Ready for months of cooler weather?
It appears that some colder weather is finally on the horizon, and we all know what is going to happen next…cold pools.
But, the cooler weather and colder pools also bring some challenges for pool owners and operators. Here are a few tips to help your season go a bit smoother.
Water loss: Most of the water loss during colder weather comes from evaporation. By the time your pool has lost 18 degrees (maybe over a couple of nights), and your heater has brought the pool up to temperature… the pool has lost over 1” of pool water. This can amount to up to 600-700 gallons of water. Water loss from evaporation is different from leaking water or splashing-backwashing it out. Some things (calcium, salt, etc) stay behind, but the new CITY water is NOT optimum pool water, and other items like copper, iron and others will continue to concentrate, increasing the chances for staining. Those of you using a Spin Touch tester will be able to keep track of the increases. Others may wish to either implement a Spin Touch program, have your CES tech test for these parameters during your site visits, or send a water sample to CES for testing.
Be proactive: If you haven’t already done so, have your team fire up any dormant heaters right away. If they don’t light up or sound like they are not working correctly please contact us as soon as possible so that we can take care of you while the weather is still a little warm. The Pandemic has messed up manufacturer stock levels and parts availability, so thinking ahead is a great idea. Most pool heaters have been off since last May, and what happens when you turn them on for the first time? Sometimes Nothing! Ignitors won’t ignite, burners won’t burn, and the heaters just don’t heat. If they do fire up, they’ll burn much more fuel than normal and tear up your budget.
An ounce of prevention: Heaters require annual maintenance, and a clean heater heats quicker and uses less fuel. CES offers a wide variety of preventive maintenance (PM) programs specially tailored to your size and model. Contact usto schedule a heater PM service, and you’ll save tenfold over the coming months.
Check your Delta T: Check the Delta T (the difference in temperature of the water entering and leaving your heaters) to make sure that they are working efficiently. A set of monitoring thermometers is a great addition to your system, if not already there. The proper DeltaT on Heat Pump pool heaters depends on the brand or even size, but should be between 3-6 degrees (check your manual). If the DeltaT is too high or too low, you can adjust the heater valve to bring it to the desired range.
How about gas heaters?: On gas heaters, 3-6 DeltaT is too low, and means that the water might be moving too fast. This can cause very expensive damage to your unit. Adjust the amount of water entering your heater to reach a more normal DeltaT of 8-12 degrees (depending on brand and model).
How about boiler-types? Boilers are different. To achieve high efficiency, they recycle a loop of water up to 130 degrees, and then syphon off that heat into the pool return line. These heaters will last for years, but you can destroy them pretty quickly by not maintaining them with proper annual care. Even the newest high efficiency heaters should be looked at before each heating season to assure they are tuned up and ready to go.
Keep the heat in: Are you spending too much to heat your pools, and are tired of seeing steam rising from an unused pool overnight. There is one sure solution to saving 66% of your annual heating costs. A custom-fitted pool cover will last you over 10 years, and could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in heating costs.
Already have a cover?: If you already have CES covers and have been saving energy, this is a great time to open them up and put them on the pool. Are there any sections that are due for replacement? Let us know, and we can supply a quote working with your original drawings… quick and easy. Also it’s a good time to check and see that winder rollers have been lubricated, and that the cord sets and ropes are intact. If not, please contact us for a quick service call to get them in top shape.
The bottom line is that heaters and covers require some preventive maintenance (PM), and PM gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of everyday pool operations. But without PM, heaters break more often, repairs are more severe and therefore more expensive, and take longer to fix. Covers that are in disrepair don’t seem to get used, so your heating costs can go sky high.
CES stands ready to help keep you in warm water, but we need your help… as many heater companies close for the holidays, and also reduce their stock – so fewer parts are available. Check your equipment as soon as possible, and call for service if necessary.
