LET’S TALK FACTS!

To make sure the water’s always lovely and clear, it is recommended that every year you replace part of the water (e.g. about a third) with new water. By so doing, you‘ll spend less money on pool products and the water will be easier to maintain.

To maintain an effective filtration capacity, the skimmer and pump baskets need to be cleaned very frequently.

The Act of 3 January 2003 governing swimming pool safety is designed to prevent the risk of drowning among young children and states that:

• + As of 1 January 2004, newly built private swimming pools for individual or collective use must include standard safety equipment.
• + As of 1 May 2004, existing swimming pools in dwellings leased or rented for seasonal use must be provided with the same equipment.
• + As of 1 January 2006, all other existing pools must be similarly equipped.

A hydraulic suction cleaner has a lot of useful features, but it does not work efficiently when algae form on and stick to the sides and in the cracks. To prevent this, it is essential to brush the sides every year and finish by giving a shock treatment.

Designing a pool properly means giving thought to its immediate surroundings. Ideally, the deck should be free of any plants within 1 metre all round the pool In this way, plants, grass, etc. which can contaminate the pool, will not fall directly into the water, which reduces the risk of pollution.

Electric robots represent a greater capital investment than hydraulic cleaners, but their speed of travel and the thorough cleaning they give the pool (bottom and sides) right up to the waterline meet the requirements of the most demanding pool owners. Another advantage, the litter is not stored in the pump prefilter, which greatly reduces the risk of clogging.

All Zodiac electric cleaners include a low-water safety facility which reverses the direction of travel of the robot if it comes out of the pool.

It is highly advisable to clean the filter bag of the robot at the end of the cleaning cycle and change the foam pads after a season’s use. Do this, and your robot will keep cleaning at maximum efficiency for a much longer time.

With an electrolyser, never use iodated salt or standard coarse-grain salt: they contain chemicals which stain the pool facing. You can obtain refined salt pellets from a swimming pool equipment dealer.

It is essential to have a correct, stable pH for the oxidant used in the pool to work properly. A well-regulated pH means savings on oxidants.