WHAT CHEMICAL LEVELS DO I NEED TO TEST FOR REGULARLY?
The four main tests to perform with a test kit are pH, chlorine (or other sanitizer residual), Total Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness. Cyanuric Acid levels, mineral content, Total Dissolved Solids and Acid or Base Demand tests may also be performed as needed.

WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED LEVELS?
• pH: 7.2 - 7.8
• Chlorine: 1.0 - 3.0 ppm
• Total Alkalinity: 80 - 120 ppm
• Calcium Hardness: 180 - 220 ppm, though some say 200 - 400.
• Cyanuric Acid: 30 - 80 ppm
• Total Dissolved Solids:  Less than 2000 ppm

HOW LONG SHOULD MY PUMP RUN?
Your pump and filter system usually has been matched to the size of your pool so that the total water volume is re-circulated roughly twice a day. In addition different weather factors especially temperature must be taken into consideration. A good rule of thumb is to run your filter pump 1 hour for every ten degrees of daytime heat. In most cases this means running the pump for about 5-7 hours during the winter and about 8-10 hours during the summer. 

MY PUMP IS MAKING A NOISE?
This could be a number of things. What sort of noise is it? If it is a gurgling kind of sound then the pump may not be fully primed. Common causes are low water in the pool or a suction leak. If the sound is a loud whining, screeching or grinding then mostly likely the motor is the issue and may need to be replaced.

DOES MY POOL NEED A CHEMICAL WASH(chlorine bath)?
The only time your pool should need a chemical wash is if the pool is or was green. If there are traces of algae in the pool, then a chemical wash is the best choice, since the chlorine will kill and destroy the algae. You can't just do an acid wash on a green pool since the algae will not be affected. You must first do a chemical wash to kill & remove the algae and then the acid wash to remove the stains.

DOES MY POOL NEED AN ACID WASH?
If the pool has stains, dark and light spots on the plaster, then yes it needs an acid wash. Staining on the pools plaster occurs when the water is out of balance (high pH, calcium & TDS levels). If your pool water hasn't been drained every 2 - 3 years as recommended then an acid wash is a good idea. Acid washing is basically taking a very thin layer of plaster off to remove staining and make the pool look new again. An Acid Wash can also be performed on Pebbletec and other brands of pebble pool surfaces to remove stains, deposits, etc. and will have the same revitalizing effect as when done to plaster pools.


HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY CARTRIDGE FILTER BE CLEANED AND REPLACED?
Correctly sized cartridge filters can operate for 6 months between cleanings. The cartridge is removed from the tank and hosed thoroughly, top to bottom, with a high pressure hose to remove dirt when the pressure gauge rises 8-10 lbs above its clean reading. Each time the filter is cleaned, some of its filtering ability is reduced. The cartridge should be replaced every 2-4 yrs, depending on the work it was asked to do. If the filter was a bit undersized, and had some algae every year and lots of tree debris, etc. then it may last only 1-2 years.

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