Q. In order to save costs, can we flood our balance tank with col water and use it to backwash the filters, instead of using heated, treated pool water?
Email enquiry, Lancashire
A. This is only a good idea if you also carry out plenty of dilution, recommended by PWTAG at a minimum of 30 litres per bather per day, says Alan King. If you do not do this then the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of your pool will rise rapidly and your swimmers will be bathing in an unpleasant chemical soup.
The simplest way to arrange dilution is to plumb the air release valve on top of the filter to the nearest drain and calculate the approximate flow. If you can couple this to the incoming supply via a heat exchanger, you will also recover some of the lost heat.
Alternatively, why not have pool water hose pipes and use them for flushing down the changing room floors while cleaning.
Q. I have inherited a garden spa and want to refurbish the cedar panel cabinet – can you give me some advice?
Hot tub owner enquiry, Kent
A. Refurbishing your cabinet annually is an excellent idea, both for aesthetic reasons and to preserve its life says Christina Mantoura. The drying effects of the sun and wind, age and grey the timber. We tend to find the best time to undertake the work is in the spring, alternatively, just make sure a few dry days are forecast!
Firstly prepare the timber by gently sanding the surface with sand paper or a palm sander. For deeper dents secure a damp cloth to the area for 24 hours and the water will encourage the dent to swell back to the surface. Once dried and sanded, the timber can be stained, preferably with a water-based stain that will enable the timber to breath.
Our company suggests an annual maintenance service or routine to ensure your hot tub keeps its showroom looks and peak performance. Good spa companies will offer maintenance packages which will include services such as treating your tub cabinet.
Remember, if you are inheriting a spa – do invest in a full service and take water treatment advice from a reputable spa supplier. Your privately owned spa hot tub is designed to give you many years of relaxation and enjoyment. Ensuring you have your spa serviced and that you follow a simple water treatment regime will maximise the life of your hot tub, ensure optimum water safety and guarantee that the highest levels of comfort are maintained.
Q. I have a swimming pool in my garden and recently when I returned home I found a group of uninvited youngsters swimming in it. What is the legal interpretation of ‘trespass’ as I have been told that I owe these trespassers a ‘duty of care’?
Email enquiry, Dorset
A. poolandspascene.com 85 Trespassing is not a crime, it is a ‘tort’, a civil wrong and this is why it is so difficult to get rid of travellers when they set up camp on your land, advises Allen Wilson.
If a trespasser obtains entry without using force or committing damage and then becomes injured, the property owner may be held responsible. This is exactly the same as the rights given to persons invited onto your land. Reasonable care must be taken to ensure that trespassers do not suffer injury from hazards that may be present. This is covered under Occupiers Liability Act 1957/84.
I’m sorry, but you need to assess the risk and identify the measures that need implementing.
In the case of a pool, the area should be secure. Worded signage is unlikely to be adequate as it makes the assumption that people can (a) read and (b) read English and should therefore be pictogram type.
Q. I have a swimming pool which has gone green several times and I am having a real problem controlling the algae.
School Caretaker, Cambridgeshire
A. You need to ensure you are carrying out the normal tests and are keeping your water balanced and the chlorine at the normal levels with the recommended shock doses, advises David Dahl.
If you are using an algaecide and yet you still have a problem, then I would suggest you carry out a phosphate test and see if this could be contributing to the problem.
In rural areas phosphate can be a real problem. The phosphate levels can be reduced with a phosphate remover and this can solve the problem.
Q. My pool supply shop has suggested I look at salt chlorination for my pool – can you tell me a little about this?
E-mail enquiry, Shropshire
A. A salt chlorinator is a great way to automate the addition of chlorine in a domestic pool and swimming in water that is treated via salt chlorination is generally softer and kinder to the skin, responds James Lee.
Whenever the pool filtration is running, a salt chlorinator will reduce chlorine onsite from a salt solution using a process called electrolysis.
There is no need to manually add chlorine – you could happily go off on holiday in the safe knowledge you are returning to a pool that is not green, is sanitised and safe to swim in.
The majority of modern systems are selfcleaning which means they reverse polarity in order to remove any scale that forms on the plates. As with all methods of pool water treatment, the levels must be kept within the recommended figures.
You should check that all metal equipment on the pool is suitable for use with salt water – particularly the heater and ladders as some equipment may require upgrading.