Party tips for your pool or spa

Making sure your pool or spa is clean before, during and after a party doesn't have to be hard. Before you invite everyone over for a swim, read our tips on getting your pool party ready and know how to get it back in shape once the party’s over.

Before the party

• Ensure your water is balanced,

• Remove all the debris from the pool with a manual vacuum and leaf rake,

• Balance your water, then for a pool give it a shock dose with liquid chlorine or a pool shock sachet (the average size pool is 5 litres of liquid or 500 grams of granular chlorine), For a spa, once balanced, add the recommended amount of a non-chlorine oxidiser as well as removing the cover if you plan to use straight away.

During the party

• If your pool is being used consistently, have the pump running without any automatic cleaner attached to improve water flow and reduce the possibility of damage to your cleaner, always run the spa whilst in use.

• If the pool continues to be used heavily, using a non-chlorine shock such as Oxysheen can be added when there is a short break in swimmer use (like lunchtime) to help maintain clarity and burn off organic swimmer waste.

After the party

• Remove all debris from the pool or spa such as streamers, paper, bottle caps, paper plates, plastic cutlery, etc. If a bottle cap or metal object is left on the bottom of the pool or spa too long, it could stain the surface.

• Clean out all the baskets to improve water flow, both skimmer and pump baskets will have party debris in them.

• Check the pressure in the filter and if it is not too high allow it to filter for another 24 hrs (for a pool) or 2 hours for a spa to filter out finer particles. If the pressure gets too high, give the filter a quick backwash (1 minute with 1 minute rinse) or clean with the hose for the cartridge & D.E filters.

• Shock the pool with BioGuard Lite, or if you have a saltwater pool – BioGuard Salt Pool Sparkle to eliminate these wastes and any odours.

• If the water is cloudy, add the recommended shock dose of your sanitiser (chlorine for a pool, and bromine or Oxysheen for a spa) and run the filter for a few hours.

• Bring a water sample down to us at Poolside Beaconsfield for testing, and have it balanced up as soon as possible and ready for the next time!

We’re always here to help so if you need a pre-party cleanup and balance, or you’ve had your big party and need some professional help on the cleanup, click below to book online or call us directly on 03 9769 3252.

Pool Games for the kids

Here are some great pool games to keep the kids entertained for hours. Whether you’re at home in your own pool, at a friend’s place or in the hotel pool on holiday, these games will create some of their best childhood memories and don’t cost much (or anything at all!)

*Parental supervision is always required!

Classic Catches

Quite possibly the quintessential Australian Summer pool game. With the cricket on the telly, and the street cricket set up in the driveway or backyard, this takes those spectacular catches to the next level.

Taking turns as catchers and throwers, hitting with a bat (or just throwing the ball) from one end of the pool to the waiting catcher on the side of the pool (usually at the deep end for safety) with the aim of a good diving catch, just before hitting the water. Don’t forget to take the videos in slow-mo for that extra ‘wow’ factor to show everyone “that catch” later!

Pebble diving

Grab a bag of coloured pebbles, paint your own or just find contrasting pebbles to the pool surface colour. Have the kids pop on some goggles (unless you’ve got a Mineral Swim or Naked Pool), then throw the pebbles in the pool.

Line the kids up and then let them race each other to see who can dive in first and collect the most pebbles, or go one at a time, whichever is the safer option. This game requires minimal effort from you which means you can also relax poolside.

Pool jumping photos

We all know kids love having their photos taken. Have them get creative with synchronised jumping, striking a pose or anything else they can think of while you’re on photographer duty.

Not only will the photos keep them happy, but they’ll also be great fun to look back on as memories of the day!

Floaty races

These days you can buy floaties in all shapes and sizes. You can float on a flamingo, laze on a donut or ride on a dolphin! Stock up on the floaties in your desired form, and then you can oversee (or participate if you’re a touch competitive) the floatie race!

The hilarity is seeing who can get to one end of the pool and back on their giant flamingo or donut! It will ensure lots of laughs, and tired kids at bedtime. Then tired parents can enjoy floating in the pool in peace!

Come in-store to check out our range of Pool floats!

Pool hair salon

It’s an oldie but a goodie, and when you’re a kid, is there anything funnier than dipping your head underwater and creating a crazy hairstyle from your wet hair?

Go for a mohawk, cousin IT or the old lady look... you can even make it a competition and get all the kids to go underwater, then re-surface with their whackiest looks.

Add judging and/or a fashion parade to take it to the next level!

Invisi-bottle

A good game for when there are more than a few kids to keep busy. Grab a clear 1.5 - 2 litre plastic bottle, ideally with a white cap, and fill it up with pool water.

Divide them into two teams and line them up on opposite sides of the pool with them facing away from the water. Throw the bottle into the water, and when the players hear the splash of the bottle, they’re allowed to turn and jump in to try and find the bottle!

If sounds easy, it’s not! Because the bottle is clear, it blends in with the pool’s surface making it quite tricky to locate. It’s a fun and challenging game for all age groups and doesn’t cost a thing!

These activities should keep the little and big kids in your life entertained all pool season.

Have we missed one that you think we should add? Let us know below or post it on our Facebook page for everyone to see!

Oxidising your pool water

Oxidisation in your water may sound bad, though it’s actually a very good thing! When you oxidise your water, you’re killing algae, bacteria and other organic material by breaking it down on a molecular level.

So, what is oxidation in pool or spa water?

Oxidisation is the chemical reaction that occurs when a reactive substance (chlorine or oxidisers) interacts with unwanted organic matter (sweat, leaves, suntan lotion, algae, etc). The chlorine you add to your pool is there to attack and destroy unwanted bacteria.

How is it different from Chlorine?

When chlorine reacts to organic material, like sweat, lotions and other organic materials, it can create harmful chloramines. Chloramines are what can cause irritation of the skin and eyes and often leaves an unpleasant ‘chlorine’ smell.

When should you oxidise?

The short answer is weekly, especially when your pool is in use (in Summer).

Oxidising removes the unwanted organic matter before it builds up and becomes a problem. This allows chlorine to focus on its job, killing bacteria.

The best way to avoid these problems altogether and ensure your pool water is always safe and healthy, is to just follow the BioGuard 3-Step Program.

Step 1: Sanitise the water to remove harmful bacteria
Step 2: Use an oxidiser to destroy organic matter and keep the water sparkling clear
Step 3: Treat water with an algaecide to control any algae growth

We recommend having a few of the following products on hand to keep your water clear and healthy.

For salt pools, use Salt Pool Sparkle, and for chlorine pools, use BioGuard Lite. These are perfect for your weekly maintenance program, as they’re fast-acting so you can get back in the water after an hour.

BioGuard Burn Out Extreme provides a convenient and economical means for shocking swimming pools as well as treating pools with chlorine demand and algae problems.

BioGuard Oxysheen is a chlorine-free, stabiliser-free oxidiser treatment for pools, which also allows bathers back in the water one hour after treatment.

And if you ever need any advice at all on keeping your pool or spa ready to go, contact us online, in-store or on the phone.

Weekly Spa Maintenance

While it can seem like a hassle to keep your spa clean and balanced on a weekly basis. You will save money, time and potentially costly issues in the future. Read our easy weekly spa maintenance tips below.

Be Consistent:

Consistency really is the key to having a beautiful spa week in, and week out. We recommend taking the time to sketch up a quick schedule to keep you in a routine of maintaining your beautiful spa schedule and adding reminders to your phone. If you live with others, you could make a spa maintenance roster.

Consistency also helps you to measure and improve how your spa is running. By consistently maintaining your spa you can easily detect when things aren’t working perfectly.

What to Check:

Daily:

Spa Cover - Don’t allow the cover to get damaged or accumulate water and debris on the top.

Water Temp - This will help you maintain a constant temperature, but any drastic change will indicate malfunction.

Every Few Days:

Sanitiser levels - A combination of heavy use and hot water take their toll on the sanitiser used, but whatever the source, the microorganisms present in the spa must be killed in some way or another and as quickly as possible. You should have a chlorine residual of 2-3 ppm or bromine residual of 4-6 ppm.

Alkalinity level and pH balances - By maintaining a perfectly balanced spa, you’re ensuring water safety. The pH level needs to be as close as possible to our eye’s natural pH, which sits around 7.5 on a pH scale of 0-14.

To maintain a stable comfortable pH, soften spa water and protect equipment, we recommend using our BioGuard Perfect Balance.

Keep it Clean:

If you want a sparkling spa, cleaning it once a week will keep it looking brand new.

A product like BioGuard SPA Squeaky Clean removes scale, hard water deposits, and grease and dirt from along the water line so it will keep your spa surfaces looking clean and bright.

Every few days, cleaning above the water line will keep the drier areas of your spa from building up any dirt or water residue.

Filtration of your spa should be ongoing. To maintain water quality and cleanliness, your filter should run a minimum of four hours a day, even when it is not being used. Clean the filter with your garden hose to loosen dirt and debris and spray BioGuard SPA Filter Renew directly onto the filter.

By following our easy tips above, you’ll keep your spa in good condition, your water clean and healthy and everyone that uses your spa happy!

Simple pool care tips

When the first hot day of summer strikes the last place any pool owner wants to be is standing in their local pool shop.

Grant Forbes, the owner of Poolside Beaconsfield, knows this better than anyone.

But lucky for pool owners everywhere, Grant has some handy tips to keep them out of store queues and in their pools – and it all starts long before summer hits.

If you do this, your visit to the pool shop at the start of summer will result in you requiring more chemicals and you not swimming until the pool has turned back to what is considered chemically safe.

So you can have a pool that looks fantastic all year round and is ready to use when you need it or you can stand in your pool shop on a hot Saturday morning getting frustrated because you’re standing in a queue in the pool shop to be told you need all these chemicals and cannot use your pool.

“It will cost you the same to maintain your pool for 12 months – whether you visit your pool shop every month in winter and every two weeks in summer, or if you ignore it and let your pool turn green throughout winter”

According to Grant, one of the keys to maintaining a quality pool is investing in quality equipment such as pumps and pool cleaners, because, as he says; You shouldn’t have to come home and work on a pool. You should come home and be in the pool!

Another important factor in keeping a pool looking tip-top is a pool cover.

A pool cover does three things, firstly, it keeps large debris out. The second thing it does is keep the heat in, and the third thing is that it reduces your water evaporation by 97%.

Once summer is over, a heating system can extend its use well into the cooler months. There are multiple heating systems on the market now with each having its own benefits. The first is a solar heating system that ideally goes on the north-facing roof and uses the sun to heat your pool water by way of a circulation pump.

Second is a gas-fired heating system that uses natural gas to heat your pool water by circulating the water through the heater.

The third is a heat pump which uses similar technology to reverse cycle air conditioning using the heat in the air to heat your pool water by way of a circulation pump.

Advice for any time of the year

The best advice I could give anyone is to visit their pool shop on a regular basis and do what the computer-generated report tells you to do without question. There are millions of pieces of data that come together in the software program to recommend what is best for your pool as no two pools are the same.

I also suggest having your equipment serviced each winter so it is in reliable condition for your summer swimming experience.

Benefits of a Mineral Swim System

Mineral Swim or Magnesium pools are all the rage at the moment. If you haven’t heard about the benefits of this new type of pool sanitising system, we’ve outlined what you need to know and the benefits you can expect below!

How does it work?

The Mineral Swim System combines magnesium-rich minerals found in the world-famous Dead Sea, known for its health benefits, with ozone water purification from Ozone Swim.

The minerals used in a Mineral Swim pool are 100% naturally occurring with NO synthetic additions.

The chlorinator cell uses electrolysis to convert the Magnesium Chloride in the water into small amounts of chlorine (approx. 0.5ppm in a standard pool), which is necessary for keeping the pool water free of bacteria and organic material after the filtration system has turned off.

This level of chlorine is significantly less than a typical salt of chlorine pool that usually sits at 2.0 - 3.0ppm. With this small amount of chlorine present in the water, it’s almost undetectable by swimmers and doesn’t require showering afterwards to the 'remove ‘sticky’ chlorine feel.

The minerals are added to the pool water manually and only need replacing when the water has been lost or freshwater added. They also provide many health benefits on top of being used to produce low levels of chlorine to sanitise the pool, they also act as a natural flocculant, so any debris clumps together and drops to the floor of the pool, all ready to be vacuumed up by your automatic cleaner.

Mineral Benefits:

• Stimulates hydration

• Relaxes muscles

• Crystal clear water

• Detoxifies & regenerates the skin

What is Ozone?

The Ozone system is 3,000 times more effective at killing organic contaminants than chlorine alone. It does this through a process called Oxidisation which kills organic material by stealing its oxygen atoms.

Almost all bottled water goes through an ozone process to purify it before being bottled & sold

A more scientific answer: Oxygen is O2 (2 x Oxygen atoms) whereas Ozone is O3 (3 x Oxygen atoms). When Ozone is injected into water it wants to break back down into Oxygen. It does this by leaving a lone Oxygen atom to ‘steal’ (oxidise) other oxygen atoms from harmful water contaminants like organics, impurities, bacteria and viruses. This is a natural and safe process.

The increased oxygenation in the water also helps maintain water freshness and clarity, leaving the water feeling noticeably softer.

Ozone Benefits:

• Safe water purification

• Odour-free

• Soft on the skin & gentle on the eyes

• Compatible with any existing pool system

How to make the switch to mineral swim

Now you know how the minerals and Ozone of the Mineral Swim system work together to make your pool water healthy and crystal clear, it’s a really easy process to make the change from your current system.

Having one of our service technicians install the Mineral Swim system is super quick, taking only about 1-2 hours. It can be installed on an existing pool regardless of if it was a chlorine or salt pool previously. Once installed, the system works exactly the same as any other pool system on a timer.

After the first year, the minerals cost approximately $400 annually (this is less than what you would normally spend on salt, clarifying chemicals and flocculants used in a salt pool). Mineral Swim also comes with a 12-month Customer Service Guarantee as well as a 10-year warranty on parts.

Swimming Pool Summer Maintenance checklist

As the weather heats up, storms become more frequent and the pool gets a lot more use. Here are our top tips to help your pool survive Summer!

Hot weather

Keep an eye on your water level. Especially if it's a little more windy than normal. This will cause the pool water to evaporate more quickly. Once the water level goes below the skimmer box, your pump won't work and your filtration system will also stop, which is the quickest way to get a green pool!

Storms & Heavy rain

When heavy rain is expected, lower the water level of your pool to avoid overflowing as this can pull dirt and debris from around your pool back into the water. You may need to drain the excess water from the pool using the waste setting on the multi-port valve on your filter.

1. Turn off the pump,

2. Change the valve handle from FILTER onto WASTE (not backwash!),

3. Open any valves on the waste line,

4. Disconnect any suction cleaners & vacuum plates,

5. Then turn the pump back on to lower the water level,

6. Once the water level is halfway up the skimmer box,

7. Turn the pump off,

8. Return the multiport valve to FILTER,

9. Reconnect the cleaner and

10. Turn the pump back on (or set the timer to auto).

If however, dirt has already entered the water, the use of a floccing agent to clear the pool water may be required. We strongly suggest coming into the shop to get the best technical assistance or book a service to ensure the best results.

After a storm, remove larger debris, empty your baskets and then allow your filtration system to run a little extra or even overnight to help clear the pool until you're able to give it a really good clean and correctly balance the water again.

Sometimes, power surges or outages will require you to reset older pool timers. Most newer chlorinators are the timer for your pool pump and have battery backups so they’ll continue to keep time until the main power returns.

If however, it does require adjustment, analogue timers are easy to reset, just spin the timer clockwise until the time is correct. Digital timers will require going into the settings and updating through the display, please refer to your user manual (most can be found online with a quick Google search).

If you need further assistance, contact us for help over the phone or come in-store.

High Usage

When you know the pool is going to get used a lot it's always best to ensure your pool water is chemically balanced.

Shock your pool with 5lts of chlorine or 500gms granular chlorine for a 50,000lt pool. During heavy use we recommend running the pool without the automatic cleaner attached, this will increase water flow and also prevent swimmers from being tangled in the hose.

Once everyone has finished swimming for the day, remove all debris from the pool such as toys, dirt, streamers, paper, bottle caps etc. Clean out all the baskets (both skimmer and pump baskets) and leave the filter to run for 24 hours as well as bring us a water sample to be tested and balanced.

Use an oxidiser such as Oxysheen or Burn out Extreme to quickly destroy organic material and clarify the water without excessive chlorine required.

Pool Safety

Every pool must have a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) sign prominently displayed, ideally in eye-sight of the step area as this is the most obvious place assistance would take place.

The addition of knowing how to perform CPR by taking a First Aid course (or getting a regular refresher) is vital in an emergency situation.

We hope these quick tips help you this Summer, we look forward to seeing you in store soon!

Pool Safety Guide

Having a pool is a great way to cool off, keep the kids entertained and keep fit. We've put together a short checklist of things that we think will help to ensure your pool is safe so you, your family, and your friends can continue to enjoy it all Summer!

The checklist features 8 parts; The swimming pool gate, swimming pool fence, around the swimming pool fence, supervision, pump, grates and suction, emergency preparation, chemicals & electricity.

We encourage all pool owners to make this weekend your home pool safety weekend before Summer.

Disclaimer: This checklist does not substitute for a full pool safety inspection and is for awareness purposes only.

#1 Swimming pool gate safety guide

• Must open outward from the pool.

• Must be self-closing and self-latching from any distance.

• The latch must be more than 1.5m from the ground.

• Must latch catch on the first swing.

#2 Swimming pool fence safety guide

• Secure and in good working order.

• No more than 100mm from the ground.

• Should be at least 1.2m high.

• No vertical gaps more than 100mm apart.

#3 Around the swimming pool fence safety guide

• Pool aids and toys should be stored securely and out of view.

• Objects that could be used to climb the fence should be removed from the area.

#4 Supervision safety guide

• Adult supervision in combination with pool fencing is the most effective method of preventing children from drowning.

#5 Pump, Grates, and Suction safety guide

• Always turn off the pump before removing lids, clamps, or connections.

• Ensure that no fittings are broken or missing

• Fix leaks immediately.

• Be aware that the filtration system is under a high amount of pressure

#6 Emergency preparation safety guide

• Up-to-date CPR and first aid skills

• Keep an up-to-date CPR sign in a prominent place in the pool area ideally near the pool steps - Contact us by phone, email, or come in-store to get a new CPR sign.

#7 Chemicals safety guide

• Store all chemicals securely, out of view, and reach of children.

• Always mix chemicals into the water, NEVER pour water into chemicals.

• Use chemicals in an open, well-ventilated area.

• When pouring chemicals into the pool, pour slowly & carefully to avoid splashing onto yourself or the surrounding area.

• Heavily dilute spills with lots of water and clean up immediately.

#8 Electricity safety guide

• Electricity and water do not mix. Keep plugged in electrical devices such as stereo equipment away from the pool and where puddles can accumulate.

• A residual current device (rcd) or residual current circuit breaker (rccb) can save lives.

For more information, suggestions, tips or to talk to us about getting a certified pool inspection, come in-store, call or email us today.

Swimming Pool Clean Up by Poolside Beaconsfield

No challenge is too big!

A little while ago, Poolside Beaconsfield was approached to attend a job site in the Berwick area to assess a pool that required major help. When one of our qualified pool technicians Andrew arrived at the appointment in Berwick he found the pool that was not only swamp green and missing half the water, the pool equipment was in dire need of updating with just the pipes hanging out of the ground to work with.

Andy was able to assess what work was involved in bringing this pool back to life again and reassured the owners that everything was going to be ok.

Andy provided the client with a professional quote along with expert advice, detailing what pool cleaning work needed to be completed as well as which pool equipment needed to be fixed to get the pool up and running again. We drained the pool and did a complete pressure wash, then we refilled and balanced the water chemicals with BioGuard chemicals. We also supplied and installed brand new Astral pool equipment.

In the process, the quality pool equipment that was installed will be beneficial in bringing down pool running costs, with a variable speed Astral pump (savings over $1,000.00 a year), and an EQ Chlorinator with the additional add-on acid probes to maintain PH levels. Combined with an active glass filtration system also provided by Astral, not only was this instal the highest of quality but, the real savings will be on the running costs and all best of all, its all Australian made.

Poolside Beaconsfield puts customer satisfaction first, taking the time to listen to our client's problems and deliver a 10 out of 10 experience for all our customer's pool and spa needs. We really believe that no job is too big or too small.

If you have a pool and live around Beaconsfield, Berwick, Narre Warren, Officer, Guys Hill or the surrounding areas, enquire now to find out about our huge range of products and pool cleaning and pool repair services.

Common Swimming Pool Questions

How long do I have to wait to use my swimming pool after chemical treatment?

Generally it is safe to use your pool after chemicals have dispersed throughout the pool, usually 15 minutes to one hour. If shocking your pool, wait until the chlorine levels drops to recommended levels.

How often do I need to test my pool water?

Weekly testing works for most backyard pools, but the best bet is to test your pH and chlorine levels at least twice per week. Chlorine should be fed continuously through a chemical feeding device to maintain a consistent level.

I still have pool chemicals left over from last season. Are they OK to use?

You should check the expiration date on your pool chemicals and discard and replace any that have expired. Never dispose of chemicals in the household trash or down any drains unless directed by a water treatment facility. Never pour chemicals down a drain or toilet if they lead to a septic tank. Always make it part of your spring pool opening plan to buy new chemicals from Poolside Beaconsfield’s annual open day sale!

Is Chlorine safe for swimming pools?

Yes. Chlorine sanitisers are safe when used according to package directions approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Chlorine levels within the recommended range for swimming pool water do not pose any known health risks. Chlorine sanitisers have been used safely and successfully as pool and hot tub disinfectants for over a century. The majority of public pools and 9 out of 10 residential pools are sanitized with chlorine.

What causes Chlorine odor, red eyes and itchy skin?

These unpleasant conditions indicate that the pool water has not been properly treated. A common cause is high levels of chloramines, formed when chlorine combines with body oils, perspiration, urine and other contaminants brought into pools by swimmers.

Contrary to what most people think, a strong chemical smell is not an indication of too much chlorine in the pool. In fact, the pool may actually need additional chlorine treatment to get rid of chloramines and sanitize the water.

When do I need to shock my pool?

Routine shock treatment is necessary to destroy water contaminates that reduce the efficiency of the disinfectant or sanitiser. Contaminants like hair spray, sun-tan oil, cosmetics and other organic materials react with chlorine and cause eye or skin irritations and an unpleasant chlorine odor. Most often pools are inaccurately accused of having too much chlorine when this problem is present.

Why is it important to be sure that my pool water’s chemistry is correct?

You want to be sure to provide a sanitary swimming environment, balance the water to protect the equipment and pool surfaces and provide inviting, sparkling water to swim in.

Does chlorine prevent all recreational water illnesses?

Chlorine in swimming pools kills the germs that may make people sick, but it takes time. Chlorine in properly disinfected pools kills most germs. However, it takes longer to kill some germs such as Cryptosporidium that can survive for days in even a properly disinfected pool.

Also, many things can reduce chlorine levels in pool water. Some examples are sunlight, dirt, debris, and material from swimmer’s bodies. Healthy swimming behaviors and good hygiene are needed to protect you and your family and will help stop germs from getting in the pool.

How do I clean my stained plaster?

Dirt, rust and other minerals can stain the finish of your plastered pool. If the stain is organic; from leaves for example, a small amount of granular chlorine added at that location and allowed to settle on the stain will usually remove it instantly. Other non-organic stains will not be removed by chlorine.

Do not place chlorine tablets directly into the pool. They will stain and etch the pool plaster. If chlorine doesn’t work, acid usually will. Draining and acid washing will remove a thin layer of plaster (and stains), exposing fresh, new looking plaster beneath. Stains can also be sanded with pumice stones or wet/dry sandpaper.

How do I get rid of the ring around my vinyl pool?

Tile is placed around the perimeter of the pool because it is a surface that can be easily cleaned. There are many tile cleanser products available which are applied with a scrubbing pad or brush. Remember to never use abrasive cleaners on a vinyl pool. This ring is caused by a buildup of calcium in the water. We refer to this as having a high hardness level in the water. The only way to reduce hardness levels are by draining a portion of the pool and topping it up with fresh water. However we do provide Stain & scale control products in store.

Why should I purchase pool chemicals from a professional pool store instead of a big box retailer?

The main reason that you should purchase chemicals from a professional pool store instead of a big box retailer is the knowledge and expertise of the pool professionals. Your swimming pool is a huge investment. You want to be sure that you are purchasing the right chemicals and treatment to prevent problems in the future.

In addition, professional pool retailers offer reputable brands that are proven in the industry to function consistently and efficiently. You can damage your liner or gunite pool or hot tub by using poor quality chemicals, which can cost you much more money in the long run. Not to mention the ill effects some of these can have on your skin, hair, and eyes!