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June 2008 |
Gallagher Gab
Although we still have some warm days, the time has come to think about closing your swimming pool if you have not already. Since Gallagher Pools and Spas still has a good inventory of all the supplies you need to winterize your pool, stop by and pick up what you need! You might need a winter kit, plugs, antifreeze, a heater cover, an aboveground winch or cable, water tubes or even a new cover! Remember if you need plugs to note which sizes of plugs that you need. If you need a cover, please know the dimensions of your pool as well as the dimensions of your old cover if possible. If you have had trouble in the past closing your pool, call us and we can arrange to professionally close your pool for you. For pools which are already closed, we also have cover pumps to keep your cover cleaned off.
What's Wrong with this picture!?
(You will see the answers below the next section, but see if you can guess!)
Proper closing chemicals are a must when closing your swimming pool. The manner in which you close your pool is the manner in which you will open it again. If you close your pool green and cloudy, it will probably be in worse condition when you open it. The first step to proper winter water treatment is to test and balance the water. If this is not something you are comfortable doing, bring a water sample in to Gallagher Pools and Spas and we will test it for you. We will let you know how to correctly balance your pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness for the winter. While you are here, you can also pick up a winter chemical kit. This kit includes a winter algaecide, a stain and scale preventing agent and a floating dispenser of slow dissolving winter tablets to prevent algae. This winter kit will help to ensure your water’s cleanliness until spring. There is also a kit for mesh cover pools that includes something to remove phosphates, which are algae's primary food source. We do recommend adding more chemicals in the spring for swimming pools with mesh covers, however, due to sunlight penetrating the cover and rainwater diluting the chemicals. For Baquacil pools we would recommend raising the Baquacil level to 50, adding a dose of Baquacil Shock (one gallon per 10,000 gallons of pool water), and a startup dose of Baquacil algaecide. Adding one of these chemical treatments should be sufficient to keep the pool looking clear until next year.
Your pool will also need to be covered to properly winterize it. The purpose of a cover is to keep winter debris from getting into your swimming pool. It is important to make sure your cover is in proper shape. Examine the cover to make sure there are no rips or tears that would allow debris to get through. If you find any damage we recommend replacing the cover. Remember to use only water bags to
weigh down the sides of your cover as rocks, bricks, logs or other
things can fall into the pool and damage its surface! Also remember
to keep leaves off of the cover, and keep a small amount of water
(1" or less) on the cover to secure it. Do not leave siphon
pumps on the cover, or submersible pumps running for more than
a couple of hours, as the water may come through the cover and
lower the level of water in the pool.
Thank you to all who voted for Gallagher Pools and Spas and helped us win the Carroll County Times "Carroll's Best" award for the 9th year in a row!
Gallagher Pools and Spas October Store hours Visit our web site at http://www.gallagherpools.com |
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1111 S. Pleasant Valley Road, Westminster, MD 21158 | Phone: 410-848-2534 / 410-876-3535 | Email: Contact Us