Most pools have a peak season when they get everyday use or close to it. But even in tropical Queensland, where summer lasts for about nine months of the year, pools don’t get swum in throughout the whole year. While pools are a higher maintenance job during summer, there are a few important steps to take to keep your pool clean and the water balanced during winter, too – and they’ll save you time and money when summer returns, too. These steps are called winterising a pool, and in this article, we’ll explain what it is and why it’s worth doing.
What is ‘winterising a pool’?
Winterising a pool is a process whereby you reduce chlorine levels and filtration in your pool and put a cover on during the winter months when it’s not being used frequently. This doesn’t necessarily mean winterising is a ‘one-and-done’ operation, though.
Reducing chlorination and filtration means the water balance can easily be thrown out, and this can lead to the dreaded ‘green pool’ when algae spreads throughout the pool and renders it unhealthy to swim in. For this reason, the savviest pool owners include testing the water every few weeks during winter to their pool winterising process.
Why you should winterise your pool
Winterising a pool is worth doing for a number of reasons.
1. You’ll save money on energy bills
By reducing filtration throughout winter, you’ll save money on power bills.
2. You’ll save time on maintenance when summer returns
Debris can provide a breeding ground for algae and stain your pool, so keeping it out with a pool cover makes a lot of sense.
By protecting your pool from debris like sticks and leaves that may otherwise end up in the pool when it’s raining or windy, you’ll save time and money on maintenance during both winter and summer.
3. You’ll protect your pool equipment
Pool equipment that has been off for months sometimes seizes when turned back on and requires repairing or replacement. Leaving your filter on a low setting allows it to aid in cleaning and filtration during winter, and could save you hundreds of dollars!
Lower costs, less risk of equipment damage, and a cleaner, healthier pool all year round – if you ask us (or any pool technician), winterising a pool is absolutely worth it!
At this time of year, when summer is in full swing, our pools are exposed to the elements more than ever. The cover’s off, people are swimming often, the temperature is high, and stormy weather means debris and stray metal objects frequently end up in the pool. All these factors increase the risk of pool stains, and the longer you leave them, the harder they are to get rid of. It’s up to you as owner to treat them quickly and thoroughly and preserve the sparkling-clean appearance of your pool. Our team has prepared this handy guide on how to remove pool stains to help you do that!
What causes pool stains?
Firstly, let us put your mind at ease – pool stains are not a reflection on your maintenance skills! Even the most diligently-maintained pools can acquire stains.
Now we’ve established a blame-free environment, let’s talk about what causes pool stains. Pool stains occur when debris or rusting equipment causes stubborn marks to form on the pool’s walls or floor.
There are two types of pool stains: organic and metal. Each requires a different type of treatment to remove. Organic stains come from natural matter like leaves, sticks, and dirt, and happen more often when certain types of foliage and plants are close to the pool. These stains usually have a green-brown, red-blue, or blue-green-black colour.
Metal pool stains come from metal objects that are left in the pool and rust, such as pool cleaning equipment, jewellery, or even corroding metal pipes in your water system. Metal stains usually have a green-brown-red or brown-black-purple colour.
Thankfully, almost all stains can be removed if you correctly identify the cause of the stain, use the right pool stain remover and follow the right process.
How to remove pool stains
Removing organic stains
When it comes to removing stains from your pool, chlorine is king. But you’ll need to ‘shock’ your pool, i.e. dramatically increase the chlorine balance above standard level, to combat the stains. So you’ll need to buy a shock treatment. You’ll find one at any pool store, or you can order from us to have it delivered.
Start by testing and balancing the water, then use a shock treatment according to the package instructions. We recommend doing the shock treatment at night. Then, brush the pool walls and floor, run the pump overnight, and brush again. Most stains will be a distant memory when you’ve finished!
Removing metal stains
While metal stains are harder to remove than organic ones, they can be removed with the right strategy.
First, figure out what type of metal is present in your pool water. Some home test kits can test for the metals that most commonly cause stains, like manganese, iron or copper, but you’ll get the most accurate results if you take a sample into your local pool shop.
Once you know what kind of metal is responsible, choose the metal pool stain remover that targets it. Then, simply follow the package instructions.
Got pool stains to remove but no time to do it? That’s what we’re here for. Email or call us to book a service and we’ll send an experienced pool technician out to help.
Pools are a great asset for a home – but they can also be expensive and time-consuming to maintain. One of the simplest ways to cut costs and reduce your maintenance load is to invest in a pool cover. But while most people only use pool covers in winter to prevent evaporation while not using the pool frequently, using one all year offers a range of extra benefits.
Here’s why you should use a pool cover year-round.
1. Pool covers prevent evaporation and reduce water usage
With a climate like Australia’s, heat and sunshine often cause pool water to evaporate quickly. This is why pool covers are a popular accessory during the cooler months, when people use their pools less.
Particularly in times of drought or in regional areas where supply is limited, preventing evaporation and using as little water to refill your pool as possible come summer is key. But pool owners who also use a pool cover in summer, the hottest and sunniest season, see the greatest reduction in water usage.
Reducing water usage isn’t the only reason to use a pool cover in summer, though.
2. Pool covers keep debris and dirt out (so you don’t have to)
Summer isn’t just the hottest and sunniest season in Australia – it’s also among the stormiest. During tropical storms, storm and rain water often ends up in pools, bringing with it mounds of leaves and debris. The result is a whole lot of extra work for you as the owner: the chemical balance is thrown off, the water is dirty and there are leaves all over the bottom.
Eventually, this can lead to every pool owner’s nightmare: the dreaded green pool (where bacteria causes green algae to develop).
Use a pool cover all year to avoid annoying and time-consuming maintenance tasks after storms.
3. Pool covers retain heat
If you like to use your pool all year round, a pool cover could actually make your swims more enjoyable. Pool covers help the water to retain heat from the sunshine, so when you swim on a cool evening, the water’s ready for you with a little natural heating.
When the pool is the main attraction, it’s easy to take the other elements of a great pool area for granted. But when it comes to overall look and function, the pool fencing has a huge impact. Not only is it a legal requirement – it’s also the first thing you see when you look at the pool, which is the first thing you see when you look at the yard. In this article, we’re going to explore four pool fencing ideas to give you inspiration for when you redesign your pool or get one installed for summer.
Pool fencing ideas
Glass pool fence
If your pool is the jewel of the yard, go for a fence that let’s its beauty shine through! Glass pool fencing is popular because it’s climb-proof, impact-resistant and durable, but doesn’t impede the view of your pool’s sparkling waters and striking, landscaped surrounds. While there may be some foggy mornings and limescale buildup, investing in a quality cleaning solution will ensure glass fencing stays low-maintenance while looking sleek and sophisticated.
Just be sure to choose tough, tempered glass for your pool fence and provide a glazing certificate to pass state compliance certification – low quality glass can crack and crumble in extreme weather.
Steel pole pool fence
Steel pole fencing is having a moment. It’s an up-and-coming trend in the pool landscaping world, and it’s easy to see why. Where straight, black steel poles used to be the only option, you can now get curved, shaped and coloured poles to spice up the design while maintaining a minimalist edge.
Laser-cut screen pool fence
Want a pool fence but not keen on something off the shelf? Customise your own with laser-cut screen fencing. A laser-cut screen fence is the perfect choice for those who want to create an entirely unique look for their pool area.
If you prefer a more organic, earthy look, a hardwood post fence. Australian hardwoods like Jarrah, Beech and Ironbark make attractive and durable fencing materials that blend perfectly with the rest of your yard.
There’s a perfect pool fence out there for every home. If you’d like to discuss your options with an experienced pool technician, we are here to help. Contact us on our website and one of our friendly team members will be in touch!
In a country with a climate as lovely as Australia’s, pools rarely stay covered for longer than a couple of months during winter. When the temperature starts climbing above 20 degrees, we Aussies love nothing more than a hot, sunny Saturday in the pool. That’s why we recommend preparing your pool for summer as soon as spring rolls around. To help you get your pool balanced, safe and sparkling-clean, we’re sharing a simple, five-step process of how to get a pool ready for summer.
Getting your pool for summer: four steps
Step 1: Clean the pool and filter
Once you’ve taken the cover off, you may find that the water has taken on a green tinge. We’ll deal with that soon – for now, use your leaf catcher to skim leaves and debris out of the water. Then, open the pool filter and remove the leaves from the skimmer basket. It will need to be clear to ensure it won’t get clogged with debris once you turn it on in the next stage. If the walls have stains, brush them down.
[If the pool is green, give the walls a brush down and wait until all the algae has settled at the bottom. Add some chlorine or increase the production rate on your chlorinator and run the pump for 24 hours to kick off the algae removal process. Then continue to step 2.]
Now it’s time to restore balance. To balance pool chemicals, test the water – either with a test strip or by taking a sample into your local pool shop – and add the amount of each chemical recommended on the label or by your pool technician. The aim is to balance the pH, free chlorine, calcium and alkalinity levels, as well as salt for salt water pools.
Step 3: Run the pool pump
Fill your pool up to the desired level if the water has fallen. Add the recommended dosage of chlorine and turn the pump on, leaving it to run for at least 24 hours. Continue to fish out leaves with your net whenever they show up and check and clear the filter and skimmer basket throughout.
Step 4: Monitor colour and chemical balance
Before you jump back in for a swim, monitor the chemical balance and water colour for a week or two. It may take a while for the water to clear and the chemicals to balance, especially if the pool was green.
Once the water is clear again, it’s time to finish preparing your pool for summer.
Step 5: Final vacuum and scrub
Get back out there with your cleaning tools and give the walls and floor a good scrub. Put the pool vacuum in for a thorough clean. Then, add the creepy crawly and your pool is ready to go.
Great work – you’ve officially finished preparing your pool for summer! Now, go and enjoy the first swim of the season.
Too time-poor for the above? You’re not alone. We help hundreds of Aussies get more out of their pool with pool maintenance services, and we’ll prepare your pool for summer quicker than you can say “crystal clear!”. Get in touch on our website and one of our friendly technicians will call back to arrange a booking.
Getting a pool is a significant investment. Done properly, it can add value to your home and provide entertainment for decades. Done badly, it does the opposite – while costing you time and money on upkeep. So, when you’re getting a pool, it’s important to get it right the first time, and this means choosing the best pool builder for the job. But with a range of experience levels, specialities, suppliers and prices to compare among pool building companies, choosing isn’t easy! Here’s a checklist for the questions you should ask to ensure you get the most out of your investment in a pool.
1. How long has your business been operating for?
Start with some basic due diligence. Find out how long they’ve been in business for under their current name. The longer, the better: some pool companies will close up shop and reopen under a new name to avoid bad word-of-mouth or financial issues. So, a longer time means the business likely has a good reputation and a base of loyal customers.
2. How much can I customise the proposed design of the pool?
You will be looking at and swimming in this pool for years to come, so being able to customise a design could come in handy. Whether it’s the shape, the landscaping or the lights, ask your pool builder where they stand on customisation.
3. What kind of warranty comes with the pool?
Warranties are the very best way to protect your investment, and for something that’ll be in your yard for a decade plus, they’re crucial! Ask your pool builder about the warranty: how long it lasts, what the claim process is, and what exactly is covered under it.
4. Can I speak with past customers?
Most companies have testimonials available on their website these days, and many are reviewed on platforms like Trustpilot or Google. But some insights you can only get by speaking with the customer personally. What was it like to work with them? Did they communicate well, work efficiently, and deliver on their guarantees? If the company has made its customers happy, they should be happy to connect you with someone to talk about their experience.
5. What’s included in the quoted price and what isn’t?
There’s a lot involved with installing a pool, and it starts long before the actual pool is built. That’s why it’s important to find out if all this is included in the quote your pool builder gives you. Some things to check for are:
Site inspection. Visiting and evaluating the physical site of the pool is essential for the pool builder to get it right. Different soils, slopes, sewer and plumbing lines, and site access points are key factors that must be considered in planning the pool’s construction and installation, so be wary of pool builders who decline to perform a site inspection.
Preparing the site where the pool will go, including soil testing and ‘overburden’ – all earthworks required to make way for the pool.
Once your pool is finished and ready to use, take the best possible care of it with regular pool services! Enquire on our website and one of our friendly pool technicians will be in touch to arrange a package that suits you.
With the temperatures cooling down across Australia, it’s time to start preparing your pool for winter. Before you reach for the pool cover, make sure you know how to winterise a pool to ensure your pool – and equipment – stay healthy during hibernation. After all, you don’t want to take the pool cover off to a bright green mess when it warms up next summer, do you!?
Here is a step by step guide to maintaining a healthy pool in winter.
1. Balance the water
Balancing your pool water is always important, and that includes when you’re putting it to sleep for winter.
pH level
When the pool pH level is right, it wards off algae and allows the chlorine to do its job of keeping the water clean properly.
Take a test strip and gauge where the pH level is at. The pH level needs to be between 7.2 and 7.6, so if it’s too low, add the correct dosage of pool acid to bring it back up.
Alkalinity
Total Alkalinity is the measure of your pool’s ability to resist pH changes, so it helps your pool water stay at the right pH. When alkalinity is low, the pH can swing dramatically from high to low, increasing the risk of problems with algae and sanitation.
Use your test strip to gauge the alkalinity level, and add the correct dosage of Buffer.
Chemical phosphate remover
Phosphate is also known as ‘algae food’ in the pool world! Any debris, like leaves and dirt, that’s been left to break down at the bottom of your pool, will turn into phosphates. That’s why it’s important to use a chemical phosphate remover to make sure there aren’t tiny particles waiting to turn your pool green over winter.
2. Clean the pool and filter
Next, it’s time to get out your cleaning equipment and get rid of any leaves, debris or residue.
Pool
Brush the walls and floor of your pool before vacuuming the whole thing. Don’t forget to empty any debris from the skimmer and pump baskets!
Filter
Keeping the pool’s filter sparkling-clean is the best way to ensure it can do its job properly all year. It’ll need a good hose-down to remove any grease or oil deposits, too.
3. Put a pool cover on
Now, it’s time to put a pool cover on. A cover can save you thousands of litres of water that may otherwise get evaporated from your pool in winter, which is good for the planet and good for you. Pool covers can also extend your swim season, reduce pool heating costs and help the water stay better balanced for longer.
In most parts of Australia, we’re lucky to have about five months of summer weather to use our pool in every year. Which is great – with our extended, sweltering summer weather, it’s no wonder that pool ownership is on the rise here. But for the nearly three million Aussies who have them, getting five out of 12 months use per year can seem a disappointing return on one of their biggest investments. This is where a swimming pool heater comes in.
Pool heating can double the value you get out of your investment, keeping the water at the perfect temperature for swimming all year round. So what’s the best pool heating option for your pool?
To help you decide, here are the different pool heating options available in Australia, including electric, gas and solar pool heating.
Pool heating options Australia
Solar pool heating: cost effective and environmentally friendly
Australia’s sunny weather means we have unrivalled access to solar energy, so it’s no surprise that solar has become the most popular pool heating option. Using the natural energy from the sun rather than electricity off the grid, a solar pool heating system will save you thousands on electricity bills throughout the life of your pool.
Solar systems work through a solar pump, which uses a very small amount of electricity to push water through a network of tubes to heat it up. On a sunny day, a solar swimming pool heater will warm the water temperature by an entire two degrees.
Solar pool heating systems work best in places that get a lot of sun, so will be reliable for more months of the year in most parts of Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
Electric pool heating: reliable heaters for cloudier climates
Electric swimming pool heaters, also called ‘heat pumps’, are relatively popular in Australia, particularly in places where winter is cloudy, such as Melbourne. This is because persistent cloudy weather will render a solar system useless.
Electric pool heating systems work by collecting heat from the air and transferring it back into the pool water via a heat exchanger. They’re relatively cheap and cost-effective, and usually work faster than solar systems when it comes to heating your pool up.
The key benefit of an electric swimming pool heater is that it can work anytime, in any weather, whereas a solar system needs sunshine. The downside is that these systems use a lot more electricity off the grid than solar ones, so they’ll cost you more in household bills down the track and are less environmentally friendly.
Gas swimming pool heater: more expensive, but best for spas
Gas pool heating systems are the most popular option for spas, with the capability to heat water to any temperature you choose, any time of the year – and fast. In fact, a gas heater can heat an average-sized spa in about an hour.
But this functionality comes at a cost.
Gas is a non-renewable resource that is harmful to the environment, making this pool heating option both the most expensive and least environmentally friendly. Some people who take using their pool all year seriously have a gas heater as a backup for when their solar system can’t get enough power to do the heating.
What’s the best swimming pool heater for you?
Which pool heating option is best for you depends on your circumstances. Make sure you consider:
The average temperature where you live
How much sunshine your region gets
How often you want to swim in your pool
Whether you want to swim throughout the whole year
Pool owners are constantly hearing that pool cleaning and maintenance is vitally important, but to many, it’s more a friendly suggestion rather than an essential instruction. What’s the worst that could happen, right? But keeping your pool clean and chemically balanced is completely crucial in order to keep you and your family safe – and to protect your investment and make it last. Here are the top 3 reasons why pool maintenance is so important.
Why is pool maintenance important?
Reason #1: To keep swimmers safe
Pools are only safe to swim in because of a delicate balance of chemicals. A chemically balanced pool wards off bacteria without irritating skin. If there is too much or too little chlorine, or if the pH, alkalinity or calcium hardness is too low or high, your pool’s water can cause itchy skin and eyes, degrade swimwear and allow bacteria that can make you sick to grow inside it.
This is why monitoring and maintaining the right chemical balance in your pool is crucial to keep you, your family, and anyone who swims in it safe and healthy.
Reason #2: To protect your pool and pool equipment
Like all mechanical devices, your pool equipment – especially the pump and ‘creepy crawly’ or robotic vacuum cleaner – are designed to tolerate specific conditions. While all pool equipment will eventually need to be repaired or replaced, this will happen much sooner if the conditions of your pool water aren’t what it’s used to.
Save yourself thousands and extend the life of your pool equipment by ensuring the chemical balance of your pool is in the right range for pH, chlorine and hardness.
Reason #3: To protect your investment
Getting a pool is a serious investment, and not looking after it regularly has a long-term effect on your pool as well as the value it adds to your home. Improper chemical balance and unchecked leaves and debris can damage your pool liner and hardware, which are expensive to repair. Make your investment worth it by looking after your pool throughout the year.
While many pool owners take pride in maintaining a clean, beautiful and balanced pool, the level of know-how required to do so effectively often leads people to let pool maintenance fall by the wayside. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Pool maintenance services are more affordable than ever, with a range of options for regular cleaning, water testing and equipment repair available no matter what your budget. You know why pool maintenance is important – now, see how Tuggerah Pools can help you protect your family and your investment!
With warm weather and lots of sunshine, you’ll probably be spending a lot of time in your pool during summer. You may also notice that your pool garden could use a makeover. Plants around pools need to be tough, and knowing which plants work best in your climate will allow you to create a lower-maintenance, more vibrant pool garden.
So which are the best plants for around pools in Australia? Here are our recommendations for pool-friendly plants to create your private slice of poolside paradise.
Before we begin, let’s talk about what NOT to plant around your pool.
Plants not to have near your pool
Pool maintenance is a lot of work, so we recommend avoiding trees and shrubs that shed leaves and twigs all year-round near your pool area where possible. Jacaranda, silky oak and poinciana trees are some of the worst offenders when it comes to dropping debris into pools.
Also avoid trees with spines or cones, and large trees that develop sprawling root systems. These include umbrella trees, ficus (fig) trees, rubber trees, willows and bamboo.
The best plants for around pools – Australia
Smart pool landscaping means planting tough, low-maintenance, low-mess plants that can tolerate full sun positions and the occasional salty, chlorinated splash.
If you’re stuck for pool garden ideas, start by considering what your goals are. Do you need plants to enhance privacy, provide shade, or add a vibrant decorative feature? Then, choose a mix of the following pool-friendly plants that fulfils those needs.
Succulents for around pools
Succulents are perfect plants for around the pool: they’re low maintenance, drought-tolerant, sun-loving and beautiful. Look for Crassula varieties, like Jade plants, for larger features, and Sedum and Aeonium varieties for intricate, colourful highlights.
Aloes are some of the toughest and low-maintenance landscape plants you could find for around the pool.
Aloes and agaves
Few plants are as tough as aloes. Aloes and agaves are low maintenance, can grow to up to 1.5m tall, heat and sun-tolerant, and – best of all – they don’t shed leaves.
Shrubs for pool gardens
Privacy is a huge perk for pool owners, so many use shrubbery to create functional and beautiful privacy screens. Look for hydrangeas or tropical hibiscus varieties – they love sunshine, offer luscious blooms and have large enough leaves to make cleaning up easy.
Trees for around the pool
Trees are essential for creating shade in super-sunny pool gardens, and can become standout features of any backyard garden. We love frangipanis as ideal poolside trees. They flower through summer and autumn, and a beautiful fragrance and work well in a pot or in the ground.
Palm trees also work well, with minimal leaf shedding and thin root systems. Create shade or privacy and boost growth by planting them in clusters around the pool. Just keep in mind that they’ll need a partially shaded position, as full sun can fry their leaves.
Is your pool full of leaves, sticks and sunscreen after the first half of summer? Let us get you swimming in a sparkling-clean pool again. Let us know what we can do for you – from monthly cleans to a full service – and we’ll handle the rest!
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If your pool is the jewel of the yard, go for a fence that let’s its beauty shine through! Glass pool fencing is popular because it’s climb-proof, impact-resistant and durable, but doesn’t impede the view of your pool’s sparkling waters and striking, landscaped surrounds. While there may be some foggy mornings and limescale buildup, investing in a quality cleaning solution will ensure glass fencing stays low-maintenance while looking sleek and sophisticated.
