Ok, the storm is over and everyone is coming back to asses the damage.  Assuming the surge didn’t wash away everything, and your pumps and piping are all still intact…  Your pool is full of water.  Half of it happens to be ocean water from a quarter mile away.  On top of that you have roofing from the courthouse, leaves from the trees in the park, and half of your favorite tree, all in the pool.  Not fun.

This is where we help out.  Obviously, one guy with a net and pole can’t pull the 200 lb tree limbs out by himself.  The crew of folks (read Family Members) helping with your cleanup are going to have to do the heavy lifting with ropes etc.  In some cases, a truck may have to pull some of the big items out.  However, for 95% of it, we are going to come in and systematically bring things back online.  Debris first, shock to help clear water from bacteria growth, pumps and piping after the power comes on.  Once we do those things it’s a process of follow up to keep filters, and baskets clear and allow the systems to function properly.  There is often a period of water removal, and dilution as well.  Harbor water has a lot more than salt in it.  We often use special pump and filter systems to supplement what you already have.

In some cases we may run the pool and then shut it down to allow separation of different elements.  Then we pump from the top or bottom, depending on the weight of the water we want to remove.  Science… Yay!

Finally, we will do our thing while the rest of your property is being attended to as well.  Doing our best to stay out of the way while real important repairs like roofing and windows are being done.  The cleanup is usually not too expensive, as we had prepared the system already for power up etc.  So in most cases, it’s just the time required to get things back on track.  Add these invoices to your insurance claims just as you would anything else.

Recently, there have been some slightly exaggerated claims about pools drawing lots of electricity. While this is true to many people, there are things you can do to minimize the strain.
While many of the bigger, more complex pools will always have a lot of consumption due to the nature of the pool, many can be tuned to draw much less power. Here at ACPS we make a point of making seasonal adjustments to the programmed settings to do just that.
Also, the new variable speed motors available now are helpful in running the motor at lower RPM’s during off peak usage periods. Thus saving more power. One obstacle to watch for though is the myth that running a low speed for short run times is as good as high speed for the same duration.. This is not true! A pools water must be “turned over” which means that the water has to ALL pass through the filter at least once per day. If not, then the organic materials, dust, and waste that blow around every day can build up in the water. Since our locale has many warm days throughout the winter season, these organics can blossom into algae very quickly!
This is why we don’t shut down pools in the winter. That, and the fact that a stagnant or covered pool is just not fun to look at!
So yes, like any addition to a home, a pool will add to your power bill. But the offset of fun times, relaxation, and beauty is more than worth it !! 🙂

Spring is right around the corner now. It keeps peeking out it’s head and ducking back behind a wall of cold. : )
Here in the South, this is the best, and also the most trying time for a pool tech.
We will be dropping by at random times to empty a basket. We ask that if you’re home, you empty it too! Because the Live Oak tree doesn’t care. These trees almost completely shed their leaves and regrow them twice a year.
That makes for a lot of leaves in the pool. And… Every few years, the seed pods from these trees drop a carpet of seed pods. Literally.
Consequently, we ask our clients that are in town to clean baskets daily, as we try and get to everyone that’s out of town.
When left as normal, we see pumps burn out, pipes melt, and other scary events. All from leaves!
But once they’ve finished…. You know Spring will be here any minute!