Swimmer’s ear can occur when water stays in the ear canal for long periods of time, providing the perfect environment for germs to grow and infect the skin. Swimmer’s ear cannot be spread from one person to another. Swimmer’s ear is not the same as the common childhood middle ear infection. .

Loose objects such as chairs, tables, toys and pool tools which can become dangerous projectiles in high winds should be stored inside of buildings. It’s not advisable to throw patio furniture into the pool.  These items in the pool to cause damage to the interior finish and need to be removed as soon as possible to avoid staining.  NEVER throw a glass table into the pool- yes we’ve had that too!

This really isn’t a problem!  We have some homeowners or renters who panic if they leave a hose in a pool too long, or want to drain the pool down before a heavy rainstorm.  The pool may overflow, but no more so than if a patio or grass area was there instead. Appropriate drainage has most always been provided for in the pool design. Keeping the water in the pool provides the important weight to hold the pool in the ground. An empty pool is subject to “floating” or “popping” out of the ground due to “lift” (Hydrostatic) pressure from excessive ground water caused by the heavy rains that may accompany the storm.

We are available 24/7!  our maintenance techs are on routes from 7 am- 5pm Monday – Saturday, and repair techs 9 am – 5pm Monday – Saturday.  We still clean in the rain (we have delays due to lightning until it passes).  Our construction crews can only work Monday – Fridays  due to community requirements.   After 5pm emergencies & Sunday calls are usually answered within an hour of receiving an email or voicemail message.

In a salt pool, chlorine is produced from salt using a Salt Chlorine Generator  rather than adding chlorine to the pool directly. A salt pool is still being sanitized by chlorine. The same amount of chlorine is required to maintain the same effectiveness in a salt pool as a traditional chlorine pool. A properly maintained salt pool has just as much chlorine as a traditional chlorine pool. Salt water pools require all the same maintenance functions and still must be checked and balanced regularly.

It is a common misconception that red eyes and a strong chlorine smell to the water is the result of too much chlorine.  The cause is not enough chlorine! The combined chlorine compound, called a chloramine, is produced when a free chlorine molecule combines with a nitrogen or ammonia molecule. These compounds smell bad, irritate the eyes and skin, and get in the way of free chlorine trying to do its job.  It can easily occur if heavy rains have dropped chlorine levels, or the pool has been heated an extended period of time causing chlorine levels to fall, or too much beach sand/ high bather load is in the pool.

Yes we’ve had all of those at least once a week in spring & summer.  They all require breakpoint chlorination for at least a 24 hr. period (meaning no one swims during breakpoint chlorination period)  with other state DHEC requirements to be followed to neutralize the pool & clean filters.

Pool Pumps, Underwater Pool Lights and certain Swimming Pool Heaters carry Live Voltage and this hazard can be fatal. Pool Heaters release Carbon Monoxide emissions which can be fatal, and repairs to Gas Heaters can be dangerously explosive.

We  use care and caution with pool chemicals and DO NOT store chemicals on homeowner properties. Poisonous and deadly gases emit from the chemicals themselves and during reactions with other chemicals (including water). Skin burns can occur as well.

High cyanuric acid levels would hinder the efficacy (effectiveness) of the chlorine to act as a disinfectant.  Higher levels of cyanuric acid will bind with the chlorine, making it slower acting to kill bacteria and micro-organisms, and prevent algae.  Higher levels will also increase cloudiness in the pool water. At this point, it would be recommended that a portion of the pool water be replaced with fresh water, as there are no other means of reducing the cyanuric acid in pool water.

Any pool that utilizes powered, tablet, or stick forms of stabilized chlorine will be adding cyanuric acid, as most of the chlorine sold today contains cyanuric acid.  Continual use of these products without regular water exchange will increase the cyanuric acid to a high level.

Phosphate is a natural component of most swimmer wastes. It is also present in rain water, tannic acid in leaves and pollens.  Phosphate is persistent and does not break down naturally. Landscape fertilizers, which may blow into the pool, also have high phosphate content. For these reasons, pools can quickly build up high phosphate levels. This creates an abundant and tasty food source for all strains of algae, and can make controlling their growth difficult. Remove the food, and you have a strong weapon against algae.