Pool Care
Great pool water starts with a free water test. As a BioGuard Approved Retailer, we have a complete range of pool products of the highest quality. Whether balancing water, sanitising or problem solving, BioGuard are the leader in water treatment products and take the approach of preventing problems through a regular program of water treatment. We offer free water testing to assist our customers in maintaining water that is crystal clear, comfortable and safe.
Balancers
Water balance is important as it ensures that the mineral content of the water is in an appropriate state to protect the pool surface and equipment and make water more comfortable to swim in. Water balance is affected by a wide range of variables – the quality of the source water, what chemicals are added to the water, the exposure of the pool to weather conditions and so on. A proper balance of chemical factors such as total alkalinity, pH and calcium, is needed for the sanitiser to work correctly, the water to be pleasant to swim in, and to prevent scaling or corrosion of the pool surface and equipment.
To the inexperienced, it might sound like you need a PhD in Chemistry to look after a swimming pool. Well,
nothing could be further from the truth. It’s not complicated, and if you stick with BioGuard products and advice, you can keep your water healthy and sparkling clear all year round.
Why balancing is important
There are a number of reasons why you should keep your pool water in balance:
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It prevents skin irritations and eye problems. The reason for adding chemicals to your pool is to keep it clean and to keep bacteria from taking over. Keeping bacteria and chemicals at the right balance is necessary if you don’t want to experience rashes or problems with your eyes.
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An unbalanced pool can cause corrosion. Water must be balanced properly if you don’t want everything in your pool to corrode, including the pool ladder!
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Equipment may be damaged if the pool water is not correctly balanced.
The filter and pump are very expensive and essential parts of your pool, so you want to do everything you can to protect it and keep it in good working order. Unbalanced pool water can cause you to have to replace these expensive pieces of equipment earlier than you would otherwise have to. -
Because looks are everything. There’s nothing more appealing on a piping hot day than jumping into a crystal-clear pool – and nothing more off-putting than cloudy, murky water. This is also a sure sign that something more serious is amiss, and it’s time to balance your water.
Balancing your pool
First of all, test your water. You want to do this once a week in summer. You can use an at-home kit, but once a month, enlist the help of the team at PLunge Pools PLus as a BioGuard Approved Retailer. Our testing equipment and software is some of the most sophisticated in the world and will provide a detailed, easy-to-follow maintenance program for your specific pool’s imbalances.
These are the simple steps for balancing your pool water:
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Test Total Alkalinity
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Test pH level
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Measure Calcium Hardness
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Add sanitisation
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Shock your pool
The pH is probably the component in balancing that is talked about the most. Ideally, it should be sitting between 7.2–7.6, with the sanitiser level between 1–3ppm (parts per million). The most common impacts on pH is pool usage and weather conditions, but there can also be a chemical imbalance. The other components in balancing are just as important – alkalinity, calcium hardness, stabiliser and chlorine. Each of these chemicals plays an important role.
When it comes to balancing your pool BioGuard has a whole host of specialised products including:
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Balance Pak 300 for increasing calcium hardness
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Balance Pak 200 for raising the pH
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Balance Pak 100 for raising Total Alkalinity
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Lo’N’Slo for lowering Total Alkalinity and pH
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Stabiliser that prevents chlorine loss due to sunlight
3 Step Sanitisation Program
This step ensures you kill bacteria in the pool. For this step you will need a sanitiser – it’s the foundation of all good pool maintenance.
Some recommended sanitisers are:
BioGuard Pacific Blue Power Tabs – fantastic for standard chlorine pools
BioGuard Swim Tabs – perfect if you have an automatic feeder or suitable floater
BioGuard Smarter Sticks – great for salt water and chlorine pools
As this suggests, this is where you make the pool water lovely and crystal clear by using an oxidiser. While the oxidiser is hard at work removing all the impurities, the sanitiser can focus on destroying the bacteria in the pool. Both of the products are more effective this way and work together to give you the ultimate results.
Some recommended oxidisers are:
BioGuard Lite – dissolves almost immediately
BioGuard Salt Pool Sparkle – adds sparkle to a salt pool
Algae spores are always present in your pool water just waiting for the chance to bloom and turn your pool a lovely shade of green. To remove the spores from the water you need to use an algaecide. By using an algaecide in conjunction with a sanitiser and oxidiser you can be assured your pool water will be clear and sparkling for summer!
Some recommended algaecides are:
BioGuard AlgiGuard – fights against a variety of algae
BioGuard Salt Pool Protector II – your best choice if you have a salt pool
So, there you have it. Three steps to sparkling, clear, healthy water. Makes you want to go swimming just thinking about it.
And remember, you can always take a water sample to your local BioGuard Approved Retailer who can test it and recommend the ideal products for your BioGuard 3 Step Program, specific for your pool.
