How To Clean Up a Green Pool.......

Cleaning up a "green" swimming pool takes time, lots of patience and may cost you some money. 

Have no fear, Hilltop Pools is here to help!

Here are some helpful steps to clean up your green pool!

• Begin by removing debris with a leaf net.  This step will make the water look worse temporarily.  Do not attempt to vacuum the pool if you cannot see the bottom or if you know you have lots of debris in the bottom of the pool.  You can damage your swimming pool system! 
• Use liquid shock in your pool.  You will need to add about 3-4 gallons the first day.  If you do not see results overnight, add 3-4 gallons the next day.  You may have to do this step consecutive days in a row.  You cannot add TOO much shock to your pool. 
• Adjust the pH and Alkalinity levels of the water using pH Plus, pH Minus and Alkalinity Plus. These levels must be within the proper ranges to help clear the water.  Make sure you begin this process when you begin shocking your pool.
• You will need to run your filter 24 hours a day until the water clears up.  Also, running the filter at this rate will quickly clog the filter.  You will need to keep your filter clean by backwashing the pool about 4-5 times a day.  This will help the water clear much faster!
• After the water is clear, remove the rest of the debris from the pool with your leaf net.  If you have small amounts of debris on the bottom of the pool, you can vacuum the pool.  If there is lots of debris on the bottom of the pool, we recommend you contact a pool servicing company to vacuum the pool.
• Take a sample of your water to the local pool store and they will instruct you on what other components should be added to your pool to keep the water clear. 

Note:
If your pool does not clear up in about 5-7 days, you may be having filter problems.  We recommend having your filter checked by a pool serving company.

Happy Pool Cleaning!

Your Friends at Hilltop Pools.

Opening Your Swimming Pool

Spring is officially here!  This means swimming season is quickly approaching.

What steps do you take when opening your swimming pool for the spring and summer season?

Do you have a cover on your pool?  You will either have a waterbag cover or a safety cover.

If you have a waterbag cover, you will need to drain the water off of the top of the cover and empty the water bags.  Before removing the cover, be sure to remove any debris.  You can drain the water off of the cover by using a sump pump.  Once the cover is removed, remember to clean the cover and lay the cover out to dry to prevent mildew during storage.

If you have a safety cover, you will need to drain the water off the top of the cover using a sump pump and clean off any debris before removing the cover.  You don't want to allow any debris to get into the water. You will use the special tool that came with your cover to unhook the cover from the deck anchors.  This normally takes 2 people.

Once the cover is removed........

You will need to reinstall all ladders and handrails in the deck.

You will need to remove the plugs and reinstall all of the fittings in the pool.

Add water to bring the water back up to a normal operating level, about 1/2 way up the waterline tile.

Start your equipment and let the system run for 24 hours for the first three days.

Set your timer for summer hours.  We suggest running the equipment about 8 hours a day.

Balance the water chemistry and monitor the water chemistry for about five days until the water stabalizes.

We will address a "green" pool in our next blog post. 

Remember, don't wait too long to uncover your pool or the nice, clear water you have under your cover could change quickly because algae LOVES to grow in warm weather. 

DON'T HAVE A POOL?   Not to worry, it's not too late to get one.  Call Hilltop Pools & Spas, Inc. today and ask about our current specials.   Call 770-471-3889 or visit us at www.hilltoppools.com