Let Vistancia Pool care help with the first steps to a great Memorial Day pool party with the following actions: 

• Check your equipment
• Clean your pool by scooping out debris with the leaf net and scrubbing the sides and bottom of the pool with a pool brush.
• Vacuum any debris that has collected during the winter months
• Check the water chemistry to make sure that your pool water is balanced.
• Add a non-chlorine, liquid chlorine or unstabilized chlorine stock to eliminate unwanted bacteria growth and cloudiness.

We’re here to help you make sure that you can maximize your pool time all summer long.  Our water care experts have a wealth of knowledge to answer any questions you have about water care or pool care. Celebrate your freedom and salute the courage of the brave this Memorial Day.

Summer is approaching fast and that means the kids will be looking for things to do. Here is a list activities for the pool to keep the children amused. 

Marco Polo with a twist
We will start with a classic, Marco Polo with a twist. Step up the Marco Polo game with the kids using animal noises. For instance, someone yells dolphin and the rest answer using a dolphin sound. 

Sharks And Minows
The game starts out with one person selected as the shark and the rest as the minnows. The shark starts in the water on one side of the pool and the minnows usually start on the deck of the other side (if they are playing in water deep enough to dive into). The game starts by the shark calling out "Sharks and minnows, one two three, fishies, fishies swim to me!" at which point the minnows may begin to dive in to swim to the other wall. If the shark manages to tag a minnow before he touches the wall, then that minnow becomes a shark in the next round. After all the minnows have either reached the wall or been tagged the shark(s) swim to the other wall and the cycle starts again. If the some of the minnows refuse to enter the pool, the shark may swim to the other wall and tag it, whoever was still out of the pool when the shark tags the wall becomes a shark. The game is played until all of the minnows have been tagged, then the first person tagged becomes the shark who starts the next round.

It is so important to secure your pool with barriers when children are around, being that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4. Please have guests follow the following simple safety rules:

• Always watch children when they’re in or near water, and never leave them unattended.
• Designate an official Water Watcher, an adult tasked with supervising children in the water.
• Teach children how to swim
• Do not play or swim near drains or suction outlets
• Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults
• Install proper covers, barriers or alarms around you pool or spa

Here are a few options for proper pool barriers:

• Steel or Aluminum Pool Fences
• Mesh Pool Fences
• Pool covers
• Pool nets
• Pool alarms
• self-latching devices on windows and doors

Click here to view Arizona’s requirements for pool barriers.

High Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) can cause your pools metal equipment and accessories to corrode. Have you noticed eye and skin irritation while swimming in your pool? It could be caused by high TDS levels even if the pH and chloramine level are correct in the water. High TDS levels can also be the cause of algae bloom. If your pool consist of high TDS levels it may be time to drain your pool, and what better time then the winter to do so.
The following can may be warning signs that the TDS level in your pool is high:

• eye and skin irritation
  
• salty taste of water
• hard water on tiles
• pool surface stains
• algae blooms
• deposits on pool wall

Pool maintenance is easy to forget about during the winter months in Arizona. Let Vistancia Pool Care help prepare your pool for the cooler weather. Your pool water still needs to maintain its pH levels all year round. The cooler temps can increase the pH much quicker so it is important to maintain the levels of the water. Maintaining these levels through the winter will make getting into the pool during the summer an easier process.  

 What You Need To Know About Draining Your Pool

Spring is finally here in Arizona, and most of us are chomping at the bit to get our pools up and running for the season. With our backyard swimming pools getting little  use during the winter months, there’s a good chance they’ll need a little work to get them ready for the upcoming pool season.

If your pool has been neglected for an extended period of time, is beginning to turn an unhealthy green, or it has been a few years since you last had the pool water changed, it’s time for a pool drain service.

Here’s what you need to know about draining your swimming pool:

Why Does My Pool Need To Be Drained?

Part of owning a swimming pool in Arizona is proper maintainance and caring for it. One pivotal maintenance service that needs to be done periodically is a pool drain. There are a few instances in which your pool needs to be drained.

First and most importantly, your pool needs to be drained to stabilize the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).  Arizona summers are extremely hot, and the extreme heat and low humidity of summer means you’ll lose a lot of water through evaporation. You’ll lose even more as the kids splash water out of your pool. As your water levels drop, new water is added. This cycle ultimately leaves minerals and residues in your pool. Every time water is replaced, this cycle continues and the TDS rise.

Evidence of this TDS problem is not hard to spot, as you’ll begin to see calcium deposits, brown manganese stains, and hard water build-up. You may even experience a burning sensation on your skin and around your eyes while swimming. The water will begin to taste salty. A Vistancia Pool Care professional will be able to test your water’s TDS levels, and recommend a plan of action; including a possible pool drain.

Second, your pool may need to be drained if any repair work needs to be done on your pool. Sometimes repair work can be done when your pool is full; but repairs like re-plastering, fixing leaks, some pipe repairs, all need to be done in an empty pool.

When Does My Pool Need To Be Drained?

While pool drains are a pivotal part of pool maintenance, they should not be done every year. Vistancia  Pool Care recommends draining and refilling your pool every 2-4 years here in Arizona; or as TDS levels and repairs dictate.

Where Is My Pool Water Drained?

A question we commonly get asked at Vistancia Pool Care is, “Where do you drain or dump my pool water?” The answer to this question has a few different variables, and it may depend on which Arizona city you live in. Generally speaking, no permits are required, but the water needs to be kept on your private property, or in the sewer clean-out located on your private property. Gone are the days when you could dispose of the water on your road or sidewalk. Draining your pool water to storm drains on the street is prohibited. See below for pool drain regulations by city.

City Regulations For Pool Drains

Your are not required to contact your current city when you are having your pool drained and refilled, but residents should be aware of the rise in their utility bill due to the large consumption of water.  Most Arizona cities do not give discounts when refilling your pool; however, most many offer seasonal rates.  You can use your utility bill to calculate the estimated cost to refill your pool.  It is billed per thousand gallons based on the current city rates.

How Long Will It Take To Drain My Pool?

Draining your Arizona swimming pool can be quite the process, but generally takes a Vistancia Pool Care professional about 8-10 hours with our pumps. 

Other Services To Do While Your Pool Is Drained

While your pool is drained, it is the perfect time to give it a little bit of a face lift. A chlorine wash or an acid wash will give your pool that like new look, and remove algae and other stains. While your pool is drained, it is also a good time to switch out light bulbs, clean tiles, and perform any preventative maintenance or repairs.

Pool Drains By Vistancia Pool Care

There’s quite a lot that goes into draining your Arizona pool, and it is best left to qualified pool professionals. If it’s been more than two years since your last pool drain, give Vistancia Pool Care a call today! We will get your pool ready for the upcoming pool season!

​Acid washing can help your pool look brighter and cleaner. It can become very necessary as well if your pool has started to look a little “swampy”. However, how do you do this process and when is the most optimal time to do it? I highly recommend a specialist to do this of course, as it is done using muriatic acid, which should be handled only by those familiar with the precautions necessary. I also recommend to get your pool summer ready, you do this right after winter time, when your pool hasn’t seen much use, and before the hot of the summer sun.

Sometimes an acid wash can be called a drain and clean. Basically, that is what is happening with an acid wash. You are draining the pool and cleaning it with muriatic acid. One benefit to draining your pool to performing an acid wash is that it’s also a great time to fix any necessary repairs. It is highly recommended to do an acid wash when draining your pool, as it is a great preventive maintenance measure to keep your pool running at its peak efficiency during the high usage summer months.

Keep in mind that acid washing is not something that should be an annual service though, as it gently scrubs away the top layer of surface plaster. Acid washing your pool too often will result with needing to re-plaster your pool over the long term.

Why should you do an acid wash?

Some pools have discolored surfaces or stains that can develop over time. An example would be magnesium or copper stains can turn plaster from white to eventually blue. Calcium deposits can make a black plaster start to turn gray. Usually these type of stains can’t be treated with just a good scrub and will require acid washing. Of course, any pool that is dealing with hard water or struggling with red algae will need to be drained and acid washed and refilled.

To get more information or a quote to acid wash your pool, please call Vistancia Pool Care at 623-521-2825