We have a lot on our plates if caring for commercial pools and spas are part of our job. We have to maintain the proper signage and safety equipment. We have to ensure handrails and steps are in good repair. We have to make sure all of our equipment is working properly with no leaks, squeaks or creaks. We need to get it repaired or replaced if necessary. What, in my opinion, is the most important aspect of caring for a body of water is maintaining proper water chemistry. This is important for so many reasons. It keeps bathers safe. It can protect against premature aging of your pool’s surface. It can stop costly repairs on equipment that has been damaged by corrosive or scale-forming water. It is part of our job to try to avoid additional repairs that may not be in the budget. It is especially frustrating if these expenditures could have been prevented with well-balanced water.
How do we determine what our water needs to be balanced? Test, test, test! We can accomplish this by working smart…not hard. Pairing the LaMotte Spin Lab with your Pool Shark H2O App is a great way to save time and money, while protecting your pool from unbalanced water issues. The LaMotte Spin Lab is a quick and easy way to test your pool water. All you do is take a small syringe of water, inject the water into a spin disc, and place the spin disc into the Spin Lab. Within 60 seconds, you not only have your results, but they are sent to any device that you have your Pool Shark H2O App loaded onto. You can also manually test with a reagent test kit (Test strips are not allowed on commercial bodies of water) and input your findings directly into the Pool Shark H2O App.
Why Pool Shark H2O? Because this innovative technology does oh-so-much. It not only gives you your current readings, but, using the Langelier Saturation Index to help you properly dose the right amount of chemicals, using your pool’s gallonage. The App also reminds you of things like when to replace your VGB drains and has a custom checklist. It walks you through what to do in case of an AFR (Accidental Fecal Release). Annnndddd...let’s not forget a crucial benefit of the Pool Shark H2O App. It digitally stores all of your water tests. No more unused log sheets. No more misplaced or wet logbooks. No more boxes upon boxes of previous water tests, which have to be stored. Pool Shark H2O App to the rescue!
Costs Associated from Unbalanced Pool Water
There are many things unbalanced pool water can do. All of them cost money. One common thing pool operators may find themselves doing is a premature drain. This could be due to someone adding too much cyanuric acid or salt because they didn’t accurately test. These two chemicals do not evaporate, and draining the water partially or completely is the only solution. Should you find yourself needing to prematurely drain, you cannot escape the cost of the water. According to IdahoFalls.gov, the average cost of water is $1.50 per 1,000. At that price, it could get costly, since most commercial pools are quite large. You will need to either drain the pool yourself or hire a company to do it. Doing it yourself involves buying or renting a submersible pump. This takes up man hours that the staff could have been doing something more productive. Hiring a professional can cost thousands as it is a time consuming job. Whichever route you decide to go, you’ll find yourself needing to pay for chemicals to get the new water correctly balanced. Keep in mind, the body of water needs to be closed while you drain, refill and chem up. This means unhappy guests, possible refunds and a very unhappy boss. Especially if testing the water accurately and often could have helped avoid this.
If water is left corrosive for too long it can cause etching in the pool’s surface. Re-plastering the pool costs a fortune! It can also literally eat away at your equipment. A heat exchanger is a common casualty with corrosive water. It can ruin pump seals and o-rings. This leads to costly repairs or, worst case scenario, replacement of the damaged equipment. All of this is no good.
If water is left scale forming for extended periods of time, you will be looking at calcium build up around your pool’s waterline. It can also build up in your equipment. Salt cell’s life expectancy can be significantly cut short from heavy calcium accumulation. Guess what? NONE of these things would be covered under warranty because it is considered neglect and operator error.
Do yourself a favor and test your water often. Do it accurately and modernly with the LaMotte Spin Lab and Pool Shark H2O App. We hate unnecessary costs, don’t we? See you poolside!
