO SWIMMING / BATHING  until the chlorine level has dropped to a maximum of 5ppm)

Once the algae is dead you will need to see if it has sunk to the floor of the pool, it should now look brown and cover the floor of the pool.

If the algae is still suspended in the water you’ll need to treat with a flocculant to drop the algae to the bottom of the pool.

The algae should then be vacuumed to waste.

The particles are so fine your filter will not remove them ensure you vacuum to waste.

Vacuum the floor slowly so you don’t disturb the algae too much. Once you’ve removed as much algae as you can. Switch back from ‘waste’ to ‘backwash’, run backwash cycle until the water coming out is clear. Then switch to ‘Rinse’, run the pump for 30 seconds. Switch back to filtration setting.  This is a good time to clean your tile band, whilst the water level is lower than normal.  Use a good quality tile and liner cleaning paste.  Now top up your pool until the level is halfway up the skimmer mouth.

Net excess debris from the surface of the pool and ensure the skimmer pots are empty.

If the water is still a little milky add a sparkle tab as required to the skimmer pot.

Test & balance your pH & chlorine before swimming.

We recommend bringing a sample of water to our lab for further analysis. Provided for free if you subscribe to our annual water care service.  (Please call/contact us for more information.)

NB.
STOP THE PUMP EVERY TIME YOU CHANGE A SETTING ON THE MULTIPORT VALVE … if you don’t you risk damaging the multi-port valve & seal.

Another good tip is to always turn the multi-port valve in one direction, this will ensure your multi-port valve & seal last as long as possible.

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW SPECIFIC PRODUCT INSTRUCTIONS.
We take no responsibility for damage to property/equipment and or to persons incurred by following this guide.

Yes sir, they are great!

What is a counter swim current ?
A counter swim current is a special water jet which is usually installed in  the wall of the pool. The water jet strength and direction can be adjusted, some models feature an air and water mixture for varying the strengths and effects of the  current.

What are counter swim currents used for?
Use it for massage, swimming against, as a water feature, or to bounce you round the pool while you lie on your inflatable and of course it is possible to have a pool just three or four metres long and swim for miles without even turning round.

You can plug a massage poker in or fit grab rails as extras.

How to install ?
Build the unit into the pool wall or buy an after market model where the motor is housed  in a unit on the pool side.

If you thinking of installing a counter swim current or just want some advice on your build contact us we’re more than happy to help.

Here are a few words or search phrases people visiting our site have used.

Whilst we understand from most searches what further weekly tips to add, to help answer the search terms,  there are a few we could do with a bit more information, so here we go.

Green swimming pool tiles  - Are you looking for green tiles or have the tiles gone green with the presence of algae?

Green coloured tiles are not the best colour for tiling a swimming pool as you can’t see when algae starts to develop. Light blues, whites, and cream colours are a much better option as they help amplify the natural light and are a wise choice when installing an indoor swimming pool or spa.

If you do start to develop algae on your pool tiles, we offer an algae eraser to remedy this situation.

The problem is usually caused by bad pH control and or low sanitiser levels.

Opio colour & Bisazza mosaics surplus …
We currently have a surplus supply of Opio colour & Bisazza mosaics suitable for pools, spa’s and spares and repairs, if you are looking for specific colours or blends please contact the office with the make, blend and quantity you require and we can check our stock for you.

Now that the worst of the winter weather has passed it might be worth taking a stroll up the garden and having a look around the pool and surround to see if there has been any damage to your pool. The cold weather can often cause tiles to crack and on older pools mosaics may need re-fixing. There is no real fool proof way to protect your pool from winter damage but regular checks and service are the best method for keeping your pool in optimum condition.

If your pool isn’t still frozen over add some chlorine to prevent it from turning green this will save you money in the long run as you wont need to shock dose the pool before opening it in the summer.

If you are an existing customer or live in the UK / Midlands we offer a complete pool / spa refurbishment service, from minor jobs to major restoration please contact us for more information.

We hope you all had a good Christmas

Happy new year from all of us.

If you are considering building a swimming pool, ensure your pool installer builds a pumping point below the base slab. This is an important feature. Whilst there may be no visible ground water at the time of the excavation, this could be down to seasonal change.  A low water table in the  summer and high water table in winter. Water tables and water courses alter over the years. The time may come when you will need to empty your pool. If the ground is full of water, you will need to pump this out first. Failure to do this can have catastrophic effects, in extreme cases pools have been reported to float out of the ground, causing serious damage to the shell, pipework and surrounding area. Ground water can also have a cooling effect on your swimming pool, this should be taken into consideration at design time and not left before its too late. By creating a pumping point an automatic submersible pump can be fitted. If the ground water rises, the pump switches on and water is controlled and kept down to a low level, thus helping to save on heating bills.

Insulation in all new swimming pool shells will soon be mandatory in the UK. Pool / spa insulation is another handy way of cutting down on heat loss and again saving money on energy.

These are often not considered on self / DIY builds, if you have any questions over the points raised please drop us a message via the form on the website or our twitter account, alternatively you can leave your comments below.

Ensure in the cold conditions over winter you keep your swimming pool secure from children and pets.

Grit the surround if you need to walk near the pool.

Never run around the pool especially in cold conditions.

If your swimming pool freezes over NEVER EVER WALK ON THE ICE … it takes less than sixty seconds in sub zero conditions for pneumonia to set in. Not only the extreme cold could kill you but getting trapped under the ice would be a much worse scenario.

NEVER turn on any plant equipment if you suspect any pipework or plant equipment contains ice / is frozen, this will damage your pool and probably make you cry ;0)

Make sure your plant has been closed correctly and all the equipment has been drained, you should also empty a little water from your pool, take the level down below the skimmers to ensure your pipework is not frost damaged. Make regular checks through the winter months to ensure the level is kept below the skimmers, rain and snow will keep filling the pool, a small submersible pump is a good investment.

We would also advise clients who don’t have a debris cover not to leave their thermal cover on the pool, thermal covers are more susceptible to damage and fatigue in cold weather. Wind your cover on its roller, protect it with with some plastic sheets (secured with bungee chords) and move to a suitable place for storage over the winter.

Follow these simple tips and you’ll have a great Christmas.

ps. A big thanks to Joe Rea for the photograph.

Your location will often narrow your choice of heating options for your swimming pool. If you live in a very rural area, chances are there may be no natural gas supply and your electricity suppliers may prohibit the use of high kilowatt electric element type heaters. This would leave you with oil, LPG and a cheaper type of electric heating in the form of a heat pump. Solar heating is a further option, but as yet we have not found anyone that can enjoy a full swimming season using just this option in the UK.

Nearer to larger villages, towns and cities all options are probably available,  do some thorough research before making your final choice.

Electric heaters
Good for Spa Pools but the bigger the swimming pool the higher the number of kilowatts required to maintain a comfortable swimming temperature. Where economy seven is available, these type of heaters start to become an option.

Gas boilers – LPG or natural gas
Gas boilers are a clean alternative to other options and if regularly checked can give years and years of service. There are several specialist gas boilers with in built heat exchangers. The alternative is to consider a free standing boiler house model linked to a stainless steel heat exchanger or if your house boiler is big enough and with in reasonable distance of your pool plant room can be connected to feed the swimming pool heat exchanger in the summer and the house radiators in the winter.

Heat Pumps
Air to water models are available in three levels.

• May to September use. Basic model sized correctly for your swimming pool by surface area and ground conditions. Will find heat down to seven degrees C.
• April to October use. Keep the kids happy right up to half term. Finds heat down to zero degrees C.
• An all year model. Will find heat down to minus fifteen degrees. Heat pumps offer a good return of heat for your money they’re becoming very popular now, are ground to water heat pumps. Collector pipes are run across your land or a bore hole is drilled down to around seventy metres. Ground holds a constant temperature at a given depth and is used for home and pool heating.

Oil boilers
These are similar in function to gas boilers having either an in built heat exchanger or plumbed in to heat the swimming pool via a stainless steel heat exchanger.

Heat Exchangers
Heat exchangers  come in many sizes and separate the flow of pool water from boiler water in a bundle of tubes. The boiler heat exchanged through the wall of the tubes into the pool water.

Solar Heating Panels.
Mounted on a south facing roof or frame(s), a series of panels are joined together to collect heat from the sun, this is transferred into the pool water. An automatic valve controlled by a sensor bypasses the system if the water in the panels starts to cool the pool instead of heating it. Some models are integrated in to the system via a heat exchanger.

All of the above systems can easily be fitted to pools, spas and baptisteries.