Pool Service and Maintenance
727-692-4232 License 08-00035936

Cardinal Pool Knowledge

To make an appointment or request for a quote:
Please call us at 727-692-4232
Or email Michele at cardinalpoolcare@gmail.com


Getting ready for summer:

  • Remember to test your pool chemicals. Have your pool maintenance company come out to diagnose any problems with your pool water.  You can also bring a vial of pool water
    to your local pool store for testing.
  • Be sure your pool filter is clean and the pressure is normal (pressure varies on every system)
  • Be sure to brush down all the pool walls and the floor of the pool. This should be done regularly to prevent algae buildup.
  • It is suggested to pressure wash your pool deck at least once a year to remove any potential contaminants. This will keep them from entering the pool and causing problems with the pool chemicals.  The pool deck should also be hosed down regularly.

CIRCULATION
Pool water must be circulated through a pool pump and filter system for optimal sanitation. If your water is constantly circulating, bacteria and algae are less likely to build up.  Debris is removed by your filter as the pool water passes through it, making circulation an integral part of pool cleaning.

FILTRATION
The pool filter removes visible debris and microscopic matter, such as bacteria and algae particles.  The filter should be backwashed and chemically cleaned routinely to remove trapped particles and maximize the life of the filter.

CLEANING
Pool cleaning means more than just letting the filter baskets catch leaves that fell into the pool.  There are always spots where jets or vacuums cannot reach and those are where algae and bacteria can start to grow.  Brushing the pool walls loosens any algae that have built up, which the vacuum can then help remove.

TESTING
Keeping your swimming pool safe to use necessitates regularly checking the pH and the level of santizer, such as chlorine.  By testing these two factors, you will understand how use of the swimming pool, weather and pool chemicals used affects the water.

CHEMISTRY
Perhaps the most dreaded part of pool maintenance is knowing which pool chemicals to apply to the pool water and when to do so.
 
Pool chemicals are a crucial step in maintaining:
         •    A sanitary swimming pool environment,
         •    Pool equipment and pool surfaces (unbalanced water can permanently damage both)
         •    Clear, sparkling water that makes you want to use your swimming pool.

Pool Vocabulary:

ACID:   An acid is a substance with a pH lower than 7.0.  Liquid acid (muriatic acid) or dry granular acid (sodium bisulfate) substances are pool chemicals used to decrease your pool's pH in order to maintain balance.

ALGAE:   Algae are microscopic organisms that flourish in standing water, feeding on sunlight, CO² and phosphate like most plants.  There are thousands of species, many of which can easily bloom in pool water that is not properly maintained.  Algae often forms on pool walls, but can also be suspended in the water.  Because of the many varieties of algae, it may cause your pool to appear green, yellow, black, blue-green, or most any other color.  If your pool turns colors or starts having spots or sheets of algae growth, contact a pool maintenance professional immediately.

ALKALINITY:   An alkaline is a substance with a pH above 7.0.  It is the opposite of an acid.  Alkalinity refers to the amount of carbonate and bicarbonate in pool water and must be monitored to achieve balanced water.

BACKWASHING:   The process of thoroughly cleaning the pool filter medium and/or elements by reversing the flow of water through the filter to waste.

BACTERIA:   Micro-organisms that can grow and live in pool water without proper pool chemicals.  Pool bacteria can be any of a of nearly-infinite spectrum and including many pathogens for infectious diseases.  Pool maintenance and proper pool water balance are the best ways to prevent bacteria from thriving in pool water.

BROMINE:   An element of the halogen family, bromine is often used as a sanitizing chemical in spas.

CHLORINE:   An element of the halogen family of sanitizing pool chemicals, chlorine is the best-known of the sanitizers used in swimming pools.  Chlorine can be used in the elemental form of gas, liquid, granular, or tablet compound.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (DE):   DE is a filtering medium often found in pool filters.  It is composed of fossilized remains of the ancient plankton diatom, hence the name.

pH:   The relative acidity or alkalinity level of a substance as measured on the pH scale.  The pH scale ranges from 0 (highly acidic to 14 (highly basic or alkaline), with the median of 7 being perfectly neutral.

PPM:   Parts per million. this is a common metric label in describing the concentration of a chemical in water.  for instance, the number of chlorine parts per million in pool water.

SHOCK:   Shock can be used to describe the process or the substance used to purify a pool through hyper-sanitation.  Shock compounds use hypochlorides, potassium permonysulfate, or hydrogen peroxide to achieve breakpoint chlorination.  The breakpoint is when a "shock" goes through the water due to chemical reaction.  This will kill most any micro-organisms in the water, but can also leave salty residue that makes the pool water look cloudy afterward.

SODIUM BICARBONATE (baking soda):   An alkaline substance that tends to raise the Total Alkalinity rather than the pH level.

TOTAL ALKALINITY:  The pH of your pool water is subject to the weather, pool chemicals, and other factors.  Total Alkalinity describes the water's ability to resist changes in pH from these forces.  Adding baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) can aid Total Alkalinity. Pool Cleaning and maintenance in Florida

Serving Pinellas County Florida:
St Petersburg, Largo, Seminole, Clearwater, Pinellas Park, Gulfport and more.