Pool Equipment
It's easy to glance at a swimming pool and think to yourself that it's a giant bowl filled with water. Nice and simple, right? Of course, if you've ever owned a swimming pool, you know that it's hardly that easy. Every pool has dozens of parts, most of them very small compared to the size of the pool itself, that must function individually and in tandem with others in order to keep the pool in peak operating condition. If any of those parts break, your only options are to replace or hope that it can be fixed by a crew that does pool repairs in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, and the rest of the Valley area.
While it's not necessary to have every piece checked every time you perform your weekly pool maintenance, you should spend some time at least once a month and take a good close-up look at all of the parts listed below. (If you're a customer of our pool service, Woodland Hills will do just that on your behalf.)
Pump:
The pump continuously moves water through your pool's filter, keeping it clean, as well as over the chemical tablets that keep your pool at the optimum chemical composition and clarity.
Motor:
Always together with the pump in a unit, with many moving parts, the motor provides impetus to the pump so that it can keep moving the water.
Filter:
The filter on your pool cleans the water by filtering debris and particulate. The filter needs regular attention, including backwashing (essentially pushing water through the 'wrong' way in order to get the big chunks out of the system), cleaning, and replacement.
Bottom Drain:
One or more pipes that run from the bottom of your pool through the filter, keeping the water circulating from the bottom.
Skimmer Drains:
One or more collectors that skim water from the top of the pool and run it through the filter, keeping water circulating from the top.
Salt System (Chlorinator):
The device responsible for releasing chlorine into the pool in a measured rate that keeps algae and bacterium from readily taking up residence in your pool.
Control Panel:
Most modern salt systems don't require manual intervention (except routine inspections and weekly checking of operation. occasionally adding more salt to the pool -- they instead use electronic control panels that allow you to modify the chlorination rate of your pool.
Valves:
All throughout the system, a series of valves ensures that water is flowing only in the intended direction.
Valves are hardy entities, but they break down from time to time and should be regularly inspected. If they aren't working, your pump may be overworking to compensate.
Automated Cleaners:
Some pools have machines that automatically 'remove leaves and debris from the bottom of the pool' the on a regular basis, reducing the need for hand-skimming with a leaf net and so forth. However it is hardly a replacement for professional pool service as there are many things to take care of. This device is to keep the pool looking nicer between weekly pool service visits.
Heaters:
If you have a heated pool, the heating system also needs regular attention.
Ideally, regular maintenance will keep all of these components working for years -- that's why we encourage everyone to sign up for some form of regular pool service Studio City residents seem to have caught on nicely; now if the trend would spread to the rest of the Valley, we could keep the cost of pool ownership down to quite reasonable levels all around.
