How To Inspect Your Pool

With several different swimming pool designs and equipment out there, thinking in terms of safety can be very confusing.  From different swimming pool liners to buying different toys, you surely have a lot to choose from.  You can always ask questions at a local supply shop to find out more, as the experts there can surely help you.  There are a lot of needs with swimming pools, especially when you get everything you need.

The first thing to do when inspecting your swimming pool is to figure out your average depth.  Your average depth will help you determine your swimming pool capacity.  You can figure out your average depth by adding the deep end to the shallow end, then dividing by 2.  The average depth tells you a lot about your swimming pool, including the design and capacity.  Once you know your average depth, you can pretty much buy any accessory you need without any problems.

Your design of swimming pool will help you in choosing the best cover for your swimming pool.  There are a few covers to choose from, most of which vary from season to season.  You can use different covers for summer, spring, and winter, each one offering you something different in terms of protection.  Nearly all supply shops have a lot of covers to choose from, and as long as you know your design - you can further inspect your pool and select the right cover.

Once you know your average depth and capacity for your swimming pool, you can move on to other inspections.  The liner is next, as it protects the quality of your water.  A liner will maintain the pH level of your water, and help prevent algae from forming and growing.  When you inspect your pool to select a liner, you should think in terms of material.  Most are plastic or vinyl, and can provide you plenty of attraction along with great protection as well.

With your swimming pool, you’ll also need to think and inspect your swimming pool in terms of safety.  If you have a belowground swimming pool, you should always remember that it can attract a lot of visitors.  Due to this fact, you should always have someone watching the pool, or an adult around at all times who can swim.  Or, you can simply use a locking gate that surrounds your pool to keep people out of it when you aren’t around.

Another area of swimming pools that most people find enjoyable are the toys and accessories.  The more must have accessories and toys are goggles, as they will help little children protect their eyes from the chlorine.  You can also find several different types of floats as well, as they are fun to lay on and also help kids stay afloat.  Swimming belts and water wings are great as well.  If you have thought about adding toys to your pool, you should always look around and shop for the best prices.

Inspecting your swimming pool can be fun, although it is something that you simply must do.  You can inspect in terms of maintenance as well, although you’ll need to inspect your pool before you buy any type of equipment or other things for you pool.  When you visit your local pool supply store you’ll need to know different things, which is the reason for inspecting.  Inspecting your swimming pool doesn’t take a lot of time - yet it is something that you simply must do if you want to get the best out of your swimming pool.

Locating And Repairing Swimming Pool Leaks

If you own a swimming pool, it can be quite easy to notice a leak.  Once you have opened your pool for the year, you can easily spot a leak by the water gushing out.  Where the leak is coming from though, may be an entirely different story.  Sometimes it may be easy to tell, although other times it can be a bit more complicated.

The first thing you need to do, is make sure that the water you see or notice missing is actually a leak.  Even though you may think it’s a leak, it could be something else.  Basically, there are three causes of water loss with swimming pools - plumbing leaks, shell leaks, and evaporation.  You should make sure you know the cause of the leak before you go any further.  Sometimes, what you think is a leak could be water lost from splashing - which can easily happen if you have a lot of people diving in your pool.

Evaporation is a common cause of water loss, and there is a way that you can determine if your loss of water is indeed evaporation.  To find out, take a large container then fill it full of water and put it on the first pool step.  Next, remove some water from the container sitting on the first step, so that the water in the pool and the container are the same level.  Now, let the container sit there for a few days, with no one using the pool during the entire time.

When you check back in a few days, the levels should be the same.  If they have gone down any, then you know that evaporation from the sun is to blame.  If the water that you have in the pool has dropped a great deal more than what you have in the container, you’ll know that you have a leak in your pool. 

If you think that the water is going down to a pool leak, you’ll first need to find where the leak is coming from.  You should always start looking near the pump and the filter.  Along the way, if you happen to notice any wet areas or damp areas, you should trace the water back and see if you can locate a leak.  In most cases, the leak will turn out to be a connection with one of the pipes. 

If it isn’t a pipe, then it could be a problem with the shell.  If you have an aboveground pool, simple look for the hole where the water is coming out of and repair it.  On the other hand, if you have a pool that is below ground, it can be a bit more complicated.  You can try inspected the shell in the pool, or checking surrounding areas.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you look, it can seem almost impossible to find where the leak is coming from.  Keep in mind that if it is the shell, you should always leave it to a qualified professional to fix the problem.  Shells for underground pools especially can be very tough to fix, and even harder if you know very little about swimming pools. 

In most cases, locating and repairing a leak with your swimming pool is more or less just eliminating causes until you find the right one.  Once you have located the problem and know what is causing it, you can decide on whether or not to do the repair yourself or to call a qualified professional and have them do the repair for you.

Swimming Pool Waterfalls

A lot of swimming pools these days are now featuring waterfalls along the edges to create a much more enticing visual appeal.  These types of waterfalls are built so the water falls down into the swimming pool, creating a continuous and never ending water flow with the pool.  Sometimes, there are small bulbs placed around the pool, helping to give the water a glittery effect once the water from the waterfall makes contact with the water in the pool.

Swimming pools that feature waterfalls are thought of as being more of a status symbol.  Normally, waterfalls can be found in the bigger hotels and resorts, and sometimes in big mansions if the owners can afford them.  There are other locations, such as popular water attractions and theme parks that have them as well. 

Waterfalls also provide a great attraction for little kids, as they like to play in the water as it goes up and over their heads - then comes down on top of them.  Depending on the size of the swimming pool, there can be several waterfalls attached.  Most often times, swimming pools that have multiple waterfalls can be found with exquisite resorts and the most popular of water parks.

These days however, waterfalls are becoming more and more affordable, and can be found with many private swimming pools.  You can also find smaller swimming pools that have smaller waterfalls constructed along the walls of the pool.  Even though they don’t produce a wide arc, they do create a splash effect that’s simply amazing to watch.

To use waterfall, you’ll first need a swimming pool.  The easiest way to construct a waterfall is when your pool is being built, so it can be built into the pool.  You must also make sure that the water going into the waterfall is clean.  You’ll also need to treat and clean the water going into the waterfall on a regular basis, as it can easily build up moss and algae if you don’t.

There are some waterfall models that will allow warm water to flow through them.  Keep in mind, warm water is used more for health than aesthetic appeal.  If you are using your waterfall for swimming, you obviously wouldn’t want to use warm water.  On the other hand, if it’s just for show or occasional use, then warm water waterfalls may be something of interest to you.

Although they are great to look at and watch, a pool waterfall can cost you a lot of money.  If you have the waterfall constructed at the same time you have your pool built, you can help save yourself a lot of money.  If you’ve thought about getting a waterfall - you should always plan things ahead and try to save yourself as much money as possible.