Answers to your pool maintenance questions

Why add spring cleaning to my pool opening when the majority of pool companies offer opening at a very low price?

Many customers mistakenly believe that opening the pool includes a complete spring cleaning of the pool. Many companies use this naivety to their advantage. Indeed, although the price of a simple opening of a pool or spa may seem attractive at first, most guests find themselves with a functional pool, but very dirty. At H2prO, we offer:

A spotless cleaning of your pool in less time and money than if you had bought several expensive chemicals for which the pool seller will not even explain their proper use.
With our integrated opening service AND spring cleaning of your pool, you are assured of clear and pure water at the end of our visit to your home.
Saving the money wasted on chemicals trying to catch up with the quality of your water during the summer as our technicians make sure to calibrate it perfectly as soon as your pool opens.
A discount on the individual price of the pool opening and spring cleaning by combining these two services.

I have a salt filtration system, so I don't need to maintain my pool.

This statement is partly true. A salt disinfectant system can effectively reduce your pool maintenance. However, the salt disinfection of your pool does not prevent the surrounding dirt from falling into the pool or the dark circles that form around the edge of the liner.

Remember that it is also very important to conduct physical and chemical testing early and in mid-season to ensure water safety for bathers.

Finally, even if there is less handling of disinfectants for a saltwater than a chlorine pool, the salt pool also needs daily cleaning and testing of chemical parameters.

Can a pool robot replace your pool maintenance service?

At H2prO, we want every guest to enjoy a flawless pool at all times. That's why we welcome the arrival of wall and bottom-cleaning robots for the maintenance of your pool. We believe that these increasingly affordable accessories are an excellent complement to our services.

However, a pool robot cannot replace our weekly pool maintenance service. It must be understood that a pool robot, although very practical for a complete bottom cleaning, requires several manipulations by the owner.

In general, pool robots stop and need to be drained and cleaned after a three to five-hour cleaning cycle. Some models climb the sides of the pool as well as cleaning the bottom, but none perform water tests or ensure that everything has been cleaned perfectly.

Many of our customers own a pool robot and during our visits to clean the pool and test the water, we handle the pool robot, empty it and put it back in the water.

I have trouble keeping the water in my pool clear, what should I do?

For permanently clear water, be sure to calibrate the chemical parameters of the water from the start of the season. By cleaning your pool or spa in the spring, our experts will ensure that the chemicals are properly calibrated to stabilize the pH of the water.

To ensure that the pH is stabilized, the water alkalinity level must be maintained between 80 and 120 ppm and the calcium hardness between 180 and 220 ppm. Once these levels are reached, the pH should remain stable, and your chlorination will be able to fully disinfect the water in your pool.

If all your chemical parameters are at the right level and you still have turbid water, your salt cell may have reached the end of its useful life, or the sand in your filter may need to be replaced. Please contact us by email or phone if you have recurring problems with your water you can't resolve.

What are the alternatives to chlorine granules, I don't have time to add them in my pool every day?

Today, several alternatives have been developed to replace traditional granular chlorine as a disinfectant in residential and semi-private pools.

The most popular is undoubtedly salt disinfection. The vast majority of structures for new pool constructions are designed to accommodate saltwater.

However, if your pool was built several years ago, turning your chlorine disinfection into salt disinfection can cause many corrosion problems and is not the ideal alternative to eliminate the tedious granular chlorination. The solution is to opt for chlorine tablets that are dropped in the skimmer, in a chlorinator or in a floating chlorine dispenser. This method avoids adding chlorine every day and ensures effective disinfection of your pool water.

Finally, the alternative we prefer at H2prO Entretien de piscines et spas is to use chlorine capsules. This type of chlorine is less messy and disintegrates more slowly than chlorine in washes. The majority of our customers noticed a obvious difference in the quality of their water when we started using chlorine capsules. But think twice, it is necessary to use quality chlorine to be sure of its effectiveness!

There's always a white dust deposit in the bottom of my pool. Why and how can I get rid of it?

The deposits of dust or sediments in the bottom of the pool are most of the time the result of poor quality products (often chlorine).

Indeed, the reason why some brands of chlorine are cheaper than others is that poor quality products are mixed in with the chlorine. Small amounts of plaster or chalk can be found in some entry-level chlorine containers; these elements do not dissolve perfectly in the water, leaving a fine whitish powder in the bottom of the pool.

The ideal solution to eliminate this type of deposit is to change the type of chlorine you use. However, we are aware that the price can sometimes be very attractive and that the use of lower quality chlorine may be adequate for certain types of pools, especially smaller ones. In addition, dust can result from proximity to a highway, renovations close to the pool or construction in the neighbourhood.

So, to get rid of this fine powder that passes through the filtration sand, it is necessary to use the pool cleaner with the head of the filter in the drain (waste) or drain position, depending on the make and model. In this way, anything sucked into the cleaner will be automatically expelled through the pool drain pipe!

What are the differences between the types of filtration systems for my pool?

Residential and commercial swimming pools in Quebec are filtered mainly using two distinct methods: sand filtration and cartridge filtration. Here are the differences between these two systems.

Sand Filtration
The most common filtration method is undoubtedly sand filtration. It filters water at a finesse of 20 to 40 microns and has many advantages, including good value, quick cleaning (backwash) and ease of use.

However, some drawbacks are related to this type of filtration, including installation time, higher price compared to a cartridge filter, quality of filtration (may require the use of products to thicken the sand) and over-consumption of water with each cleaning.

Cartridge Filtration
The other method of filtration popular for pool owners is the cartridge type. Its filtration finesse is rated between 10 and 40 microns, which is why this method is preferred for small pools such as spas. Its advantages include ease of installation, lower purchase cost, good filtration quality and low water consumption.

In return, the drawbacks to this system are the need to regularly clean the cartridges and their high replacement price. In addition, when the filter is very dirty, internal pressure increases (it should always between 15 lb and 30 lb/sq. In.), circulation is inadequate and pump may overheat.

In the end, before you choose the type of filtration for your pool, make sure you have all the right information on hand; feel free to contact us for advice on the best system to choose.

My pool gets dirty very quickly despite the passage of the pool robot, why?

The cleanliness of a swimming pool depends as much on its regular maintenance as on its design. Thus, despite the frequent use of the vacuum brush, it often happens that the pool gets dirty very quickly. The reasons are often the filtration system level. An aging pump, old filtration sand, worn and poorly located piping in front of the pump are factors to be evaluated when it comes to understanding how quickly the pool gets dirty.

In addition, poor orientation of outlets in the pool, on top of inadequate water circulation, explains why the dirt is not properly removed by the system, and that it ends up in the pool. At H2prO, we offer expertise to optimize your filtration system, so that your pool's circulation system performs optimally, to minimize your time cleaning it, and maximize your time enjoying it!

My pool is losing water, what should I do?

When your pool seems to be losing water, it is important to first check that the loss is not due to an exceptional situation such as a children's party (lots of splashing) or a persistent heat wave.

Then, if you want to facilitate the leak detection efforts, you will need to shut down the filtration system for 24 hours, and check if the pool is still losing water. If the pool no longer loses water, it means that the leak is in the plumbing, or the filtration system. In the event that the loss persists, there is a good chance that it is in the liner, or around the lights.

When this small test has been done, we can send our team of specialists to perform pressure tests if it is a leak in the piping, or the drop tests, if the loss is in the liner.

Finally, we suggest to always keep the pump on (except for the test mentioned above) before we intervene to repair the leak, so as not to lose water.

Frequently asked questions Our experts answer your questions about pool maintenance