Just Swim & Just Soak Weekly Visit Details

Thanks for choosing Premier Pool & Spa. After every visit we email you a short report. If you'd like to know why we did something, this page explains it in plain words.

We visit once a week, so on each visit we test the water and adjust as much as we safely can in that one visit. Small changes from week to week are normal. Your visit email always tells you when the water is ready to use. If we are completing Clean-ups or Green to Clean services, visits may be every day or every 2-3 days (when using revive or over weekends as service is closed on weekends).

Chlorine

Chlorine keeps the water clean and clear. Sun, warm weather and swimmers use it up a little every day.

Because we come once a week, we add enough chlorine to last until our next visit. In pools that get liquid chlorine or tablets, and in spas that get chlorinating concentrate (pools and spas that do not have salt systems), we raise it about 3 ppm above the level we keep salt pools at generally. By the next week it settles back near the lower range of 1-4 ppm. So if you test right after our visit and it reads a bit high, that's on purpose.

The ideal level for a pool on weekly service is between 3 and 9 ppm. Where your pool sits in that range depends on its stabilizer level (see Stabilizer). For spas, the ideal is about 7 ppm, so right after our visit a spa reads about 10.

Pools with a salt system make their own chlorine. We adjust the salt system's output from week to week (see Salt systems).

Shock

A shock is a larger dose of chlorine. It clears up water that is cloudy, hazy or green from algae. It also clears out used-up chlorine (called combined chlorine), which can cause that "chlorine smell."

Pools: We shock when the water is cloudy, hazy or green and chlorine is low, or when used-up (combined) chlorine builds up and the free chlorine isn't high enough to clear it. We raise chlorine to a shock level that is set by your pool's stabilizer level.

Plan on about 12-16 hours. The next day, the pool is ready to swim if you can clearly see the floor drain(s) and chlorine tests between 1 and 10 on a test strip. If the water was cloudy or green, it's ready once the water clears up, which can take more than one follow-up.
We'll schedule a follow-up visit to check the water. If possible, wait to swim until the follow-up is complete.
If you have a cover, please have it open for 6 hours/overnight if possible. Fresh air helps the shock do its job and clear the water.

Spas: We use Enhanced Shock to bring chlorine to about 12 ppm when the water is cloudy, hazy or green, when foam builds up about an inch, or when used-up (combined) chlorine builds up. You can soak again after 4 hours (if the water was cloudy or green, once it clears up). Having the cover open for a little while (4 hours if possible) helps. @ease spas also get a weekly shock (see @ease spas).

Lowering chlorine (Chem-Out)

Now and then chlorine ends up higher than we'd like. When it tests 10 ppm or higher, we usually add Chem-Out to bring it down to about 5 ppm. Sometimes we let it come down on its own instead at the height of the summer; chlorine drops a little every day.

Please have the cover open if you can: about 6 hours for pools, a little while (4 hours if possible) for spas. This helps the chlorine come down.
The water is ready to use once chlorine tests 10 or lower on a test strip.
If we need to check it again, your visit email will say we're scheduling a follow-up visit.

pH

pH tells us how acidic or basic the water is. The ideal range is 7.2 to 7.8. In that range, chlorine works well and the water feels comfortable on your skin and eyes. We aim for about 7.5, the middle of the range, so a reading inside the range may still get a small adjustment toward it.

To lower pH, we use muriatic acid in pools and pH Decreaser in spas. To raise it, we use BP200 in pools and pH Increaser in spas. Since we visit weekly, we bring pH to its target in one visit instead of in small steps.

When alkalinity is high, we lower pH to 7.3 on purpose. This brings alkalinity down as far as it safely can go. Over the week, the alkalinity pulls pH back up into range.

Alkalinity

Alkalinity helps hold pH steady, so it doesn't swing up and down.

Pools: The range is 50 to 110 ppm. When it's low, we raise it to about 80 with BP100.
Spas: The range is 20 to 100 ppm, and we like it at about 50 to 80. When it's low, we raise it to about 50 with Alkalinity Increaser. Above 80, we start bringing it down with pH Decreaser.

When alkalinity is high, we bring it down using acid (see pH). This can take a few weeks, and that's normal.

Calcium

Calcium hardness is the amount of calcium in the water. The right amount helps protect your pool or spa surfaces and equipment.

Pools: The range is 200 to 400 ppm. When the water needs more calcium to stay balanced, we raise it toward the middle, about 300, with Hardness Plus.
Spas: The range is 150 to 250 ppm. When the water needs more calcium to stay balanced, we raise it toward the middle, about 200, with Calcium Hardness Increaser.

Calcium works together with pH and alkalinity. If calcium reads a little low but the water is otherwise balanced, we keep an eye on it instead of adding more.

In pools, Hardness Plus never goes in on the same visit as BP200 or BP100. Together they can cloud the water. So if your pool needed one of those today, the calcium may wait until a later visit.

Stabilizer

Stabilizer (also called CYA) protects chlorine from the sun, so it lasts longer. The more stabilizer there is, the higher the chlorine level needs to be to work well. That's why your pool's ideal chlorine level depends on it.

Stabilizer changes slowly, so we test it about once a month. Chlorine tablets add stabilizer over time.

The way to lower stabilizer is to replace some of the water. When it reaches 100 ppm or more, we recommend a partial drain and refill for pools, or a drain and refill for spas. We'll reach out to talk it over with you first.

Salt systems

A salt system uses a salt cell to turn a small amount of salt in the water into chlorine.

We aim for about 3,000 ppm of salt in pools and 2,200 ppm in spas, and add salt when it's low.
We adjust the salt cell's output (a percent setting) from week to week, based on how your chlorine is holding.
A pool salt cell won't run when the water is under 60°F or the salt is under 2,600 ppm. At those times, we use liquid chlorine instead.

If the salt cell's reading looks different from our own salt test, we check whether the cell needs cleaning and let you know if anything more is needed.

Chlorine tablets

Some pools use slow-dissolving chlorine tablets in a tablet chlorinator. The tablets add chlorine a little at a time through the week.

When chlorine is low, we add 2 tablets for every 10,000 gallons. We also add liquid chlorine that day to bring chlorine up right away, while the tablets hold it through the week.
We adjust the tablet chlorinator setting 10 points at a time, so the change is steady.
Tablets add stabilizer. When stabilizer is 100 ppm or more, we hold off on adding tablets or turning the setting up (see Stabilizer).

Automation

Some pools have a system that adds chlorine and acid on its own. It uses sensors to read the water all day.

The ORP sensor reads how well the chlorine is working. The pH sensor reads pH.
Each visit, we compare the sensors to our own test. If they don't match, we clean and calibrate them.
We adjust the settings when needed, and we refill the acid tank.

When the system is reading correctly and the water looks great, we may not need to add anything at all.

Clarifier

Whenever the water is slightly hazy or worse (hazy, cloudy, green or a bit colored), we add a clarifier called Unique, even when the chlorine is already high. It helps the filter catch the very fine particles that make water look cloudy. We also check the filter on those visits. We don't add it when the water is clear.

In pools, plan on about 12-24 hours before swimming after a clarifier. If the water was slightly hazy or hazy, the pool is ready to swim the next day if you can clearly see the floor drain(s). If it was cloudy, green or colored, it's ready to swim (or soak) once the water clears up, which can take more than one follow-up. Either way, we'll schedule a follow-up visit to check the water (see Follow-up visits).

Filters

The filter catches dirt and particles from the water. As it fills up, the pressure gauge reading goes up.

Pools: We clean the filter when the pressure is about 10 psi above its clean reading. Cleaning it sooner doesn't help it work better, so we wait until the gauge tells us it's time.

Sand filters are backwashed (water is run backward through the filter to flush out the dirt).
D.E. filters are backwashed and then refilled with fresh D.E. powder.
Cartridge filters are swapped with your clean set. We take the dirty set back with us to clean.

Your visit email may include an estimate of when the filter will need cleaning next.

Spas: Spa filters are cleaned about every 4 weeks. We clean them on site or swap them with your clean set.

If we need a tool to clean the filters that wasn't on the truck, we'll schedule a follow-up visit to finish the job.

Spa care

Spas are small and hot, so the water changes faster than in a pool. Here's what we add and why:

Chlorinating concentrate (chlorine spas, never @ease): keeps chlorine around 7 ppm through the week.
Natural Spa Enzymes, every week: break down oils, lotions and hair products that can cause scum lines, cloudy water and clogged filters.
Stain & Scale Control, every week: helps prevent stains from metals in the water and scale buildup.
pH Increaser, pH Decreaser, Alkalinity Increaser and Calcium Hardness Increaser as needed (see pH, Alkalinity and Calcium).

We clean or swap the spa filters about every 4 weeks, or sooner if the water isn't clear (see Filters).

@ease spas

An @ease system uses two cartridges:

A chlorine cartridge lasts up to 4 weeks. It flips over when it's used up, so we check how far it has flipped each visit and replace it when it's time.
A mineral cartridge lasts about 4 months.

@ease spas also get a weekly shock, measured by the label's directions. This keeps the water fresh and clear. You can soak again after 4 hours.

Covers

Normally we close the cover when we leave. For pools with an automatic cover, we leave the cover pump on the cover, plugged in, so rainwater drains off.

After a shock, fresh air helps the chlorine work, so we'll ask you to have the cover open for 6 hours/overnight if possible (spas: a little while, 4 hours if possible). Fresh air also helps high chlorine come down (see Lowering chlorine).

We only leave the cover open if you've told us it's okay. Please close it after 6 hours/overnight.
If we can't reach you, we close the cover and ask you to open it when you can.
If it's raining, we leave the cover closed with the cover pump on.
If the cover isn't working, we'll let you know and make sure service gets scheduled.

Water level

Pools: Keep the water at about the middle of the skimmer opening. The skimmer pulls in leaves and debris from the surface. If the water drops below the opening, the pump can pull in air.
Spas: Keep the water just under the pillows, so the jets and skimmer work as they should.

Water slowly evaporates, so it's normal to top it off now and then. If it's low, your visit email will ask you to add some. Our technicians are not allowed to add water to pools or spas.

Follow-up visits

Sometimes one visit isn't enough. When that happens, we'll schedule a quick follow-up visit and be in touch. We always schedule one when:

The water is hazy or worse (hazy, cloudy, green or colored).
The water needs about 12-24 hours before swimming, like after a pool shock or clarifier (You can generally swim as soon as you can see the main drain). If possible, wait to swim until the follow-up is complete.
Chlorine was very low and we couldn't add any that day.

Other reasons include checking the water again after another adjustment (like lowering chlorine), cleaning a filter when we need a tool that wasn't on the truck, a repair, or another clean-up visit to finish clearing up a pool.

When the water is cloudy, green or colored, more than one follow-up may be needed before the pool or spa is ready to use: it's ready once the water clears up. If possible, wait to swim or soak until the follow-up is complete. When the water is clear and we only balanced it, no follow-up is needed.

A follow-up is a normal part of keeping your water in great shape. There's nothing you need to do unless your email asks.

Questions?

We're happy to help. Call the Service Department at 952.368.6070 or email [email protected].