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Safety Guide

Pool Care

Spa Care Guide

Equipment

Vocabulary

Frequently Asked Questions

When you need help, call on us! You can stop by the store, call us during store hours... or browse our FAQs below. Other questions are organized by category using the links at left.

We promise to continuously add to these as we get new, detailed questions and develop the answers. So if you don't see a topic listed here, tell us and we'll be sure to list the answer to your question.

TOP 10 Questions

1. Why is balancing my pool so important?

2. My heater isn't working. What is the problem?

3. How do I avoid the chlorine odor in my spa?

4. Why is my pool cloudy?

5. What if my pool is losing water?

6. Why does my pool water turn my hair green?

7. How often should I shock my pool?

8. My kids end up with red, sore eyes after even short stints in the pool. Am I using too much chemical?

9. How do I get rid of the bathtub ring around my spa?

10. I hate getting algae in my pool -- can't I do anything to prevent it?

1. Why is balancing my pool so important?

If your pool water is not chemically balanced properly, you can get skin and eye irritation as well as harm the equipment and surface of the pool.

2. My heater isn't working. What is the problem?

Pool and spa heaters are different. Pool heaters have a pressure switch that will stop the heater if there's not enough water flow to cool the heater and prevent cracking. Spa heaters don't usually run as hot, and they have a different mechanism for shutting off if there is poor flow from a filter being too dirty. In both cases, cleaning the filter (sometimes just backwashing or changing the cartridge) will do it).

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3. How do I avoid the chlorine odor in my spa?

Try the Hot Spring Everfresh system -- a combination of ozone/silver ions that allows you to be cholorine-free or use very low levels of chlorine. You'll still need to shock with a non-chlorine shock, and you'll need to maintain proper water balance as always.

4. Why is my pool cloudy?

It can be a variety of things. Most common is being sure to maintain your Chlorine level (or other sanitizer). Bring us a water sample to test so we can make sure your water is balanced properly. Also, keeping your circulation up and the filter clean is helpful.

5. What if my pool is losing water?

First of all, don't panic. Evaporation often accounts for most water loss. Plus, splashing children can "kick" a lot of water out of the pool. In the worst case, you could have a leak. The leak can be somewhere in the plumbing or the equipment itself. The best thing to do is contact us about a pressure test. We find leaks fast and fix them!

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6. Why does my pool water turn my hair green?

When your pool water contains metals, usually copper, it can turn your hair green. If you are having this problem, the best solution is to bring us a water sample to be tested. If you have metals present, we can recommend a solution.

7. How often should I shock my pool?

You need to shock your pool at least every 2 weeks in the summer. Depending on the usage and weather, you may have to do it more. There are several different products to use, depending on the type of pool you have. If you use chlorine shock, always wait until the chlorine level drops below 3ppm.

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8. My kids end up with red, sore eyes after even short stints in the pool. Am I using too many chemicals?

You're either using too much or the wrong combination. Bring in a water sample and let us help you adjust your dosages.

9. How do I get rid of the bathtub ring around my spa?

The ring is caused by oils and dirt bonding and attaching to surfaces. It's unsightly on your spa wall, but it's even more a concern in your filter and pipes where it can clog up the works. One simple solution is to add SpaGuard Natural Enzyme, an all natural enzyme solution that will break-down oils and grease and help you avoid that ugly, sticky bathtub ring.

Related Spa Question: what are brown soapy bubbles in my spa?

Often, soapy bubbles are from laundry detergents that get into the spa from bathing suits that have been laundered or soap on the bodies that use the spa. See us for some antifoaming agents or spa shock that will oxidize the soap and oils away.

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10. I hate getting algae in my pool -- can't I do
anything to prevent it?

Yes you can... first, be sure to keep your water balanced by being faithful to the 3-step system from BioGuard. Regular water tests at our store will help make sure you pool stays properly balanced. Next, you can use Optimizer Plus, a borate technology that softens water and suppresses algae. It also improves chlorine efficiency.

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FIRST -- since most questions revolve around water.... our answer to most questions is BRING IN A SAMPLE for us to analyze using Accu-Scan -- BioGuard's unique water analysis system. It quickly, objectively and flawlessly analyzes your water for several conditions and stores the results in our database for future refe rence. It provides you a print out with specific instructions for how to treat your pool or spa. We are very, very pleased to go over this information with you.