To Cover or Not To Cover; That is the question.

In this area, it runs about 50/50 on pool owners using winter covers or not. Leaves accumulating in the pool can be a problem, and can actually stain your pool, drain covers, and skimmer baskets. As leaves sit in the pool bottom and decay, they can turn your water brown which could leave stains when you open it back up in the Spring. Allowing leaves to accumulate can also stop up the suction into your equipment and may harm your pump. If your not going to cover your pool, it's a good idea to purchase an automatic or robotic style pool cleaner. These units can be very effective and minimize the time you spend on maintenance. Prices start about $700. Also make sure you keep your sanitizer (chlorine) at the right level, as well as your ph. If you are going to cover the pool, the trampoline style covers are your best bet. These covers keep the leaves out of the water while allowing rain water to flow through them. When the leaves dry, just grab your blower and blow the leaves right off. While these covers do tend to be expensive (usually a couple thousand dollars installed); most have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years. Standard woven plastic tarp style covers will do the job as well, but they tend to hold water on top and it's easy to dump leaves back into the pool when removing them. They are; however, much less expensive. If you have any pool questions or are interested in putting in a new pool; call me (Ray Clary) anytime at 318-372-2669.

Winter pricing on pools can be a bargain

Your best bet for saving money on a new pool is in the heart of Winter. December through February are typically the slowest months of the year, and equipment manufacturers, us as installers, and supply companies are eager to put jobs on the books to keep their workers busy. It is also a great time to move ahead with the pool, on your time frame. Unlike during Spring and Summer; there is very little wait to get started on construction. If your thinking about swimming in the upcoming year, what better Christmas present could you give your family than a new pool. We offer free 3-D design, and can create a beautiful customized DVD of your new pool, to box up and put under the Christmas tree. Call me (Ray Clary) anytime at 318-372-2669 for more information.

Pipes Freezing on your Swimming Pool

Quite a few people have been calling me with concerns about their swimming pool pipes freezing up in this frigid weather. This is a legitimate concern in the 20's temperatures we've had; especially a few days of it in a row. The timer / control panel we use is a Pentair EasyTouch system. It incorporates an auto freeze function that turns the pumps on when the temperature approaches freezing; so, no worries if you have an EasyTouch. If you have standard dial timers on your pool, it is a good idea to turn the pumps on and leave them on for the duration of the freezing temps. Need any advice on your pool, pool chemicals, or thinking about putting in a new pool: call us at the store at 340-0001 or after hours at 372-2669.