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Hosepipe ban to be imposed in drought-hit parts of UK !!!Posted on 05/04/12, filed under News | No Comments
Water companies across southern and eastern England are to introduce hosepipe bans amid drought conditions. Seven firms say they will impose water restrictions after two unusually dry winters left reservoirs, aquifers and rivers below normal levels. Southern Water; which has customers in both Kent and Sussex. South East Water, which covers areas in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. Sutton and East Surrey; which operates in east Surrey, and parts of West Sussex, west Kent and south London. Thames Water, which covers parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Kent. Veolia Central, which covers parts of northwest London, Surrey, Beds, Bucks, Herts and Essex. Veolia South East, which covers southeast Kent All seven companies said they will impose bans from 5 April. The drought-affected areas are the south-east of England and East Anglia. But the Environment Agency (EA) warns in a new report that the drought could spread as far north as East Yorkshire and as far west as the Hampshire-Wiltshire border, if the dry weather continues this spring. The EA warns that drought conditions are expected to spread across more of England in coming weeks, unless strong rains arrive. It will also warn of effects on agriculture that could raise prices of potatoes and other vegetables.
It says plans are in place to ensure that the Olympic Games will not be adversely affected, by using water from “sustainable supplies”. “The Olympic Park and other Olympic venues have a high level of resilience to meet their needs even during a drought,” says the Agency. It also added: “The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee pageant at the beginning of June will not be affected by the drought.”
A ban on hosepipes means they cannot be used on gardens, plants, cars or boats for “recreational use”; to fill or maintain ponds, pools or fountains; and to clean paths, walls, windows or other artificial outdoor surfaces. People in breach of these terms risk being prosecuted and fined up to £1,000. Watering cans and buckets are still allowed. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said the temporary restrictions would “help protect the public’s water supply in the areas most affected by the record low levels of rainfall we have experienced over the last 17 months”. She said: “We can all help reduce the effects of drought by respecting these restrictions and being smarter about how we use water “Taking action now to reduce how much water we use will help us all in the future.” News of the hosepipe bans has coincided with warm weather in much of the UK, although the drought conditions are a consequence of successive dry winters. BBC Weather meteorologist Nick Miller said: “This prolonged spell of mild or very mild weather that we’ve seen since mid-February with temperatures rising as high as 19C isn’t helping the issue, nor of course is the current dry spell. “The required sustained period of rainfall for the worse affected areas simply isn’t in the immediate forecast.” Meanwhile, the area formally in drought is expected to extend beyond south-eastern counties, with parts of Yorkshire likely to be named as officially in drought. Counties that have received much less rainfall in recent months also include Shropshire and Somerset.
Information recived from bbc news website. SWIMMING POOL HEALTH AND SAFETY !!!Posted on 16/03/12, filed under General Information | No CommentsWe all love a hot summers day where we can take a dip in our cool realxing pool. This blog is just to help you with keeping your pool nice and safe to ensure no accidents accure so we can enjoy a cold beverage whilst realxing in that clear blue water !!! There are many types of dangers to be aware of, but fortunately there are also many precautions that can virtually eliminate the risks associated with pools. Chemical Exposure The chemicals used to keep pools clean and safe can be dangerously toxic in high amounts. Chlorine, for example, can dry and irritate skin as well as aggravate asthma. These chemicals can also kill the body’s naturally beneficial bacteria if water is swallowed, potentially causing digestive problems and lowered immunity. To avoid the chemical contamination dangers of swimming pools:
please use our link below to access our chemical pages !!! http://www.poolpartmart.co.uk/acatalog/Chemicals.html IF ANYONE NEEDS ANY HELP WITH THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS WHICH ARE MEANT TO GO INTO YOUR SWIMMING POOL THEN PLEASE READ NEXT WEEKS BLOG WHICH WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE INFORMATION OR IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER HELP OR ASSITANTS PLEASE CONTACT US !!! Electrical Shock Both water and chlorine are excellent conductors of electricity, making swimming pools very hazardous in unsafe electrical conditions. To avoid the risk of electrical shock when using a swimming pool:
Food Problems A picnic or snacks by the pool is nearly as much of a summer tradition as swimming itself, but food near the pool risks contamination of the water and other hazards. To avoid problems when food is combined with the pool:
HOW TO GET RID OF BLACK ALGAE IN YOUR POOL ?? FIND OUT BELOW !!!!Posted on 12/03/12, filed under News, Questions & Answers | No Comments
ARE YOU AT WITS END WITH THIS BLACK ALGAE IN YOUR POOL?? A FEW TIPS BELOW COULD HELP YOU IN GETTING RID OF THIS If it is at the bottom, brush with s/s brush turn pump off and add trichlor on top of the algae, let it seat for 2-3 days, brush again. If it is in the walls add silver based liquid algaecide as per manufacturer’s recommendations.”Black Algae” (actually blue-green algae) forms in cracks and crevices on pool surfaces, especially plaster finishes. We normally find black algae growing in, but not limited to, shady areas of the pool.
Black algae is more typically found in concrete or plaster finished pools; it is very uncommon to find it in vinyl liner pools. It is known for a heavy slime layer and “skeletal growths” that make it impervious to normal chlorine levels (1.0 – 2.5 ppm). Black algae can grow “condominium style” providing layers of algae one on top of the other. Slight cracks in plaster or fiberglass walls are perfect breeding grounds for black algae especially when the pool is not properly maintained. First way is to spread either cal hypo or granular triclor directly on the algae. Lower Ph so the killing form of chlorine is more effective generally 7.0 to 7.4. You first should brush the spots with a ss brush. Do not do this on a dark plaster or vinyl liner pool, chlorine will either bleach or stain color. When doing this turn off pool sweep for a few days.
Second and most effective way is to get two cases of liquid chlorine 8 gallons, and two gallon of ammonia hydroxide (most pool stores can order this for you) and muriatic acid. Close the pool for two weeks. Do not let anyone swim or animals drink from the pool for at least two weeks (diarrhea). Lower pH to around 7.0 Add the 8 gallons of chlorine around the pool. Turn on filter pump let run for 24 hours at least. Now you have to add the amonia hydroxide. When you do this make sure that no one hangs around the pool for a few hours (there are some gasses from the mixture of chemicals). let your system run as normal after the 24 hours. Brush pool with ss brush as often as possible. And make sure that the pool is not use. can not stress this enough. Wait till the chlorine residual has lowered to safe levels to reuse pool. At least two weeks. May have to add more chlorine after week one depends on the amount of BA, may have to try method one during this process. What this does is with the combination of ammonia and chlorine raises the residual to around 50 ppm and burns out the BA from the root. Once this is done there will or may be etching in the plaster from were the BA was, to help with this get a sanding block from your local pool store or professional, and sand the areas were the BA was to make the plaster more uniform.
HOW TO CLEAN MURKY AND GREEN POOL WATER ?? FIND OUT BELOW !!!!Posted on 06/03/12, filed under News, Questions & Answers | No Comments
WANT HELP TRYING TO CLEAN MURKY GREEN POOL WATER FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS BELOW FIRST SUGGESTION: 1. First and foremost make sure you have good flow. Clean your filter and all your baskets.2. Next, balance your water. If your alkalinity is low, you are running the risk of staining your pool.3. Then, use a algaecide and shock your pool. When you purchase the algaecide ask someone that works there( or read the directions carefully). The ones that have been found to work best require you to shock with the treatment.4. After that, run your filter 24 hours and test it again. The algaecide will bring your chlorine level down so you must make sure it does not get too low. At this point your water may be cloudy or you may have a lot of dead algae on the floor.
5. Vacuum up that algae and clean that filter out. If the water is cloudy use the directions below they are great! Just keep cleaning that filter out until that water is clear. SECOND SUGGESTION:
1. To kill the algae, use lots of chlorine, algaecide etc.2. Coagulate the dead algae into large clumps. Pool supply stores sell a spray coagulator that attaches to a garden hose. Spray it over the pool and let it sit overnight.3.Add diatomaceous earth to the filter. This white powder is sold in pool stores and used to be necessary before cartridges became affordable. Add a lot. This coats the filter and makes it impermeable, even to algae-sized particles.4. Run the vacuum and filter till pressure exceeds 35, then clean. Cleaning the filter causes a flood of the white earth to run off, so pick a good site. I bring mine to the car wash and clean it with the rinse pressure hose.
5. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the pool is clear. This works, and you don’t lose pool water, but here are a couple of points:1. Prevention is best. Keep chlorine levels over 2ppm, use algaecide, even when the pool looks good.2. The cartridge filter rarely survives. Once the pool is clear, buy a new filter and throw out the old one.
AND SOON ENOUGH YOUR POOL WILL BE BACK LOOKING IN MINT CONDITION !!!
MOST SPECTACULAR SWIMMING POOLS IN THE WORLDPosted on 06/03/12, filed under News | No CommentsThese extraordinary pools give a whole new meaning to swimming. The Icebergs. Sydney. Australia. The ocean’s waves often break over the side of the Icebergs swimming pool located in the corner of the famed Bondi Beach. This beautiful full-sized 8 lane, 50m swimming pool is open to the public and the fee is only 5 AUD. The Badeschiff. Berlin, Germany. Badeschiff or “bathing ship” is the most unusual swimming pool in Berlin. It is an old cargo container converted into a pool on Spree River. During the summer it is an outdoor pool with the beach, bar and DJs. In the winter the whole thing is covered, and a few extra saunas are added. As it shows above picture one and two are the iceberg pool in Sydney Australia by Gary Hayes and Carlos Lopez Molinaa and picture three is The Badeschiff in Berlin Germany by maurizio.mwg.
THE WORLDS LARGEST SWIMMING POOL !!!Posted on 13/02/12, filed under News | No CommentsReported by Mail online news THE WORLDS LARGEST SWIMMING POOL !!! If you like doing laps in the swimming pool, you might want to stock up on the energy drinks before diving in to this one. It is more than 1,000 yards long, covers 20 acres, had a 115ft deep end and holds 66 million gallons of water. The Guinness Book of Records named the vast pool beside the sea in Chile as the biggest in the world. Acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest swimming pool, the lagoon measures 1,013 metres in length and covers an area of eight hectares But if you fancy splashing out on one of your own ? and you have the space to accommodate it ? then beware: This one took five years to build, cost nearly £1billion and the annual maintenance bill will be £2million. The man-made saltwater lagoon has been attracting huge crowds to the San Alfonso del Mar resort at Algarrobo, on Chile’s southern coast, since it opened last month. Its turquoise waters are so crystal clear that you can see the bottom even in the deep end. It dwarfs the world’s second biggest pool, the Orthlieb ? nicknamed the Big Splash ? in Morocco, which is a mere 150 yards long and 100 yards wide. An Olympicsize pool measures some 50 yards by 25 yards. Chile’s monster pool uses a computer- controlled suction and filtration system to keep fresh seawater in permanent circulation, drawing it in from the ocean at one end and pumping it out at the other.
The sun warms the water to 26c, nine degrees warmer than the adjoining sea. Chilean biochemist Fernando Fischmann, whose Crystal Lagoons Corporation designed the pool, said advanced engineering meant his company could build “an impressive artificial paradise” even in inhospitable areas. “As long as we have access to unlimited seawater, we can make it work, and it causes no damage to the ocean.”
Moordown Contractors Appointed as service agents for CalorexPosted on 10/09/09, filed under News | No CommentsMoordown Contractors Ltd Poolpartmarts parent company has been appointed as The job is to replace the Heat Exchanger in a calorex Heat pump
Covers are removed to gain access to the unit
The Refrigerant gas is then reclaimed from the heat pump and the pool water
The heat exchanger is then removed and the new one re-fitted
The Refrigerant circuit is the Pressure tested for leaks using nitrogen then
The finished repaired unit is then put back into service First Poolpartmart own brand productPosted on 17/05/09, filed under News | No Comments
Poolpartmart are pleased to announce their first own brand product We have introduced a new Chlorine/bromine erosion feeder which will become our first own brand product this very competitively priced feeder at under £60-00 will take small or large chlorine tablets or bromine tablets and feed a maximum of 400 grams in 24 hrs it is an inline unit and suitable for most domestic pools and spas. This is the first of the poolpartmart on brand range which will have further products added soon. New Cleaning Products At PoolpartmartPosted on 17/05/09, filed under News | No CommentsPoolpartmart are now stocking a new Product range consisting of Net Skim,Pool Gom and water Lily Net skim Net skim is a box of 12 fine mesh nets that go inside a skimmer basket and will filter out very fine material before it gets to the pump and filter these are excellent in pools that have a lot of pine needles or small debris from trees and also for Animal pools such as dog and horse hydrotherapy pools where hair or fur is a problem. They are designed to be disposable after use Pool Gom Pool Gom is a magic eraser for water lines and marks to liner and tiled pools work far better than any scum line cleaner on the market and can be used on marks under the water as well we ran a small trial on this product with both scum line cleaning and removal of some rust marks see below what our customers said Jenny from Norwich :-Writes “Dear Mark and Christine The pads worked like magic on the iron residue, the only problem was that the first one disintegrated pretty quickly , I was much gentler with the second one but it still had only a small area of coverage. i think these would be very good for the scum band at the watermark.” John From Benfleet;-Writes “I have to say that I was singularly unimpressed with the “Eraser” but as the exposed area of the liner was quite soiled, I thought it can’t look any worse. It was brilliant! I just managed to finish of my 32×12 pool before it totally disintegrated, but 30 minutes to clean of 2 years of grime, please could you send me some more, 3 of my pals have pools and I am sure must suffer the same problem.” Water Lilly Selective absorbent of the fat residues for spas and swimming pools Fat substances and wastes (oils and sun lotions, pollution) found on the surface of the water of the spas, hot tubs and swimming pools are responsible for the scum line more or less important at the level of the watermark and of a visible black line inside the skimmers where, because of circulation of water, they tend to concentrate . Settled at the surface of water in the skimmer, WATER LILY® absorbs and retains the fat substances brought back by the water circulation. Within a period of time, the fibrous material of WATER LILY® is colored of a more or less sunk brown, which testifies of the absorption of the involved pollutants. WATER LILY® is a Disposable product which must be changed every month or more frequently if necessary according to the bathing frequency . Woman Drives Car Into Swimming poolPosted on 12/05/09, filed under News | No CommentsReported recently in the Daily mail
“Woman driver ‘parks’ her car in a California swimming pool and walks away uninjured” By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 7:28 PM on 04th May 2009 A woman accidentally drove her car out through a barrier, down a 15-foot embankment, and into an unoccupied swimming pool – but escaped injury. The woman, whose name has not been released, crashed her BMW nose-first into a pool side sun deck at Garden Fitness in Monterey, northern California. The vehicle flipped over on impact, falling into the pool. She was in her BMW, getting ready to leave, and near as we can figure out, she had the car in drive and accidentally hit the accelerator,’ said Monterey Fire Captain Paul Goodwin. ‘She went through the fence, landed on the side of the pool and flipped upside down. ‘She was able to self-extricate from the car, and seemed to be all right, but we sent her to the hospital to get checked out.’ Matt Lamarque, owner of Garden Fitness, said the pool was unoccupied at the time of the incident, but another member was in the jacuzzi at the time. ‘I was inside and somebody came running over to me and said one of our members had gone into the pool with her car,’ Lamarque said. ‘Another member already had helped her out, so we stayed with her until the paramedics got here. ‘She seemed to be OK – just a little bit shaken up. She’s lucky. If she had been knocked unconscious, she might have drowned.’ The sundeck was unoccupied on the cool, overcast afternoon Heat Pump InstallationPosted on 05/05/09, filed under Installation Info | No CommentsPool-Part-Mart engineers installing a new Heatperfector heat pump To show how easy it is to install your own heat pump here how we do it Firstly you will need to alter the pool pipe work to plumb in the new heat pump .The one we are installing is a Heatperfector 32kw so the pipe work is 2” to the unit but can be reduced down to 1 ½ “ if required. The pipe work is cut and a bypass arrangement installed using three 2” ball valves
The pipes are extended through the wall ready for connection to the heat pump The heat pump is unpacked and stood in position it’s important the all manufactures clearances around the unit are correct to ensure maximum performance from the heat pump and the pipes are then connected to the heat pump
The heat pump is then connected to a suitable sized electrical supply ensuring the correct size cable is used this unit needs a 32amp supply and has been wired up using a 6mm armoured cable from a suitable isolator
The heat pump can then be set to work switch on the pump with the bypass valve closed and the two valves to the heat pump open check for leaks. Switch on the power to the heat pump and set up the controls to the manufactures instructions. Most heat pumps have delay timers so it may not come on instantly.
Most heat pumps in the UK only work to full capacity with an outdoor air temperature of above 16c so be patient with heat up times and always use a cover on the pool to assist the heat pump to do its job clean the heat pump coils at the start of the season using a coil cleaner and keep the area around it clear of plants etc. Heat Pump Q&APosted on 01/05/09, filed under Questions & Answers | No CommentsQ -Does my heat pump need servicing? A – There are very little items that need any regular serving on most heat pumps the only things that you should do to keep it performing well is to ensure the space around it is kept clean and clear particularly of any plants and to ensure best performance cleaning the coil with a propriety coil cleaner at the beginning of the season is always a good idea
Q – My heat pump freezes up what can I do about it? A- There are several possible causes for this to happen if it does it early or late in the season only the most likely cause is that the on coil temperature or outside air temperature is to low most UK heat pumps require a 16deg C or above on coil temperature to work at there best low outdoor temperature can cause freezing. If it happens continuously throughout the season there are to further possibilities either the air around the unit is being recycled heat pumps need good free air movement around them so that the discharged cold air is not drawn back into the unit so keep plants cut back and the area clear of obstructions. The coil could be blocked this can be simply cleaned using a proprietary coil cleaner. If none of these are true your unit may have an internal fault normally a lack of refrigerant gas which you will need to get an engineer to check for you.
Q – How do I decide which heat pump I need for my pool? A – There are so many different ones on the market now the main thing is to ensure that you get a titanium heat exchanger and that the equipment used to produce the unit are of a good quality when comparing units ensure that they are sized based on a 16deg C or lower external air temperature there are some on the market that quote capacity using a 25deg C external temperature which is no use in the UK most heat pumps are sized based on the volume of the pool and the sales literature will tell you which unit is suitable for you size of pool.
Q – What is COP A – The COP or coefficient of performance of a heat pump tell you how effect it is most UK available unit are 5:1 based on a outside air temperature of 16deg C or higher this will drop significantly with lower temperatures basically it means when you put in 1kw of electricity you get 5kw of heat out the end into the pool the higher the COP the better the heat pump. Want to know more contact us at Sales@poolpartmart.co.uk
Opening your pool for summerPosted on 18/04/09, filed under General Information | No Comments
When warm weather is approaching, it’s time to think about opening your swimming pool for the season. These steps should help you get your swim pool open the right way for the pool season. The first thing you must do is remove the cover. If there are leaves or other debris on the cover, use your leaf net to remove them. After removing the cover, be sure to clean it, let it dry, and store for the season. You may need to add water, bringing the level up to its normal operating level. Remove any freeze plugs and other items installed to protect against freezing. If you drained down your plant for winter re-fit drain plugs and re-assemble pipe work Now, start your filter system up, being sure to prime the pump before starting the motor. Be sure to purge all the air from the plumbing and equipment. Warning: Air will be compressed during this procedure. Be sure to release any built up pressure before opening your filter, pump, or chemical feeder. Check for any leaks. Assess the pool itself. Hopefully, you had a cover on and the water is as clear and blue as when you closed it. If not, you will want to remove any large debris with your leaf net, leaf rake, or leaf eater. Any dirt, sand, algae, or other small debris should be vacuumed to waste. After cleaning the pool, it’s time to check the water chemistry. If your pool is green you will need to first add shock and algcide you need a level of more than 10PPM Adding chlorine and other chemicals in certain circumstances can damage and/or stain your pool surface.So take care how much you add Allow the water to circulate at least 8-12 hours, so that the water that was added has time to mix with the water in the pool. After that time, test it thoroughly, then add the necessary chemicals in the proper sequence to balance the water chemistry. Test for pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, As well as chlorine levels. Be sure to follow the procedure on the chemical containers to avoid damage to your pool’s surface. Install handrails, ladders, etc. being sure to inspect them for wear and damage. Inspect the diving board. It should be free of stress cracks and the surface should have a Non-skid surface. If the board has any stress cracks, it should be replaced. Tile lines can be cleaned with pool tile cleaner. Do not use any household cleaners (especially abrasives) to clean the tile. You do not want to swim in these chemicals. HeatPumps nedd attantion too clean around them and make sure there are no plants growing near them that may affect the proformance for optomum proformance clean coils with a coil cleaner
Pool-Part-Mart Change filters at local Leisure CentrePosted on 21/02/09, filed under Work Carried Out | No CommentsPoolpartmart Engineers have recently carried out the installation of two new Lacron deep bed filter units at the Littledown centre in Bournemouth the units were replacements for the existing Astral deep bed filters serving the two commercial spas at leisure centre.The Lacron filters were filled with the new Eco glass media in place of standard Filter sand The old sand is removed from the filters Here’s Chris working at the sharp end instead of answering the phone . The old filters were then removed and the new Lacron units put into place The pipework was then altered to suit the new filters The new units are then filled with the new Eco glass media The finished job is tested and set to work � Planning ProblemsPosted on 23/11/08, filed under News | No CommentsEven the best of us can have planning problems as reported recently in the daily mail Tony Blair is having problems with planning for his new SwimSpa see exert for Daily Mail Below Winterising your poolPosted on 22/10/08, filed under General Information | No CommentsThere are two schools of thought on winterising outdoor pools in the UK. We have outlined below both methods the first few steps are the same for which ever method you may wish to choose. The Solar Cover Remove your cover wash and clean down allow to dry then roll up onto the roller cover and store for the winter The Water Ensure the PH value is between 7.2 & 7.6 adjust using dry acid or soda ash as required. Shock dose your water with chlorine to give a level of 6 – 10 ppm & add a winterising fluid or long life algicide run the pump for 6-8 hours to ensure the chlorine is well mixed . If using chlorine granules ensure none are left settled on the bottom as they can bleach a pool liner over the winter. To protect the structure from the effects of ice half fill some empty chlorine containers and float them on the pool water so they are half submersed. The Equipment There are two options here either Drain the pool water level to about 6 inchs below the level of the skimmers this is to allow for rain water over the winter months then disconnect your pump from the electrical supply,remove the drain plugs from the pump and the filter units release the unions on the multiport valve and ensure all items are drained,take care to drain heaters,solar panels and heatpumps. With gas boilers ensure the pilot is extingushed and the gas turned off. With heatpumps if they have a fan on the top it’s a good idea to cover them to stop debris entering them over the winter. Or Have your system fitted with a frost Stat so that if the temperature drops below freezing your pump will switch on automaticaly. Reset your pump time clock to bring your pump on for 1-2 hours each day. Open bypass valves on heatpumps and solar systems and drain down these items as above. Fit your winter debris cover on to your pool to keep out leaves etc. Always tension the cover keeping it out of the water if possible. How to Change the Filter Sand.Posted on 17/04/08, filed under Installation Info | No CommentsHow to Change the Filter Sand step by step.Having received the correct amount of filter media, the following procedure should be followed:-
Kirsty Edwards (Sales Manager) Step by Step How to Fit a Liner 2.Posted on 17/04/08, filed under Installation Info | No CommentsThe following steps are continuing from my first
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