Par Pool & Spa

Storm's Over, What Now Irene?

Well, thank goodness Irene has passed & is out of here!

For many folks up and down the East Coast, the weekend of August 26 - 28, 2011, starring Hurricane Irene was a wild ride.

Tons of rain. Strong & damaging winds.

We rushed to store everything away, Hurricane Irene came & went. Now it's time to put our property and our lives back together. By Sunday afternoon, many of us were able to get out and start the clean up process. That process also includes our swimming pools.

For many, the pool collected some leaves & twigs (like mine above). For others, let's just say there was a lot more. Now comes the rest of the clean up (get your home, yard & other important chores done first; the pool can wait a little bit).

Winter Pool Prep

When closing your swimming pool for the season, it's all about preparation. Just a little bit...

Prepping your pool before winterizing can actually make winterizing easier plus it will you help you have a more successful opening and start up the following spring.

There are 4 basic or essential steps that will help prepare your pool for winterizing. The steps are easy to follow and I think they'll make sense. Start about 2 weeks ahead of closing for best results. If you don't want to read, you can watch the video .

Here are 4 Essential Steps (after the video):

Hurricane Pool Prep

Every once in a while Mother Nature shows her stuff. A "woman scorned" maybe...? That's a whole different topic.

As the East Coast of the United States prepares for Hurricane Irene, I wanted to share a few ideas with you on how to do what you can in protecting your swimming pool, spa or hot tub.

Let's be honest, if you're in the direct path of a major storm, be it hurricane (cyclone), tornado, 'Noreaster, sever thunderstorm, there's not much you can do except batten down the hatches and pray.

Practically though, there are a few things that you CAN do. Let's go down a quick list.

Good Water Balance

Our customers ask, "why do I have to worry about testing & balancing my swimming pool water?  If it looks clear, everything must be good. Right?" 

The answer is, "Usually not."  The short answer is if the water isn't properly balanced, you're not safe, the pool & its components (filter, pump, heater, pool surfaces, fittings, etc) just won't last long, and finally, you'll be wasting your money!

Here's what we mean:

Pool Water balancing for you & your body:  When the pH & Total alkalinity are out of balance, your chlorine, bromine or other sanitizer don't work as efficiently as they should.  When the sanitizer doesn't work efficiently, bacteria & other stuff you don't want in your spa start gaining control.  You could easily end up with skin rashes and eye irritations at least.

Pool Pillow Pal

So, how frustrated are you when you go to winterize your aboveground pool & you have to deal with the air pillow and ropes or string?

If you're like most pool owners, you're really frustrated!

The air pillow or pillows (sometimes called "ice equalizers") don't stay in place. They move all over.

Then you have to worry about the rope cutting through & damaging the pool winter cover. It's just a hassle!

Well, now ParPools.com introduces the Pool Pillow Pal.

Your Teeth & pH

Pool water balance is incredibly important. I can't overemphasize that fact.

When a pool is not properly balanced, you're just asking for all kinds of troubles. Not only will you have water problems such as cloudy water or algae or high chlorine consumption, but you can also put your personal health at risk.

The following is a true story about tooth enamel and a high school swim team.