In addition to helping the filter run more efficiently and effectively, enzymes are a key element to preventing the buildup that often deposits at the pool’s waterline over the course of winter. The combination of enzymes and surfactants found in most enzyme products work together to keep non-living organic contaminants from depositing at the waterline and causing unsightly buildup. Enzyme help make it possible to open the pool in the spring with clear water and no surface buildup. This not only means less work for the pool professional, but also a happy customer.
Colder water and LSI
Once again, as pools remain open longer in the fall, the cooler temperatures will likely also cool the pool water. Most residential pools operate between 25.6 and 27.8 C (78 and 82 F) during the summer. However, when pools stay open later into the season, the cooler temperatures can make the water more corrosive which affect equipment—especially the heater.
Prolonged exposure of corrosive water to the pool’s surfaces may cause etching and metal staining to become more prominent. To combat this, service professionals should include a metal chelating product or sequestrant in the pool’s maintenance routine during the fall—or with unheated pools in general. Techs can also apply filter aids, such as charged cellulose, following a chelating product to help better guide problem-causing metal to the filter, where it will be removed. Remember, the water could be in range for pH and total alkalinity but still lean on the corrosive side because of colder temperatures.
Keeping heat in the pool using solar blankets and liquid covers
The traditional solution to heat loss and evaporation has been to use a solid pool cover, which significantly decreases energy consumption and heat loss through evaporation. According to Natural Resources Canada and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), solid covers can prevent water loss due to evaporation as well as reduce a pool’s energy consumption by 30 to 50 per cent.
Solar bubble blankets are typically sold to new pool owners as they are great at the beginning of the season to help heat the water more quickly. The downfalls to using a solar blanket, from the homeowner’s perspective, is the struggle they will have when putting it back on the pool. Many of these types of covers are bulky and tough to move and, as a result, dirt and debris is often inadvertently introduced into the pool when they are dragged across the yard.
Further, some homeowners may also unintentionally damage their lawn after accidentally leaving the solar blanket on top of the grass for extended periods of time. When a bubble cover is left on the pool for too long on hot days, the pool can become overheated, which can create a chemical imbalance in the water.
That said, using a physical solar blanket in conjunction with a liquid solar product can provide maximum heat retention not only in the spring, but also at the end of the swim season when it becomes more difficult to maintain ideal water temperatures. Using a liquid solar option can provide pool owners with some protection against heat loss and evaporation, while also giving service technicians a way to help their customers save money.
Using a solar blanket on a pool in conjunction with a liquid solar product can provide maximum heat retention not only in the spring, but also at the end of the swim season when it becomes more difficult to maintain ideal water temperatures.
