This Weeks Freeze

There will be another freeze this week.

Your pool's freeze protection system is designed to activate automatically during freezing temperatures. However, since I am not present on your property, it is crucial that you verify the system is functioning as intended. If, for any reason, your freeze protection system does not activate, please manually turn on your pool pump and any water features. Keep them running continuously during the freezing temperatures to prevent potential damage.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am happy to assist you.

June Filter cleans

A reminder for June services.

We are halfway through the year so that means it is time to clean your pool filters again.

There will be a $100 extra charge on your June bill if you have a De or Cartridge Filter on your pool.

Also a reminder I will be off from June 17th to the 21st.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Time to buy chlorine for the summer. Pool RX will help also

Hey everyone,

Just a quick heads up that spring has sprung, and with the warmer weather rolling in, it's time to start prepping for the summer months.

That means its time to buy your chlorine tabs for the start of the summer heat.

Those of you with salt pools can jump ahead to the POOL RX section.

Please leave a bucket of tabs by your pumps or let me know where I can access them easily.

I suggest you start with a 50lb bucket as prices are high and the smaller buckets end up costing you more

as you will have to by them over and over.

Just a heads up on prices. Here are some options:

  • Leslie’s Pool Supply has 50 lbs sale right now for for $219.99

  • Leslie's

  • Sam’s Club offers 50 lbs for $178.99

  • Sams Club

  • Amazon has 50Lb for S219.99

  • Amazon

Also, last summer we had some success reducing chlorine demand by using POOL RX Mineral technology.

It lasts up to 6 months and worked well for those who gave it a shot.

It's a one-time purchase, ranging from $79.99 to $99.99 depending on your pool size.

Here's the link if you're interested.

POOL RX

You can also find it on Amazon.

Don't forget to empty those skimmer baskets between my weekly visits

With oak tassels potentially clogging things up, good water circulation is key.

I have already received calls this month about pools not running correctly and making a funny noise,

the cause was just that the baskets were full of leaves restricting water flow.

Thanks to all of you for sticking with me over the years. You're all fantastic clients.

Cheers!

A word about Phosphates

Some of you will notice a small extra charge on your September bill.

Phosphates enter your pool through various sources, such as leaves, debris, fertilizers, and even tap water.

These compounds act as nutrients for algae, which can quickly turn your pool water green and cloudy. When phosphates accumulate to higher levels they create an ideal environment for algae growth, making it difficult to maintain crystal-clear water.

To prevent this I am lowering the Phosphate levels of all pools that have built up.

I hope you are all enjoying the break from the scorching summer heat. I know I am.

Looking forward to the cooler Fall weather even though that means falling leaves and seasonal debris will require my increased attention.

Have a wonderful day

Summer Vacation and July Filter cleans

As we spring into summer it is time for my vacation.

I will be off from June 19th to the 23rd

This week I will add extra chemicals to accommodate my absence.

Also a reminder that next month in July I will be doing my biannual filter cleans.

This happens every year in January and July.

There will be a extra $100 dollar charge on your July bill for those of you with DE or cartridge filters.

Those of you with sand filters will not be charged.

Enjoy the summer.

Spring Algae and Pollen

As we enter the spring season in Texas, it is important to be aware of the potential effects of weather and algae growth in swimming pools.

The warmer temperatures and increased humidity can create a favorable environment for algae to grow in swimming pools. Algae can turn your pool green​ or ​ cloudy​, with many pools showing algae blooms on the floor and walls of the pools. If you have a high cyneric it can be even worse as chemicals do not react as well.​

Additionally, the strong spring winds can carry debris and pollen into your pool, further contributing to the growth of algae.

As you all remember last spring​ was the worst I had ever seen and I ended up working 42 days in a row to get all the pools back in line.

This year was not as bad as we lost so many trees in the winter freeze.

For those of you that have unsightly algae growth right now  please know I am aware of all those pools and am working on it. Many take multiple visits,  vacuumings and lots of chemicals for me to get them back under control so you may see me at your pool on the weekends

Hoping everyone has a great summer.

~Darrell

Spring is here. A quick reminder about high CYA in pools.

A quick reminder that spring is here. I am sure all of you remember last years pollen drop.

It was horrible and I ended up working 40 + days straight trying to control everyone’s pools.

Due to the winter ice storm I believe it wont be as bad this year but as you may have noticed some of the pools are starting to show signs of algae. Between now and June is when I see the most of this happening.

I wanted to explain why its so difficult to keep up this time of year.

For most of you that have a high cyneric acid reading on your pool because of years of adding chlorine to the pool. that process also adds cyneric acid to the pool.

You might have noticed that sometimes the chlorine in your pool doesn't seem to be doing its job, and the water looks cloudy or even green. This can be frustrating, but the culprit many times is high levels of cyanuric acid (CYA), a common pool stabilizer.

CYA is added to pools to protect chlorine from being broken down by sunlight, which can reduce its effectiveness. However, when CYA levels get too high (over 100 ppm), it can start to interfere with the chlorine's ability to do its job. This is because CYA molecules can bind to free chlorine molecules, making them less available to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms in the water.

In other words, high CYA levels can create a situation where there is plenty of chlorine in the pool, but it's not able to do its job effectively. This can lead to algae growth and cloudy water..

To prevent this from happening, CYA levels in your pool should be in the range of 30-50 ppm. If CYA levels do get too high, the only solution is to drain or partially drain and refill the pool.

You cant stop chlorine tabs from adding a bit of CYA so overtime every pool will have a high CYA.

As I said many of you have CYA reading well over 100 parts per million already so this is why it is so hard to maintain some of them.

Every pool reacts different, I say they all have their own personality’s.

I just wanted everyone to understand CYA. I have had this conversation with some of you already but thought id send out a reminder to everyone.

I hope everyone has a wonderful summer.

Spring is here, please start buying your chlorine tabs to prepare for the heat.

Chlorine reminder for the summer months

Just a reminder that as we move into March please start getting prepared for the summer months by stocking up on your chlorine for the summer. If you do not have tabs on the property before the heat comes and your pool turns green I will have to charge you for the amount of chemicals it takes me to turn the pool back to normal.

I probably will not have to use them until the weather starts steadily staying in the 90’s and above. I want to be prepared especially with the pools that already have a high cyneric acid reading in the pool

Please leave a bucket by your pumps or let me know where I can have access to them.

Prices are still high.

Leslie’s pool supply has 50 lbs at $249.99

Sam’s Club has 40 lbs at $199.98

Home Depot has 35 lbs at $199.00

Also last summer we had good results reducing the chlorine demand on your pools by using POOL RX Mineral technology. It last up to 6 months and did seem to work on those of you who decided to try it.

It is a one a year purchase between $79.99 and $99.99, depending on the size of your pool.

Here is a link. You can also find it on Amazon should you decide to try it to help reduce your chlorine cost this summer.

Pool RX

Also try to remember to empty the skimmer baskets in between my weekly visits from now until June.

water circulation is important this time of year as the oak tassels prevent water flow when they fill up the skimmer baskets.

Hopefully this year wont be near as bad as last years pollen dump since we lost so many trees in this years ice storm.

Thank you all for staying with me all the years. I have wonderful clients

Christmas Holiday

Just a reminder to everyone I will be off for Christmas Break December 26th to the 30th.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Years

Also I will start my twice a year preventative maintenance cleaning of DE Filters and Cartridge filters. There will be a extra $100 charge on your January or February bill depending on how long it takes me to clean all of them.

They will then be cleaned again around June after the oak tree tassels Drop.

You all know what that was like last year.

Thank you for your business and have a wonderful new year.

A reminder about the cold and rainy season.

Most of you have been with me for years and know my policies. Just a reminder to my newer customers we are now headed into the winter season and these are the policies I follow.

Rain & Lightning Policy 

  • When lightning is in close proximity, for my safety, there will not be any use of a pole therefore your pool will not be skimmed, brushed or vacuumed. However, I will check and balance water chemistry, empty the skimmer baskets and pump baskets.

  • When it is raining lightly but not lightning, the pool will be cleaned to the best of my ability under these conditions. Please note when it’s raining, it is hard to see the sides and bottom of pool when vacuuming, so please be understanding.

  • if it is pouring down rain I will only check and balance your water chemistry

  • when the temperatures are below freezing, raining and icy your pool will not be cleaned that day. when ice forms on and around your pool decks it is very dangerous for me to attempt cleaning it.

  • If they close the schools down due to weather than i will probably be closed also.

  • I will not be able to return to perform any missed duties under “Raining or Icy conditions” until your next regularly scheduled clean the following week and no credit or discount will be given for duties unable to be performed under my “Raining conditions” policy.

Thank you all for staying with me all these years. I have the best clients. Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. ~Darrell

A quick note about some hand issues I am having to deal with

Some of you may have noticed I have been wearing braces on my hands.

I went to the doctor today and was x-rayed and told I have Dupuytren Nodules in my hands.

I will have to go back for some blood work and then to a specialist for some injections to my hand.

As of right now my left hand is almost useless as it hurts too much to lift anything.

I will continue to clean your pool as best I can but just wanted everyone to know what is going on.

I am trying to keep from using my left hand so will not be scrubbing as much on the pools until I am healed.

If there is algae in a pool I will treat it and let the chemicals do the work.

Thank you for understanding, Hopefully it will heal quickly

Another chemical supply update

My supply company told me today cal hypo shock may not be available for the rest of the year.

The U.S. production of chlorine is still not back to normal.

Since August 2020, Chlorine tablets has been in short supply. This was mainly due to the hurricane-caused destruction of a major chlorine manufacturing plant. That plant is still not rebuilt as of now, so the pinch on chlorine supply continues today.

The shortage of chlorine has forced pool pros and homeowners to switch to non-stabilized chlorine. As expected, demand for those non-stabilized chlorine types–mainly liquid chlorine–has increased substantially. Anyone paying attention noticed multiple price increases in 2021 alone. On top of that, the chlorine shortage led to a shortage of muriatic acid too.

As each commodity became harder to get, consumers shifted to alternatives, which then caused their demand to rise. Price increases followed. 'Supply and demand' is Economics 101, and we don't need to elaborate on it. Let's focus on specifics in the pool industry. We have chosen not to talk about pool equipment and building materials for simplicity's sake.

Here are just some of the chemicals that will be harder to get in 2022:

  • Chlorine Tabs. Yes, the shortage continues. We expect it will continue for another year or so, or until the chlorine manufacturing plant is back up and running at full speed. Pre-covid, a bucket of tabs could be purchased at almost any pool store or wholesale distributor. This year, that may not be the case.

  • Liquid chlorine. Yes, it will be harder to get liquid chlorine in 2022. Not only because the finished product itself is more difficult to get, but because elemental chlorine itself is harder to get. This elemental chlorine shortage is largely due to increased demand for other chlorine-consuming industries–namely PVC pipes/fittings and household cleaning products. Yes, we were surprised to learn just how much the PVC industry requires chlorine (PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride).

  • Muriatic acid. The same companies that produce and bottle liquid chlorine often produce and bottle muriatic acid too. Shortages up and down the supply chain led to issues producing muriatic acid. When summer 2022 hits and full demand resumes, expect shortages and price increases.

  • Cal Hypo. Granular cal hypo shock was not as dramatically impacted by COVID supply chain shortages, but it's safe to expect some in 2022. This is not the fault of the manufacturers, it's just the reality of manufacturing right now.

    In general, these shortages either stem from a lack of people or raw materials. And often it's a combination of both. For instance, if raw materials are imported from overseas, you can bet those products will be more expensive and harder to find in 2022.