Los Angeles Pool Service and Repair

In order to keep your pool clean, clear and inviting, it is vital to make sure your pool filter is fully functioning and kept clean. Many pool owners will put this task off, eventually causing your pool water to become cloudy, and not safe to swim in, regardless of how perfectly your pool’s chemicals are balanced. Cleaning the filter can be very laborious and is definitely a dirty job, but it can’t be put off! Your pool can be compared to your body, with the heart being the pool pump and your filter and other equipment being the kidney.

Depending on the type of pool filter you have, whether it’s a sand filter, cartridge filter, or DE filter, it will require maintenance and occasional repair.  It’s crucial to be proactive by getting regular filter cleans in order to avoid being reactive and costing you a lot of money.  If it’s been over six months since your pool filter has been cleaned, or your water is getting cloudy (and chemicals are perfectly balanced), it’s probably time to call an expert. Serving the entire Los Angeles County, Marker Pools is a Santa Clarita pool service company who can handle any of your filter problems, including cleaning, repairing, and replacing. Give Marker Pools a call if you would like an experience pool technician to take care of this for you. By having a pool expert take care of this arduous task, it will instill confidence in you because you know it was done the right way.  Marker Pools can be reached at 661-713-1175.

Most of us have a Smartphone, whether it’s an iPhone, Android or Blackberry. We all love to download fun and useful apps – whether it’s connecting us to Facebook or Twitter,  allowing us to take a break while smashing some angry birds or enabling us to sneakily check the Packer score while we’re supposed to be enjoying “family time,” we’ve all become glued to our Smartphone and the apps that it supports. Did you know that there are some useful apps for helping to take care of your swimming pool? Here are a few apps available on your iPhone, iPad or iTouch that Marker Pools, your premiere Santa Clarita Valley pool service company, have found to be helpful:

• SWIMMING POOL ENERGY & WATER SAVINGS CALCULATOR – FREE: Easy to use calculator shows the cost of energy, water and chemicals your heated swimming pool currently uses, and the significant major savings you could realize (potentially thousands of dollars per year) from using a pool cover. This patent pending calculator uses the temperature you prefer to keep your pool, which state you live in,  the size of your pool and other data you input, along with data from sources such as the Department of Energy’s study on swimming pools and produces the following: average cost of energy your pool currently consumes per year and the potential savings you could achieve; average cost of water from replacing the evaporated pool  water from your pool per year, and the potential savings you could achieve; average cost of chemicals you use per year and the potential savings you could achieve; average gallons of water your pool loses through evaporation per year, in thousands of gallons, and the potential savings you could achieve,  average CO2, in tons, put into the atmosphere from heating your pool, per year, and the potential reduction you could achieve.  

•  POOL-CALCULATOR  - $4.99: Looking for help with calculations while you’re adjusting your swimming pool chemistry? The Pool Calculator does all the math for you, telling you exactly how much of each chemical to add to keep your water in balance. No more puzzling over complicated charts and formulas.  Get the exact answer in one step.  Bring your iPhone out to the pool and have all the chemical information and calculations right at your fingertips! Also includes useful basic pool chemistry information.

• POOL DOCTOR – $1.99: Pool doctor keeps you blue! Whether you are new to pool maintenance or an experience pool professional, this is the tool for you. If you aren’t quite sure how to take care of your pool, just use the Easy-Balance option. All you have to do is enter the 3 most basic chemical readings from any test kit you own, and Pool Doctor will tell you exactly what chemicals to put into your pool and why. Pool Doctor also includes a Volume Estimator, just in case you aren’t exactly sure how big your pool is. This app even supports both regular and salt-water pools!

As always, it’s best to call a professional with any questions or concerns. Marker Pools, Santa Clarita’s premiere swimming pool service is available any time to help you with any questions or potential problems.  Marker Pools can be reached at 661-713-1175.

The nights are getting cold in the Santa Clarita Valley, and winter is fast approaching. With the weather cooling off and the days getting shorter, your swimming pool obviously will not get as much use, if it even gets used at all. Do you need to care for your pool differently in the fall and winter than you would in summer and spring? Absolutely!

One of the biggest differences is the amount of chemicals you use this time of year. The summertime heat is what creates algae, and to eradicate this, you use chlorine. Well, with the temps low, algae is kept at a minimum, making the amount of chlorine needed lower, as well. In fact, when the water reaches the temperature of 51 degrees, bacteria and algae stop growing altogether! However, still keep an eye on that water chemistry. It’s imperative for the chlorine and pH levels to be balanced in order to avoid any damage to your pool’s equipment. This can be very complicated, but Marker Pools can take this burden off your shoulders. With weekly service or just chemicals only, we’ll work with you to find the solution to whatever you’re having problems with.

Another thing you need to keep an eye on are those beautiful fall leaves. We all love seeing the colors autumn brings – golds, oranges and yellows – but once the wind picks up those leaves get blown right off the trees and are heading straight for your pool! Keep on top of getting that fall foliage out by emptying your skimmer basket, your pump basket, and don’t forget – NET, NET, NET! 

Keeping up with the amount of debris that gets blown into your pool is crucial for the life of your pump.  Small sticks and leaves can make their way through the grate of the basket and get stuck in your impellor. If you’re having an issue with your pump not priming because it got overloaded with debris, then check out this article about cleaning out your pump’s impellor. Always replace cracked baskets in your skimmer or pump and make sure to watch your filter pressure. More leaves equals more dirt and more dirt equals a dirtier filter that will start effecting the way your entire pool operates.

If you don’t feel like dealing with the leaves and adjustments that come with the varying weather, Marker Pools will gladly take care of your swimming pool and spa for you! Marker Pools can be reached at (661) 713-1175 or fill out this form and we’ll get in contact you.