Winter is Coming! No we don’t meant the Game of Thrones coming battles that looms on the horizon. Instead we mean that temperatures are going to drop and your pool chemistry is going to do some funky things. The hardest part about water chemistry is that it changes throughout the year! We are working with real elements that change composition and behavior due to outside factors, such as temperature. What this means for you is that you need to adjust your pool care treatment to adjust for colder temperatures.
If you’ve followed Matt’s Water Pool Service for some time, you’ve likely seen our article on the Langelier Saturation Index. In that article we speak about the critical topic of “water balance” and how varying factors can impact the chemical requirements of your swimming pool. For sake of time, we are going to build off of that conversation and assume you’ve read up on all that the Langelier Saturation Index has to offer.
But first a quick recap…
Based on our understanding of the LSI Index – water is known as “The Universal Solvent.” It will find a state of balance no matter what environment it is in. The troubling factor is that water interacts with its environment (a.k.a. your pool surface). It will take or deposit elements it needs in order to maintain it’s state of balance. What does this mean for your pool plaster and pool equipment? It means that you need to be conscious of water’s changing behavior from fluctuations in temperature.
Here you can glimpse the power of the Orenda Technology App. This amazing software allows us to measure the LSI index for your pool water. As you can see from the image, by booster the pH & Calcium of the pool water, we are able to restore the balance to this swimming pool. It’s simple in theory and highly effective at saving you money.
Water Becomes Aggressive at Cold Temperatures
The LSI is impacted by several key factors: Temperature, pH, Alkalinity, Calcium & Total Dissolved Solids (TDS – or salt). All of these factors play a critical role in the LSI Index (a.k.a. your water balance). Luckily, all but one of these factors can easily be controlled by Chemical alterations, which you can purchase directly from Matt’s Water eShop! All of these factors can be altered – except for Temperature.
Temperature is an interesting element because it impacts your water and causes your water balance to require constant alternations. It’s the only factor that can’t be controlled by another element – meaning it’s the most powerful and one that you shouldn’t neglect.
According to the LSI Index, the colder the water – the more corrosive it becomes. Left unchecked water can become highly aggressive and begin to remove elements from your pool surface to maintain it’s state of balance. As you may already know, the only element present in pool plaster that water is able to remove is: Calcium. Calcium is a natural mineral present in nearly everything. It’s able to be dissolved by water and absorbed (hence removed) from a surface to satisfy corrosive water conditions.
This wretched interaction can continue totake place all winter long and wreak havoc on your pool plaster and pool equipment. It will continue until the LSI reaches a state of balance and your water is satisfied.
Often times it’s not until the Spring that home owners turn on their pool heater (while going for a swim) only to realize that their heater won’t fire. They also notice that their pool plaster is rougher. Ironically as temperatures begin to heat up, they notice “scale” beginning to form on their pool surface.
Rather than allow this to happen to our clients, we believe it’s time to provide some insight and education to prevent this natural disaster from occurring in your backyard!
One of our favorite parts of the job is working with home owners to provide insight into caring for their swimming pools – the right way! Here you can see Matt and Cathey discussing the chemistry of this swimming pool after some water testing.
Prevent Corrosive Water Conditions – Use The LSI Index!
The first step in treating your swimming pool and preparing for winter always involves testing your current water chemistry. Before any alterations can effectively be determined, we first have to have a starting point to gauge what changes need to be made to your water chemistry.
Luckily Matt’s Water Pool Services offers water testing for our clients and we can even provide you with a consultation in your backyard! There’s nothing better than evaluating your swimming pool in person and obtaining advice from professionals who care for swimming pools all year long!
Once we’ve obtained a water test for your swimming pool we can accurately gauge what changes need to be made to your water chemistry.
Because water temperature does not change over night, our changes throughout the Fall will be subtle and accurate. We take weekly steps to maintain our water balance throughout the constant rises and dips in temperature. This ensures that we don’t go too far to one side or another of the LSI Index and cause scaling or etching on your pool surface.
Left unchecked all winter – your swimming pool can turn into a chemistry nightmare. Trust the experts when we say – it’s easier and cheaper to keep your swimming pool well maintained. Don’t neglect your pool and try to save on cost by not treating it until the Spring. This can cost your more than you expect and take longer than you think to fix it.
What Chemical Changes Can We Make?
So what are they key chemicals that we use to balance our LSI and prevent natural disasters in our swimming pools?
Changes in PH – Control Small Fluctuations in LSI
Again, we always start with the LSI Index. If the changes that we need to make are minor and require little adjustment, a small rise in our pH can shield your water against a small drop in temperature. Of course you need to make sure you don’t surpass a healthy pH
Ideally you want your pH to be between 7.2 – 7.6
Changes in Alkalinity – Keep Your pH in Line
Additionally, if our pH shows too move much and doesn’t seem to maintain a consistent number from week to week – we then look at Alkalinity. Alkalinity acts as a buffer to protect our pH from constant fluctuations. Raising the Alkalinity can also act as a buffer against decreases in the LSI due to cooler water conditions.
Ideally you want your Alkalinity to be between 80 – 120 ppm
Changes in Calcium – Control Large Changes in LSI
Lastly, raising our Calcium content in our water can shield greatly against changes in water temperature. The ironic aspect of calcium alterations is that we are adding the mineral that water craves directly into our swimming pool. Because cooler temperatures suck calcium out of our plaster – we can attack the problem head on by adding calcium directly to our water!
What’s the flip side of calcium alternations?Once added to the water, calcium cannot be easily removed (aside from draining your swimming pool).
Ideally you want your Calcium to range between 200-400 ppm (but this number must be determined by the LSI)
So What’s The Solution?
With so much variation in the behavior of water from temperature changes, what is the lasting solution to protect your pool surface and equipment? The short answer – there is no easy answer. Each swimming pool is a different eco-system with varying degrees of minerals, metals, phosphates, calcium and TDS. These differing minerals and fluctuations temperatures require our teams to test each and every swimming pool that we interact with.
The solution, therefore, is that we recommend professional care for your swimming pool! Many clients balk at this topic, but we ask the franc question:
If your swimming pool is the most expensive aspect of your home – why would neglect it and allow the pool surface to be ruined from lack of professional maintenance?
The truth of the matter is – many home owners don’t want to care for their swimming pools. They believe that water chemistry is confusing and difficult. Ironically, your swimming pool is a costly investment and resurfacing your swimming pool can easily cost your around $10K.
With such a high price tag, doesn’t it make more sense to have your pool regularly maintained by a professional service company than risking a ruined surface? We certainly think so and are here to help any client that calls on us for assistance!
We all love the transition from Summer into Fall! We’ve all suffered through the triple digit days, lack of rain and constant humidity. It seems like a dream to imagine cooler temperatures and days when we can keep our doors and windows open. Soon we will begin to see those riveting colors of Fall that are soon followed by falling leaves and chillier temperatures.
Although season changes bring a lot to look forward to, it’s not enough to just sit outdoors and enjoy the falling leaves. If you own a home with an outdoor living space, there is plenty of maintenance chores to take care of! Cleaning out gutters, raking and mowing the lawn, freeze protecting your hose bibs and keeping your pool clean – it seems there is plenty of outdoor maintenance required to keep things running smoothly through Fall.
In terms of pool ownership, what does this mean for your swimming pool and can this potentially cost you added maintenance and repair cost? The short answer is – yes, leaves are bad for your swimming pool and they most definitely can elevate your maintenance cost! So what are the cost associated with falling leaves and how can you save yourself the trouble of equipment repair or cleaning of your filtration lines?
Clogged Lines – Leads to Burned Out Pumps and Broken Filters
Simply put, falling leaves can lead to a host of issues with your swimming pool, including: clogged drains, filtration lines and pumps. Just a handful of leaves in your filtration lines can restrict the flow of your water and reduce the efficiency of your pool equipment. To add a complicating factor to the issue of falling leaves, it’s important to remember that your leaves do not fall at one time. No sir, they take their time! This requires diligence and perseverance to keep allocating time towards keeping your swimming pool clean.
Should too much time pass and enough leaves lodge into your main drain or skimmers, it’s feasible for your pluming lines to become partially or completely clogged. If left un-managed, a complete blockage is near impossible to clear without the assistance of a pool professional. Should your pool equipment turn on during a partial or complete blockage, your pump motor will work doubly hard to turn over your water. This undue stress increases energy costs and could lead to broken or damaged pool equipment.
The truth of the matter is, leaves are sneaky critters to maintain. They often fall all at once or over long periods of time. Swimming pools are havens for fallen leaves and many of our clients don’t have the time in their schedules necessary to keep their pools clear of leaf debris. Because of the risk to your pool equipment and filtration lines, we highly suggest contracting Matt’s Water Pool Services to keep your pools clean of leaves and other fallen debris!
Let Matt’s Water Keep Your Pool Clean!
If thinking of cleaning your pool this Fall is causing your palms to sweat, don’t worry any further! Matt’s Water Pool Services provides superior cleaning services for our clients all year long! Whether it’s chemical maintenance, green to clean services or leaf removal – we do it all! What does that mean for you?Easy pool care with less time outdoors and more time enjoying fun activities with your family!
We all work hard during the week. From long hours at the office, commutes to work, school pickups and drop offs – we’ve all got a lot on our plates. Sometimes it’s hard enough planning our evening activities while cooking and preparing for the next day of work. With so much on your to-do list, don’t add keeping your pool cleaning to it.
Matt’s Water Pool Services is here to help ease the burden of swimming pool ownership. We do this for a living, which means that we can clean your pool while you’re at work. That means your time off work is spent with your loved ones, doing what you love! Sit down and enjoy that favorite TV show or spend time cooking out with your family during the weekend. Let us work hard to keep your swimming pool clean so that you can enjoy the beauty of your pool – without the stress of worrying about potential filtration problems or damaged equipment.
Remove Those Leaves – Prevent The Growth of Algae
Keeping your swimming pool clear of leaf debris also helps in your fight to prevent algae growth. Leaf debris is organic matter – produced by nature. Once introduced to your swimming pool, leaves begin to decompose and release oils and minerals into your swimming pool water.
If not well managed, leaves can introduce a large amount of phosphates into your water. For chemistry nerds, phosphates are algae food. The greater the amount of phosphates the greater the potential for algae spores and subsequent algae formation.
Lastly, removing debris improves the flow of water throughout your filtration lines. It’s essential to optimize the flow of water through your filter. This allows the pool equipment to remove debris and bacteria – leading to cleaner and clearer water. Keeping your pool water moving throughout the Fall and Winter moves is critical to keeping your water clear, safe and healthy!
It’s hard to believe, but trust us: Winter is Coming! Your iPhone Weather App currently shows Texas heat in the high 90’s with the heat index in the 100s. The air is humid, wind is little to none and we’re officially halfway through Summer. However, school is about to start which means a few more months of heat but that will soon give way to chilly weather, cloudy skies and changing seasons.
At Matt’s Water Pool Services, we believe it’s imperative that our clients understand the impact of Fall and Winter on their swimming pools. We often see a dichotomy of pool owners investing in our cleaning services during the Summer and then shutting down their service because of changing seasons.
In our eyes, this is a mistake (not just for business) but also for the health of their swimming pools. With each changing season, there are major differences to be aware of when maintaining your swimming pool. Neglecting a season or two for the sake of “saving money” is only going to lead to a higher cost of pool maintenance come Spring & Summer. Here’s why…
By using Matt’s Water Services all year round, your swimming pool can stay looking crystal clear all year round! Here you can see Matt performing a weekly brushing and cleaning of this Above Ground Swimming Pool. Looking good Matt!
Differences in Water Behavior from Summer to Fall
Right now we’re all playing the same game: keep chlorine in the pool, backwash the filter, treat the pool with algaecides and enjoy your backyard while the heat is still here! It’s the good old days of Summer and everyone is outdoors and enjoying cookouts on weekends or sitting pool side for a Saturday morning breakfast. Let’s be honest – most people enjoy their pool the most during the Summer season and treating the water chemistry is pretty straight forward.
Fast forward a few months to Fall and what are the key differences that we see? Well, for starters, the onset of Fall means just that – falling leaves. Did you know that there are over 250+ species of trees that are native to Texas? Every backyard that we care for is sewn and laced with a variety of tree species – all of which behave differently.
Each type of tree drops a difference size of leave: some of which are easy to remove while others get into drains and filters. Other trees drop acorns, nuts, pine cones or other types of seeds. Left alone, seeds become debris with Organic minerals that can decompose inside of your swimming pool and stain your pool plaster.
Neglecting your swimming pool during Fall can lead to a whole host of issues, including but not limited to:
Filtration problems due to drain & skimmer blockages
Burned out motors & pump breakages – due to debris entering pumps
Stinky & malfunctioning heaters due to dust accumulation & nesting critters
Stains on pool plaster from presence of leaves and nuts
Corroded heat exchanges (in heater) & plaster etching due to cooler water temps and lack of Calcium in water (see LSI Index below)
Long story short, maintaining your swimming pool primarily means removing debris and balancing pool chemistry. It’s not always easy and yes, it’s a pain. Leaves do NOT fall all at once and often you’ll need to be in your backyard every weekend removing leaves from the pool, skimmer baskets, pump baskets and filter. It’s time consuming and if you have other things you’d like to be doing – that’s what we’re here for!
Removing leaves is a full time job come Fall. Leaves will continuously drop for anywhere between 4-8 weeks (depending on the severity of the weather). In all cases, it’s crucial to regularly empty your skimmer & pump basket. This will save your circulation system and prevent issues related to clogged filtration lines. Save yourself the headache and let us handle this headache for you!
Understanding the LSI Index is Critical to Pool Health
Secondly, changing temperatures can lead to more aggressive water. Water requires a state of balance between the water and the pool surface (pool plaster or liner). If one of these two entities becomes unbalanced, both entities will transfer minerals on a molecular scale. Left alone long enough, you’ll start to notice some serious side effects including: Etching or Calcium Scale. The two problems are polar opposites of each other and both are based on the same principle – based on the LSI Index.
Water chemistry is easier to maintain during warmer months and that’s because the warm water temperatures can be a substitute for poor water chemistry. When water cools down, the cushion of warmer temps goes away and you begin to see what is truly wrong with your water chemistry.
In many cases, pool owners do not have enough Calcium (a mineral) in their pool water and left unchecked this can lead to heat exchanger corrosion and plaster etching. Ultimately, lacking in Calcium leads to water pulling minerals away from the pool plaster or heater at a molecular level to satisfy its craving for minerals – this becomes more exaggerated when water cools down.
There is a true science to understanding water at this level and there are actual measurements that we can perform to measure your pool chemistry. In all cases, we recommend that you consult with us or allow us to check your water chemistry before adding additional calcium to your pool. It’s always recommended to allow us to dosage the water for you to avoid overdosing your water with calcium.
Not keeping your water properly balanced during cold weather can lead to corrosive water conditions due to chilly water and its lack for minerals.
What’s The Cost of Pool Service versus No Service
Long story short, it’s always nice to go from the hot days of Summer to the chilly months of Fall. It’s an enjoyable time frame that many of us Texans relish, but don’t get too comfy and neglect your swimming pool. This sounds a bit cliche but remember one important thing: next to your home, your swimming pool is the second most expensive asset that your own!
Owning a swimming pool is something that many people dream of and oftentimes once they have one, they don’t want to maintain it. Unfortunately, a pool is a lot like a kid. If you don’t give it the proper amount of TLC, it can become unbalanced and unhealthy – costing you additional money down the road. We are advocates of year round service and have plenty of options to help you maintain your pools while easing the strain on your pocket book.
We provide both weekly and bi-weekly cleaning services. Depending on the types of trees, number of trees, amount of rainfall, water drainage and many other factors – we can recommend the best service to keep your pool healthy all Fall and Winter long!
Neglecting your swimming pool can cause severe stains to your plaster. Here you can see Matt acid washing this swimming pool before a round of rigorous brushing. Expensive services like these are the result of a swimming pool gone wrong during the winter off-season. Avoid costly repairs such as this by allowing us to keep your water happy and healthy all winter long!
How to Have a Faster Spring Startup and Longer Swim Season
Lastly, by allowing Matt’s Water Services treat and maintain your swimming pool all Fall and Winter long – you’ll be able to swim earlier and with less headache come Spring. Many home owners wait until mid-Spring to ask us to begin cleaning out their swimming pool, but fail to realize that the entire town around them is making the same request.
That being said, if we maintain your pool all Fall and Winter (either weekly or bi-weekly) we can keep your pool in swimmable condition – allowing you to enjoy your backyard with no waiting period! Choosing this option will ultimately save you the most money by avoiding costly repairs or chemical treatments. You’ll also have a beautiful backyard to enjoy all winter long. Having a stunning backyard and one that you can enjoy all year round is important to you, isn’t it?
Is there anything more important in life than keeping our families and children safe? At Matt’s Water, we provide the highest quality products designed to keep both your family & pool environment safe. To help us with our mission of enhancing our outdoor living spaces, we’ve signed up as a dealer for LOOP-LOC Safety Covers.
LOOP-LOC was first founded in 1978 with five employees. Co-Founder, Bill Donaton, first envisioned the business in 1957 as a way to keep animals from falling into swimming pools, while allowing rain water to pass through. Continuous improvements were made to the product line through the 1970s & 1980s in order to enhance it’s child safety measures. With the introduction of “LOOP-LOC’s GAPGUARD® and SAFEDGE®, now known as CABLE-LOC™ Child Safety Intrusion Barriers,” LOOP-LOC led the way for innovation in the Pool & Spa industry.
Awarded with Patent # 4,982,457, Bill Donaton helped lead the way for industry-accepted performance standards. Since then, LOOP-LOC has expanded it’s product offering to include Vinyl Liners as well as Safety Covers. It’s all in an effort to provide the highest quality craftsmanship for the most vital components of your swimming pool. Here at Matt’s Water, we have aligned ourselves with LOOP-LOC’s mission of safety & quality. We’re proud to offer it as part of our customer focused initiatives!
We can custom measure a LOOP-LOC cover to fit nearly any pool shape. Here you can see a safety cover installed on a free-form pool. By capturing A-B Measurements, we’re able to use a process of triangular to find our exact curvature and get a computer cut. Pretty cool stuff!
Using The Highest Quality Materials Available
Just how on earth is LOOP-LOC rated the highest quality safety cover manufacturer in the industry? For starters, the primary material is constructed of Polyester Bonded Threads that are 30% stronger than industry standards. Combine this leading material with:
Double perimeter webbing
Double thick straps
302 stainless steel springs
“87% black yard in fabric for added UV resistance,” LOOP-LOC
All of these products are designed to enhance the safety of these safety covers as well as their durability over time. Safety Covers are designed to take a large amount of wear and tear over time. Designed to be put on at the beginning of Fall and and removed at the start of Spring, LOOP-LOC safety covers endure some of the harshest conditions of our fiscal calendar.
Therefore, it’s no wonder LOOP-LOC puts so much emphasis on the types of materials sourced for their safety covers. Because of their investment in their product lineup, that they can offer their industry-leading 15-year prorated warranty.
Elephant Tested & Approved
We love showing our customers the (above) video of Bubbles walking across a LOOP-LOC safety cover. Baby elephants can weight between 200lbs – 300lbs at birth. This provides us a perfect example of your average adult who may stumble upon this safety cover during winter months. Would you also believe that this LOOP-LOC cover is able to retain its durability despite being punctured by the elephant’s tusk during the video?
15-Year Pro-Rated Warranty & Replacement Parts
Despite the LOOP-LOC safety cover being backed by a 15-year pro-rated warranty, hardware and components can wear out. Wear and tear is a common part of any equipment ownership, and LOOP-LOC provides a great source for replacing these wear and tear items on their website. Of course, you can also call upon Matt’s Water Pool Service and we can replace any worn items on your LOOP-LOC safety cover if needed.
In essence, LOOP-LOC provides a great amount of support for our safety cover clients. For questions or product maintenance questions, they offer their toll free # 1-800-LOC-LOOP (562-5667). Whether you have a question about setting your cover for Fall, removing for Spring, maintenance, cleaning, repairs or storage – Matt’s Water & LOOP-LOC have got you covered!
Once we’ve installed your new safety cover, we will take care of completing your Warranty Registration Card. These warranty registration cards should be completed within 30 days of your new safety cover installation. It’s our way of abiding by the home owner agreement with LOOP-LOC and ensuring you receive the highest level of support and customer service!
Available in Cover Sizes & Shapes
If you’re not into the standard Green Mesh, that’s fine! LOOP-LOC offers a wide range of colors, ranging from Green, Tan, Black, Blue & Gray. These colors are designed to give you plenty of options for your own design & personal taste. They match beautifully with many types of decking, pavers & concrete patios. For example of LOOP-LOC covers installed in a variety of job sites, feel free to browse this gallery of installations.
Trust Matt’s Water With Your Pool Safety
At Matt’s Water, our business is keeping you and your family safe! It’s also, enhancing your backyard lifestyle and providing you with products and services to enhance that lifestyle. We want all of our customers to remember the joy of being outdoors. We also believe that our backyards are wonderful outdoor spaces that we can make our own with our own personalities and design preferences. Therefore, why trust anyone other the industry-leading professionals with the care and treatment of your outdoor living spaces.
We offer a wide range of services that complete any outdoor new construction & renovation job. For more information, we’ve included some links below to our products and services pages. Read on and find out just how much we can do for you!
Therefore, if you’ve got a backyard renovation project in mind or your looking to create something entirely new, give us a call! We’re here to meet your needs and provide you with a backyard lifestyle that your sure to love and enjoy!
At Matt’s Water, we are big believers in helping our customers save money by taking care of their swimming pools. It’s our foundation belief that many home owners do not understand the importance of Water Chemistry. Therefore, we want to take up the challenge and provide the training and information necessary to help you protect your investment. That being said, what’s the best way for you to save money and take care of your swimming pool?
If you guessed Chemistry, then you’re right! Proper Water balancing is the most essential ingredient to safe, affordable and happy pool ownership. It’s amazing that such a simple concept and often gets overlooked – especially during the Winter Time.
This time of year, as the summer season winds down and school vamps up, home owners look for ways to save money. Unfortunately, saving money by discontinuing pool service and neglecting your swimming pool is the surest way to pay more down the road. What do we mean? To truly understand, we need to take a quick synopsis of all the pieces of your pool that cost money.
The Crucial Pieces to Your Swimming Pool
One of the most expensive aspects to any swimming pool is your pool surface, also known as Pool Plaster. This material is the colorful and textured surface that covers the entire internal surface area of your swimming pool. Plaster is comprised of cement materials, aggregate (texture), colored particles and crystals.
Most importantly, your pool plaster is in constant contact with your water. Therefore, there is not any other aspect of your swimming pool that is more susceptible to chemical damage than your pool plaster. Unfortunately, the pool plaster is also the piece of your pool that you notice the most. If your pool plaster experiences the epidemic of Etching or Scaling (as we will cover below) this can become quite the eyesore. It can also be extremely costly to fix these issues; often involving a price tag that many home owners can’t afford.
Lastly, would you also believe us if we said that your pool water is more chemically aggressive in the Winter Time than than Summer Time? Let us find out why.
This image shows the damage that a Corrosive Water Environment can create. What you are seeing here is evidence of “Etching” on the pool plaster. This is due to pool water being deficient in vital minerals such as Calcium. It causes the water to literally draw Calcium right out of your pool wall. Needless to say, these scars would be wide spread and not very attractive to look at.
Water Requires a State of Balance
By the laws of nature, your Pool Water & Pool Plaster are in a constant state of balance. In essence, your pool plaster will naturally have it’s own properties such as PH, Calcium, Alkalinity and so on. Conversely, your pool water (out of the tap) will have it’s own independent readings as well. The trouble comes along when these two sets of digits don’t match up. What happens is a chemical tug of war, with water always being the winner:
Water is capable of dissolving a variety of different substances, which is why it is such a good solvent. And, water is called the “universal solvent” because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. This is important to every living thing on earth. It means that wherever water goes, either through the ground or through our bodies, it takes along valuable chemicals, minerals, and nutrients. – The USGS, Water Science School
Because water is the Universal Solvent, it has the capability to add or subtract chemicals, minerals and nutrients to satisfy it’s demand for balance. What does all of this complex information mean for your pool plaster?
Simply put, not satisfying the chemical requirements of water means it will extract or deposit excess minerals as needed. Water is essential to all life on earth, but it can also become very aggressive is not balanced properly.
Example: Winter Conditions
If you allow your swimming pool to be vulnerable to Winter Conditions (such as colder water temperature) this will negatively affect your LSI reading. In essence, your water will become Mineral Deficient and extract valuable calcium from your pool plaster – causing Etching. This is very bad and can cost thousands to replace.
Here you can glimpse the power of the Orenda Technology App. This amazing software allows us to measure the LSI index for your pool water. As you can see from the image, by boosting the pH & Calcium of the pool water, we are able to restore the balance to this swimming pool. It’s simple in theory and highly effective at saving you money.
What Is The Langelier Saturation Index (LSI)?
This is a lot of complex information and how on earth are we able to measure these types of changes? Luckily, at Matt’s Water, we’ve been in this industry for quite some time. We also have the tools at our disposal to check your pool water for proper water chemistry & balancing.
Going back to the concept of the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) as mentioned above, let’s take a deeper look. The LSI Index is a calculation for the Mineral Saturation of water. In essence, it determines the amount of Minerals your water can hold before they Fall Out of Suspension. It’s important to note, when we say Minerals, what we really mean is Calcium – one of the most natural minerals available to our backyards.
Understanding the LSI Calculation
In essence, the LSI is a calculation used to determine the Corrosive or Scale Forming properties of our pool water. By using the formula (listed below), we can calculate this scale from -.3 (Corrosive) up to +.3 (Scale Forming). If our value falls anywhere between these two numbers, our water is determined to be in balance. Balanced water ensures that our water is properly satisfied and non-aggressive. This keeps your pool plaster safe from the corrosive or scale forming properties of water. In essence, keeping your water satisfied will save you money.
If you’ve taken a moment to watch both videos, then you now have some greater insight into why understanding your pool chemistry is so important! In essence, the LSI is a great tool that we can use to determine the happiness of your pool water. If your pool water is out of balance, we can use this tool to help us correct it based on dosage levels. It’s important that we apply the correct chemical dosage based on the volume of your swimming pool (no more and no less).
Lastly, some key takeaways from our lessons on the LSI Index include:
Etching of your pool plaster is permanent!
Cold water lowers your LSI score, leading to more Corrosive conditions (info below)
Taking the time necessary to understand the LSI can save you thousands in pool repair & maintenance
Your pool plaster is the most susceptible aspect of your pool to pool chemical conditions
Your Water is More Dangerous During Cold Months
If you’ve downloaded the Orenda App and played around a bit, then you’ve surely noticed the Temperature metric. It’s crucially important that we understand how Temperature impacts the balance of our water chemistry. The LSI is comprised of 6 key metrics:
Calcium
Temperature
pH
Alkalinity
TDS
Stabilizer
Of these 6 metrics, the one that has the highest (and most sneaky impact) is Temperature. Because our pools are subjected to external environments, the temperature of our pool water fluctuates with the changes in season. As outside ambient temperature decreases, so does your pool water. A pool that was balanced during the summertime can easily become Corrosive (with potential for Etching) as the water temperature drops down.
This is a scary reality and one of the most important reasons to keep Matt’s Water on your monthly home budget. Although paying for a monthly pool service during the winter time sounds counter intuitive, we guarantee you, it could be the best decision all winter.
As the LSI indicates, pool water becomes more corrosive during the winter time. Etching is a serious condition and is irreversible. Not only does it leave ugly hash marks all over your pool plaster, but it also damages your pool equipment and renders it inoperable. A home owner that neglects their swimming pool all winter long has the potential for thousands in repairs the next Spring.
Hire Matt’s Water & Keep Your Pool Surface Safe
At Matt’s Water, we don’t want our customers to endure the headache and stress of costly pool repairs. Instead, we want you to open up your swimming pool for summer and jump right in for fun. By taking some simple and intuitive steps this Winter time, you can ensure your pool is swim ready for Summer 2019.
Lastly, this effort will keep your pool plaster safe during the time of the year that we are using our pools the least. If you’d like for us to provide some assistance, that’s great! We understand that life is busy and you have a lot going on. That’s why we offer the best & highest quality Pool Service in the greater East Texas & Corsicana region. Our team is ready to visit your pool and provide you with an in depth analysis of your pool water and will keep it safe all winter long! Give us a call today!
