Helping clients enjoy their pools longer in extended summer season

by arslan_ahmed | October 20, 2022 6:10 pm

By Alicia Stephens

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Pool pros should consider adding chemicals in cases where an extended summer stretches into November.

It is common practice in many cities around Canada and the northern part of the U.S. to close pools according to specific calendar dates. Pools typically open by Victoria Day and close by Labour Day. The practice of closing pools by September is a long-standing tradition. However, with so many new installations over the past two years, many of which are not completed until later in the summer, new pool owners understandably want to extend their swimming season into the fall. Additionally, many northern cities are experiencing warmer than normal temperatures during the fall, making the pool an attractive amenity for children and adults on weekends and even after school is back in session.

To extend the swim season while keeping pool water clean and clear, service techs should be looking to make chemical adjustments, add enzymes to keep filters clean, offer liquid solar covers, and proactively monitor the side-effects associated with colder water and cooler temperatures that occur in the fall.

Chemical adjustments

Pool professionals should consider adding chemicals in cases where an extended summer has stretched into November. This would include testing the pool’s water balance and chlorine levels and adjusting as needed, as well as adding an algaecide. Weekly algaecide addition is a key contributor to keeping a pool clean and clear, even as the water cools down. If a 90-day algaecide has been used over the course of the summer, a second dose will be necessary to keep the pool open longer.

In addition to adding an algaecide, treating for phosphates in the fall can be especially beneficial before closing the pool once it gets cold.

Lowering phosphate levels in the water prior to closing will reduce the amount of time and effort needed to treat the pool when reopening it in the spring. In fact, near-zero levels of phosphates lead to less accumulation of calcium phosphate scale, as well as an increase in water clarity and overall water quality. Phosphate removers are specialty chemicals capable of reducing orthophosphates in pool water by using minerals that react quickly with orthophosphate to produce an insoluble phosphate compound which can be removed by the filter.

Enzymes help filter efficiency

Keeping pools open longer in the fall also means ensuring the filtration system is operating efficiently before closing the pool. When filters work longer, they get dirtier. Therefore, removing impurities like grease, sunblock, and other non-living contaminants by using an enzyme-based product is one of the best ways to break down these non-living contaminants before they get into the filter.

In fact, incorporating a weekly enzyme is one the best ways of keeping a pool’s filtration system working optimally. Enzymes work as a continuous filter cleaner, breaking down the unwanted non-living contaminants before they have a chance to build up on the filter. This not only reduces maintenance for service techs, but it also helps keep pool water crystal clear between service visits. Further, once the pool is closed for the season, service pros can deep clean the filters before reinstalling them the following spring.

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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.

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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.

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Liquid pool covers

Liquid pool cover products are becoming increasingly popular as they provide a way for service professionals to help their clients extend their swim season. Liquid covers reduce water evaporation and conserve heat while still allowing the pool to remain open for swimming.

Recommending an easy-to-use liquid cover solution is one of the simplest methods for pool owners to save water, money, and energy. It is important for professionals to remind clients when the temperature outside is cooler than their pool water temperature (which is likely in the fall months), invariably steam will begin to rise off the surface of the water. When this happens, it is not just pool water evaporating into the atmosphere—it is also heat and, therefore, money the homeowner will need to spend to rebalance their water chemistry after adding more water to top off the pool.

In fact, pool owners, new and old, may not realize how expensive heat loss and evaporation can be. Preventing evaporation is one of the most cost-effective ways a homeowner can reduce unnecessary top-offs, chemistry adjustments, and heat loss.

Most industry professionals will agree, pool owners are willing to try these products after learning about the benefits they offer in terms of preventing water and heat loss. Some pool professionals even include the liquid cover with the sale of a heater to ensure customer satisfaction, because heating a pool—especially during the fall—can be expensive.

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Pool professionals can also consider including a liquid cover product as part of their start-up packages and explain to their customers the benefits of incorporating it into their weekly pool maintenance routine.

Extending before closing

As pool professionals adjust to weather changes and the ever-increasing demand from customers who want to keep pools open longer, the idea of winterizing by a specific date on the calendar is no longer the norm.

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Professionals need to be sure they can provide solutions to ensure their clients maximize the use of their pool. Using specialty chemicals like phosphate removers, enzymes, and filter cleaners, as well as offering products like liquid pool covers, provide service techs with the tools needed to ensure consumers stay in their pool longer.

 

 

Author

Alicia Stephens is the education and training manager for Biolab Inc. In her 20 years with the company, she has focused primarily on education, training, and development, as well as technical support and new product research and integration. Currently, Stephens supports all education and training initiatives for the Biolab Pro Dealer division. She can be reached via email at alicia.stephens@biolabinc.com.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/extending-the-swim-season/

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