poolnerd

A near-by neighbor of mine has a swimming pool with an attached spa. His system is set to come on at 11:00 pm and circulate for three hours. I know this because I can hear the system come on and run. It wakes me up almost every night. It’s LOUD.

Know why it’s so loud? The main reason is that the pipes feeding the pump are too small. Since it’s a pool/spa combination, there’s a 2 hp pump running everything: pool circulation, spa jets. Nothing wrong with that, though; it’s pretty common around here. It’s a fairly basic (cheap) way of setting up the plumbing systems, or what us pool nerds call “hydraulics.”

Also common around here, and in many parts of Southern California, is the practice of using 2-inch lines for most pipe runs: skimmer line and pool return, spa suction and spa return, and often a 1½-inch line for a suction-side pool cleaner.

That’s the set-up my neighbor has… unfortunately.

(more…)

There are a whole bunch of choices available when it comes to finishing your pool. From regular old white plaster to colored plaster, from a spectrum quartz aggregate plaster mixes to all of the colors of pebble finishes. It can all get a bit confusing, even overwhelming, if you don’t know the differences between all these products, and their pros and cons. So let’s dive in (sorry, couldn’t resist), and sort out these pool finishes so you can make an educated decision on your own.

(more…)