If you shock your pool with a standard 10L chlorine jug, we recommend waiting 24 hours before swimming. This allows the water to circulate through the system. This will apply to any type of chlorine treatment. 

This depends on your pool’s size, the strength of your pump, and how often your pool is used. Generally speaking, you want to run your pump long enough to turn over all of the water in your pool twice each day. For many homeowners, this means running the pump for 8 to 12 hours daily. If you have a variable-speed pump, you may be able to run it longer at a lower speed for better energy efficiency.

Seasonal changes can also affect run time, with hotter weather requiring more filtration. Have questions? We’re happy to help tailor a schedule to your setup.

Depending on the quality of cover you purchased, a typical cover should last 8-12 years. If your cover is older then that you have done a good job caring for it! A lot of people have switched to safety covers over the last number of years. They are much nicer to look at and less hassle to open in the spring! If your cover is in need of replacing consider switching to a safety cover!

Salt cells should last for about 8-10 years. Of course how often you run it and at what percentage (40% 60% 100%) effects the lifetime of your salt cell. You should never need to run your cell over 50%. Having proper salt and stabilizer levels will help greatly with your salt cell’s life. We also recommend taking them in over the winter! Doing those things will help the cell last longer and save you money!

If you have a sand filter we recommend backwashing once per week or when your pressure is reading above 20PSI. This allows the filter to clean out built up algae and dirt it has collected. It also keeps your water pressure coming out of your jets strong. The standard time to backwash is about 1 minute and then a 30 second rinse. One trick I use is to watch the water coming out of the backwash line. At the start it will be dirty and eventually the water coming out will turn clear. When the water becomes clear your filter is good to go! REMINDER after backwashing you should put your filter in “rinse mode” for an additional 30 seconds!

We recommend testing the water once per week. The water chemistry can change based on the weather. When it is really hot, chlorine can burn off quicker. When it rains the PH and Alkalinity are affected. Testing your pool water once a week allows you to keep your water balanced, making it safe to swim for everyone. 

Bring your water sample to our store. We offer free water testing! We also sell a variety of chemicals to help you maintain your pool. We are located at 380 Dundas Street E Oakville. 

Weak suction can be caused by a few things:

1. Lots of debris in the skimmer basket
2. The filter needs to be backwashed or cartridges need to be cleaned
3. The vacuum hose may not be connected fully
4. water level might be too low and not allowing enough water to go through the system 
5. Your lines might be clogged

Yes! Consider switching to an energy efficient pool pump. After the first few years, the pump will pay for itself. Check out the Pool Saver website for more info and to see if you are eligible for the $400 rebate program!