SIMPLE TROUBLE SHOOTING

THERE IS NO WATER MOVING

1. Check to see if the pump is on.
2. If the motor runs, see that water is flowing into the skimmer.
3. Check the skimmer basket and the pump basket for trash.
4. Check the pressure gauge. Little or no flow may indicate that the filter needs to be serviced and the cartridges cleaned.

IT IS HARD TO VACUUM

1. Check that the pump pot is full of water and the motor is running normally.
2. Check to see that a normal flow of water is returning to the pool. If the flow is less than normal, clean the filter.
3. Did you forget to fill the vacuum hose completely with water? Remember you can place the hose in front of the inlet and quickly displace all the air in the hose
4. Did you remember to close the valve from the main drain so that most of the suction is going through the skimmer?

THE PUMP SOUNDS FUNNY

1. Check that there is water in the pump pot in front of the motor. No water, and the pump will destroy itself very quickly as it overheats.
2. Check the level of the water in the pool. It should be half way up into the mouth of the skimmer. Too little water and the pump overheats, too much water and the skimmer does not work.
3. Check to see that the valves are open. Turn the valve handle so it does not indicate off across the pipe.
4. If the noise is a scraping or grinding noise, you may have a bearing problem and you should call for service.

WINTERIZING YOUR POOL

The winter in South Carolina does not normally get cold enough to force you to shut down your pool. Moving water in this area does not freeze. If you wish to keep your pool operating you may do so. Just make sure the pump is running and circulating water during any freezing conditions. A power outage may force you to drain your pump and filter system.

If you decide to winterize your pool, here are some tips:

1. Clean the pool. Remove all trash and debris from the pool. Don’t forget to clean your skimmer basket, or the pump basket. Any trash or debris left in the pool will create a problem next spring. You may even stain your pool if you don’t get all the trash. A leaf can make a big stain!
2. After the pool has been thoroughly cleaned and you can see the complete bottom of the pool, add sufficient sanitizer (chlorine, bromine, etc.) to create a free reading of at least 1.5 on your test kit. Closing the pool with out a free reading will guarantee a serious mess next spring.
3. Balance the water by adding the necessary chemicals. Then add the winterizing chemicals. Assuming you use chlorine as your sanitizer, broadcast 1 pound of shock (Burn Out for plaster pools or Burn Out 35 for vinyl pools) for every 5,000 gallons of water in the pool. This assures the sanitizer you put in is in the free form and able to do its job. Finally add the correct dosage of algaecide. One ounce of AlgaeShield per 1,000 gallons of water is a good treatment. These chemicals should be added according to their label instructions and poured around the edge of the pool. If you use some sanitizer other than chlorine, you need to follow the instructions for that system. You cannot use AlgaeShield, but you can use AlgaeAll 60.
4. In-ground pools do not need to have the water level lowered, however aboveground pools will require you to drain the water level below the skimmer and return. Turn off the pump and filter. You will not need them again until spring. We suggest plugs in your inlets and other pool openings to stop water from being forced into your lines and out the open drains on the pump and filter. Rain and trash will force the cover down and water out of your pool if you do not keep the cover clean.
5. You must drain the water from the pump. On the bottom of the pump pot where the basket sits is a small plug. Some pumps also have a second drain plug near the bottom of the pump housing. Check your pump for this other plug. Unscrew these plugs and save them.
6. On the bottom of the filter there are plugs as well. Be careful here, however, because some sand filter drains contain two plugs – a small plug in the center of a larger plug. If your filter is this type, remove only the small plug! The larger plug will allow the sand as well as water to escape from the tank. Unscrew the plug and save it. If your filter has a control valve, turn the handle to the waste or backwash position and leave it there. This will allow air to enter the filter and help drain the water from your system.
   NOTE: So that you do not loose the plugs you have removed, drop all of them into the pump pot basket and you will find them when you are ready for them in the spring. (This way we both know where they are come springtime.)
7. Remove the ladder and any other object you may have on the deck or in the pool that will interfere with the correct placement of your cover. Anything that you remove should be cleaned and stored until you are ready for it in the spring. Remember to drain the water from all ladders, or any other object that may have water inside to protect them from damage due to freezing weather.
8. Install your cover. This is not a job for one person and you should have assistance when placing a cover. The cover should be constructed of vinyl materials designed for swimming pools. Plastic, canvas, or a tarp is not a suitable cover for your pool. They all allow sunlight to filter through the material. Sunlight filtering through creates a “hot house” effect and will actually help algae grow. Using the wrong cover will guarantee a mess in the spring.

Again – in this part of South Carolina, you do not have to cover your pool. But if you don’t, you should keep the pool reasonably free of leaves and debris and protect your pump and filter from damage during freezing weather. If in doubt, run the pump thereby circulating the water through the system. The average new pump costs several hundreds of dollars, and the average filter even more. A little extra electricity is cheap when compared to the cost of replacing pool equipment.

Doing the job of closing the pool properly will make your opening in the spring a breeze. Skipping a step or skimping on chemicals, etc. will ruin all the work you did when covering the pool and will cause you many extra hours of clean up and extra money spent on clearing the water.

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