Dealing with pool and hot tub water chemistry issues is sometimes confusing and occasionally frustrating because of the many critical components involved. A basic understanding of this topic is often not enough. Sometimes it requires ‘diving in’ a little deeper and gaining a better understanding of what it takes to maintain healthy, balanced water. The first key players in attaining this goal are sanitation and oxidation.
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By pool and spa marketing
The upcoming Department of Energy (DOE) regulations for pool pumps will change the U.S. pool market more so than any other issue in recent memory. All manufacturers, domestic and foreign, must comply with the regulations that go into effect on July 19, 2021. Products made before this date can be sold throughout the channel, and existing inventory does not need to be returned. However, all pumps made after this date must meet the new DOE energy efficiency criteria.
These requirements are based in large part on a new metric named Weighted Energy Factor, often referred to simply as WEF. WEF is the first industry-wide efficiency metric and will make it easier for consumers and pool professionals to evaluate and compare the energy efficiency of pool pumps.
Read Full article here: https://aquamagazine.com/features/weighted-energy-factor-wef-for-pool-pumps-what-you-need-to-know.html
By: Aqua Magazine
Water has long been considered one of the most vital molecules on earth. As a strong polar solvent, water can dissolve almost anything from sugar to solid rock.
Likewise, chlorine has a long history of effectively killing a wide range of dangerous germs. In fact, it has been used for well over 100 years to make the water in many communities safe, clean, and clear.
The reactive power of chlorine as a disinfectant is a result of its ability to bond with and destroy bacteria and viruses. Today, more than ever, chlorine has been called into duty during natural disasters, and against the COVID-19 virus, having widespread use both in water and on surfaces.
The amazing properties of water and chlorine work together to create reactions that lead to the destruction of a myriad of harmful germs. Water acts as an ideal carrier for chlorine in certain forms such as sodium hypochlorite. Chlorine undergoes many rapid changes in the process of oxidation, sanitization, and disinfection.
By Pool and Spa Marketing
People purchase hot tubs for many different reasons, including health benefits, therapeutic massage, and overall relaxation.
Regardless of the motivation to purchase, hot tub users want their ownership experience to be as easy and trouble-free as possible. However, due to the hot water and aeration that are key elements to hot tubs, their maintenance can be challenging. Therefore, establishing an effective maintenance routine that includes testing the water regularly is key to keeping them clean, clear, and ready for use. Many hot tub owners are unaware of the challenges phosphates can cause. Consistently testing for and removing phosphates is important to ensuring an effective hot tub water maintenance program.
Read full article at Pool and Spa Marketing: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/the-importance-of-testing-and-removing-phosphates/print/
When closing pools, the goal is to make the spring opening as smooth as possible. When it comes to keeping the water clean and clear, the industry knows the pool filter is key. Water treatment products help keep pools clean, but even chemical manufacturers agree, if the filter is not working properly, these products cannot provide clean and clear water alone.
Keeping filters in tip-top shape will make pool openings much faster and easier for service professionals in the spring. To do so, it is important to get back to basics and review how sand, diatomaceous earth (DE), and cartridge filters work. More importantly, pool professionals need to remember how the pump feeds water into these filters. Understanding the relationship between the pump and filter gets to the heart of obtaining clean and clear water.
Read full article here: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/general/how-to-winterize-filters-proper-pool-closing-methods-to-ensure-better-spring-openings/print/
By: Pool and Spa Marketing
Looking at the current national and global situation, one can conclude that end-consumers are emotional and scared for their health, families, and finances. That said, for many, it is the term ‘staycation’ that sounds more appealing now than ever before, and this presents good news for the pool and spa industry.
In fact, the travel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and, when some normalcy returns, many families are going to look for ways to justify staying home—and what better way to do so than by having a relaxing oasis in their backyard? These families will not have to worry about any possible backlash of COVID-19. They can spend more time as a family together creating memories, and if something like this ever happens again, they will actually look forward to some extra vacation time while knowing their family is safe.
Read the full article here: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/the-pool-and-spa-industry-after-covid-19/print/
Everyone has a preference in competitive markets: Burger King versus McDonald’s, Walmart versus Amazon and even the hot tubs in your showroom are the brand you prefer over others. And in the world of chlorine versus bromine, the competition is likewise fierce.
Read the full article at: https://sparetailer.com/pick-a-side/
By: Spa Retailer Magazine
To understand saltwater pool chemistry, one must start by trying to identify the facts from fiction. Many misconceptions stem from a lack of knowledge around the chemistry of saltwater pools. The most common misunderstanding about such pool types is that they are fundamentally different and do not use chlorine as a sanitizer. In reality, saltwater pools use a special process to create free available chlorine, but require similar products to maintain water quality.
Saltwater pools experience many of the same problems that befall traditional pools, which use chlorine as the primary sanitizer. That said, there are some attributes that require attention in all saltwater pools, especially due to the unique way the sanitizer is produced. This includes balancing the pH, maintaining chlorine residual, battling algae, and preventing scale. Each one of these potential issues can be frustrating for a pool owner, but they can be prevented with proper maintenance.
Read full article here: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/beginner-guide-saltwater-pool-chemistry/print/
By Pool and Spa Marketing
Over the past few years, pool professionals have learned that going ‘green’ can significantly lower a pool’s operating costs. Pumps and filters are among the items most scrutinized due to the vast amount of energy they consume. To reduce costs associated with water circulation and filtration it is important to understand why pumps and filters consume large amounts of energy and what options are available to lower consumption—factors that also extend a pump’s motor life. This article will provide a few easy-to-follow steps to help pool professionals determine the best way to extend the life of their pump motors and reduce operational costs by installing variable-frequency drives (VFDs).
By Pool and Spa Marketing: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/save-energy-and-extend-equipment-life-with-variable-frequency-drives/print/
The Water Quality & Health Council first probed the topic of swimmer hygiene in a public survey in 2009, addressing formerly taboo subjects such as “peeing” and “pooping” in the pool. Following a public campaign in the summer of 2009, the WQHC published its survey results in 2011. Among other findings, the survey revealed that 47% of Americans admit to unhygienic behaviors in public pools, including 17% admitting to urinating in the pool and 35% admitting to foregoing a preswim shower.
A 2012 public survey published by the WQHC found that 68% of Americans do not always shower before entering the swimming pool and 44% view a pre-swim shower as unnecessary.
Pool water chemistry is affected by bather inputs, such as urine, perspiration, fecal material, body oils and cosmetics. Nitrogen containing substances, such as urine and perspiration, combine with free chlorine in the water to produce irritant chloramines. Bathers often mistakenly attribute the effects of chloramines (e.g., red, irritated eyes and itchy skin) to “too much” chlorine in the water, where bathers assume the level of chlorine in the pool was too high.
The fact is poor swimmer hygiene is a contributing factor to the concentration of chloramine. Impurities brought into the water by swimmers can deplete free chlorine levels, endangering swimmers’ health by exposing them to waterborne pathogens.
For example, swimmer’s ear is an infection of the ear canal that can develop when bacteria-contaminated pool water enters and remains in the ear canal, providing conditions conducive to bacteria growing and infecting the skin. CDC reported in 2011 that swimmer’s ear infections
accounted for 2.4 million doctor visits and nearly $500 million in annual healthcare costs between 2003-2007.
And, while a common urban myth holds that pools contain a dye that reddens the water around people who urinate, the real indicator of urine in the water is the red eyes of swimmers.
(It should be noted that most common waterborne pathogens, including the bacteria that cause swimmer’s ear, are destroyed when using an EPA-registered sanitizer and free chlorine levels are maintained between 1 and 4 ppm.)
Health department codes promote good swimmer hygiene by encouraging a pre-swim shower and ensuring clean, sanitary, accessible shower and restroom facilities (including diaper-changing stations) supplied with toilet paper and soap or hand sanitizer. A 2012 Dutch study found a 60-second shower eliminates the majority of contaminants on the human body. Additionally, frequent bathroom breaks for children and adults can help reduce urinating and defecating in the pool.
The WQHC recommends swimmer hygiene education be included in all organized swim lessons and school health classes. Pool staff can help raise the level of awareness among swimmers of the importance of good hygiene by displaying educational posters, such as those available from the CDC.
