Common Pool Care Errors and Mistakes Part #3: Equipment Below Pool Level, Cleaners and More!

Here are some more common mistakes that you can make with your pool care. It is very easy to make mistakes with your pool care and don’t feel bad if you do. There are just so many aspects of pool care and no one expects you to know everything. That is the reason I write these articles so that you will at least not make the mistakes that I have made.

One of the strangest things to grasp is when the pool equipment sits below the pool water level. E call that having the pool equipment below sea level. Gravity is a powerful force and effects how the water reacts in equipment below sea level. Here is a common mistake. You notice the pump basket has a lot of debris in it. So, you turn off the pump and take the lid off. Suddenly all the water comes gushing out and there is no way to stop it. You try to put the lid back on but can’t.

What happened? Since the equipment is below the pool water line when you take the lid off you are breaking the water seal. Kind of like a sinking ship in a movie when they are trying to close off the hatches to prevent the ship from sinking. Once you open the lid without turning off the water flow you are in a world of hurt. Gravity will push all the pool water out of the point of least resistance which at this moment is the pool pump with the lid off.

What can you do to remedy this? Hopefully, there are some ball valves at the equipment to turn. Most builders will install these if the equipment is set below the pool water line. If not grab a tennis ball and quickly insert it into the skimmer hole. This will stop the flow of water and you can then get the skimmer lid back on. If your pool has an attached spa you can also dead head the pump.

Remove the nut from the Jandy Valve and lift the handle about 1/4 of an inch. Then turn the valve where it says “off” to directly in front of the pump. The gate inside the Jandy Valve will stop the flow of water coming out of the pump. Warning: just be sure to turn the valve back to the proper position before turning on the pool pump.

Another common mistake is taking your suction side automatic cleaner out of the pool incorrectly. I find this every Summer without fail and it is a common mistake. The customer will want to use the pool, so they take the cleaner and lay it up on the deck. But they fail to remove it from the side port or skimmer. When they are done swimming, they go back in the house but fail to put the cleaner back into the pool. The next day when the pump comes on all the water will be quickly sucked out of the cleaner hoses and then the pump will be sucking air. If you leave it like this for a couple of days, chances are the pump and motor will be damaged. Besides that, the pool isn’t running during that time and will begin to turn on you. The air coming into the pool pump from the cleaner will stop the pump from priming.

To avoid this, you will want to remove the cleaner from the pool completely. Disconnect it from the skimmer or side port first and then lay it out lengthwise to the pool. Never coil the hoses up or they will get a “memory” and when you put it back in the pool the cleaner will go in circles. Never take the cleaner head out of the pool and put it on the deck with the hose still connected to the side port or skimmer.

On a similar note pool toys left in the pool can be another hazard. Not only are they tempting for your little kids to reach for and possibly fall into the pool, but they can get sucked into the skimmer and cause the pump to run dry. I’ve seen pool noodles blocking the front of the skimmer, plastic bags and balls lodged in the skimmer basket preventing the pool pump from running. The best thing you can do is to remove the pool toys from the pool after each use

So that is a few more common errors that you can make with your pool care. If you’re a new pool owner or a new pool service tech, there is a lot to learn and to prevent mistakes simply be aware that pool care is not that easy. Reading and research go a long way and of course, learning about common mistakes will help you from making them yourself.

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