Many pool owners take for granted the great advantages of swimming pool lights. From a stylish addition to a safety measure, here are some reasons to have and maintain swimming pool lights.

Proper lighting in the swimming pool is imperative if you are to take a swim at night. You will be able to make sure that you and your guests know where the deep end of the swimming pool is thus avoiding accidents. Also, you will be able to see where the edges are so you don’t bump your head against a wall, and if there are other swimmers in your surroundings you will be able to see those who may be in need.

Swimming pool lighting can be of special importance if you have young children in your hosuehold. You will be able to easily monitor anytime during the night if there is anyone inside your swimming pool.

Swimming pool lights can also help you if you are a night owl and decide to clean your pool at night. Many choose to do this since they can avoid the hot weather and sunburns.

As a stylish option, swimming pool lights come in a great variety of colors that can light up your pool party. If you have never had funky colored lights in your swimming pool, it may be time to spice it up.

These lights come in a great variety of colors that are sure to add some spunk to your pool, whether you have swimmers in it or just to have a cool focal point to an inside party.

If you would like more information on cost and maintenance of swimming pool lights please feel free to contact any of our experts at Pool Sharks whether at the office or while cleaning your pool.

Baking soda has proven through the years to be an extremely effective cleaning agent. With so many chemicals and cleaning solutions out in the market today we can easily spend hundreds of dollars trying to find the right one for us.

Two handy uses for baking soda with your swimming pool is that it helps maintain normal levels of pH in the water and also keeps your swimming pool’s alkalinity levels normal.

This will keep your swimming pool water crystal clear and keep the chemicals from burning your eyes.

For correct pH balance in your swimming pool add baking soda as indicated below:

If pH is: Add per 10,000 Gallons of Water

Less than 7.2                                                          3-4 lbs.

Between 7.2-7.5                                                          2 lbs.

Above 7.5                                                   Don’t add baking soda.

If your pH is above 7.8 you may lower it by adding sodium bisulfate or acid as needed.

For balanced alkalinity levels in your swimming pool:

If Alkalinity is: Add per 10,000 Gallons of Water

20 ppm                                                                   12 lbs.

40 ppm                                                                    9 lbs.

60 ppm                                                                    6 lbs

80 ppm                                                                   3 lbs.

110 ppm or higher                                       Don’t add baking soda.

Baking soda is an extraordinary cleaning agent that can help you reduce your swimming pool maintenance cost in a while being environmentally friendly at the same time.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a pool cleaning, feel free to contact us. Our trained swimming pool experts here a Texas Pool Sharks will be happy to assist you in all of your swimming pool needs.

Whether in the privacy of your backyard or in a relaxed social setting the health benefits of using a hot tub or spa can be reaped. You may think that a hot tub is just a luxury, however, you must know that they are often prescribed by professionals to relieve certain ailments.

The hot water in a hot tub or spa creates a much needed relaxed and rejuvenating state for your body. It loosens up your cramped muscles, relieves pressure on nerves and soothes aches and pain away.

The steam also helps you breathe better by loosening up congestion and therefore providing your body with more restorative oxygen.

Soaking in a hot tub or spa can also increase the efficiency of your circulatory system.

When you are immersed in hot water your heart has to work less to pump blood throughout your body. The volume of blood in your chest cavity and your heart will increase and your heart rate enjoys a bit of a slow down creating a state of deep relaxation.

This deep relaxation comes from the dilation of blood vessels that not only help prevent headaches but also helps you to fall asleep quicker since you are in a relaxed state.

There is also evidence that having a nightly ritual of soaking in the hot tub about 90 minutes before bedtime has its benefits. The National Sleep Foundation states, “soaking in hot water, such as a hot tub, before retiring to bed can ease the transition into deeper sleep”.

If you are looking into a hot tub or spa for fun and social reasons now you have added benefits that will help you stay healthier too. All of the benefits mentioned above seem to come together beautifully to give you a soothing therapy that can be enjoyed at the end of long hard day.

At Pool Sharks we are always looking for great design and style in pools. We have compiled a list of our favorite infinity edge pools, also called negative edge pools or vanishing edge pools.

Number 10: Joule Hotel-Dallas, Texas

Extending an incredible 8 feet beyond the hotel’s structure and with a glass wall this pool is sure to send chills down your spine if you are afraid of heights.

Number 9: Jade Mountain, St. Lucia

Size is not the beauty of this pool but the privacy. Each suite has its own private infinity pool that has specially designed glass tiles and fiber optics to fit each unique color scheme.

Number 8: Four Seasons Maui at Wailea-Maui, Hawaii

With an underwater music system, six cabanas equipped with flat screen tv’s, wireless internet, and fully stocked mini-fridges you could not ask for more.

Number 7: Hotel Caruso-Ravello, Italy

At over 1,000 feet above sea level, this infinity edge pool is found at the highest point of Ravello. Its waters are heated for the comfort of the swimmers and to blend perfectly to its natural surroundings.

Number 6: Astarte Suites-Santorini, Greece

This infinity pool is located in one of the most stunning and peaceful areas in Greece overlooking a volcano, the blue Aegean Sea and the breathtaking Caldera.

Number 5: Marina Bay Sands-Singapore

Home to the world’s longest elevated swimming pool with a 478 foot infinity edge, or vanishing edge, and at almost 600 feet above the ground this pool is a breathtaking must see for all.

Number 4: Murni’s Villas-Ubud, Bali

A stunning view of an exotic place can only be complemented by this 50-foot salt water swimming pool. Kept at a perfect temperature for the comfort of their guests it is certainly unmatched.

Number 3: Lake Manyara Serena Lodge-Tanzania, Africa

Above the waters of Lake Manyara’s alkaline waters this infinity edge swimming pool was built to honor the unique birdlife of Africa with its unique avian curves and concentric patterns.

Number 2: Conrad Maldives Resort-Rangali Island

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Set on two private islands, this award winning resort is home to one of the most amazing views from an infinity edge pool. Pair that with a private butler and a glass-floored living room and you have a majestic setting on white sand beaches and turquoise waters.

Number 1: Golden Triangle Resort-Chiang Rai, Thailand

This free-form infinity edge swimming pool has a lush tree canopy as its backdrop that goes towards the Mekong River and up to the green hills of Myanmar and Laos.

Which one is your favorite? Leave us a comment.

With the weak economy many people looking to get a pool are using inflatable pools as a starters. However, these purchases often come with hidden costs that leave a sour taste in our mouths.

We have all been there at one time or another, we think we are saving money and being smart and then our purchases come back and haunt us.

Now, the purchase of an inflatable pool initially can leave us with money to spare but the catch is that cites are now requiring fencing, safety and permit requirements.

We are currently seeing here in Texas proposed or revised city ordinances that require owners of inflatable pools higher than 18 or 24 inches high to install fences, self-locking devices and alarms. Some areas are even enforcing grounded electrical hookups.

Thus, in the end these unexpected back-end costs add up considerably to the once “better buy”.

Another thing that big retail stores don’t tell us when purchasing one of their inflatable pools is that most of the time the filtering equipment that comes with those pools is quite inadequate.

This causes problems in the long run when your water is starting to look murky, dirty, or green and, no matter what you do it doesn’t get any better.

We often see people having to buy upgraded pump and filter systems just to keep up with simple inflatable pool maintenance.

As a concerned retailer, it is our duty to keep the buyers informed and educated of what could turn out to be a sour buy.

Here at Texas Pool Sharks we are committed to keeping you informed so that you can make wise purchases. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

If you find yourself with an ongoing swimming pool algae problem, you are running your equipment the appropriate amount of time, have plenty of chlorine, and your pH and alkalinity levels are balanced your water should be tested for its level of phosphates in the water.

In the search for treatment of your recurring algae problem, you might find yourself wondering, “What are phosphates and how do they get in my pool?” Well they are compounds of the nonmetallic element phosphorous and are an essential nutrient for plant growth. Sound familiar? Well, according to the lake and pool industry, nitrates, phosphates and carbon are primary foods for algae growth. These phosphates enter your pool water in different ways but mainly through vegetation, rain or water run-off, tree bark and other organic matter.

In order to find out the concentration of phosphates in your swimming pool water you can use liquid tests, tabs, and test strips that will give you an accurate reading. If you find that you have above 5000ppb, parts per billion, in your swimming pool water you would need to drain and refill your pool. If your results are anywhere from 1000ppb to 5000ppb, your best option would be to give your swimming pool a phosphate treatment.

A phosphate treatment is the removal of phosphate nutrients in the pool water that algae likes to feed on. Phosphate treatments are based on lanthanum, a rare earth compound that reacts with the phosphates and precipitates them from solution. This drastically reduces the phosphate concentration in the water. Using a phosphate treatment in conjunction with your chlorine or other sanitizers will add another layer of algae control for your swimming pool.

Removal of phosphates from your swimming pool is important in maintaining a healthy water quality. Periodically, your swimming pool should be tested to make sure that the phosphate levels are depressed since swimmers and other sources are the source of new phosphates. Regular maintenance can reduce and aid in chlorine performance and efficiency, and best of all, no algae problems.

If you think you might have a phosphate problem, feel free to ask one of our qualified technicians to test your water and if a problem is found to treat it appropriately. Here are Pool Sharks we are happy to help all of our friends.

Many people think that a hot tub or a pool spa requires the same care as a swimming pool. However, proper spa maintenance can lengthen the life of the water and keep it with a proper balance and therefore prevent sanitary and equipment problems before they arise.

High bather loads cannot be safely handled over long periods of time without having to drain the spa more often. The following is a guideline to follow in order to estimate how often to drain a pool spa.

• Divide your total spa gallons by 3.
• Take your results and divide them by your Bather Load, or your average number of bathers per day.
• The result equals to the estimated number of days between water changes recommended to properly maintain your pool spa or hot tub.

For example, a 600 gallon spa with an average of 2 people per day Bather Load will need to be maintained by draining it every 100 days.

Periodic draining of your pool spa or hot tub water is the most important component of proper spa water maintenance. Once you have determined how often your spa needs to be drained you can schedule service with our pool experts here at Pool Sharks.

Painting a plaster swimming pool is not an uncommon method of rejuvenating your backyard escape. However, much thought should be given to the benefits and disadvantages of such procedure.

The first thing that must be done is determining your current swimming pool finish. Is it plaster? How old is it? Is it paint? What kind of paint and how many layers is it?

Once you have established your current swimming pool finish, you must decide to re-plaster your swimming pool or repaint.

We are often asked that question and our answer has much to do with the desired finished quality. Here are some determining factors regarding paint that will allow you to make an informed decision:

1. Durability and Wear: There are different qualities of paint out in the market today. Your choice will determine how long that paint job will last. Higher quality paints, which are also the most expensive, will only last up to 5 years. Paints come in a broad range of prices. Like everything else, you get what you pay for in quality and longevity.
2. Maintenance: Pool paint starts chipping off the plaster after some time, it varies depending on the quality of paint you used, meaning that you will have to drain the pool more often to repaint or touch up. Old paint that is chipping creates not only cloudy pool water but also your pool equipment, pumps and filters, will clog easier. This raises the maintenance of your filter from twice a year to every month or every other month. That is not to mention the harder your pump is working.
3. Ease in Cleaning: Pool paints can harbor algae at a higher rate than plaster, this will not only cause a dirtier pool that is harder to clean but also a slippery surface, which can be dangerous for a pool bottom.

When making a decision for your swimming pool surface we can conclude that painting your swimming pool is a second hand choice to re-plastering. It may be half the cost, but in turn, it will also only last half as long, on a good day. The few dollars that you would be saving in the short run, you will be spending in the long run.

Here at Pool Sharks we are constantly looking for the best choice for your swimming pool

Some people think that the swimming pool losing water is normal, but when does “normal” cross the line to being a wasteful leak?

There are several steps to take when checking if our swimming pool has a leak.

First, if your pool has an automatic water leveler, make sure that you turn it off. If the water level goes down more than 2 inches in one day, we can safely assume that the water loss is not just evaporation, but a water leak.

Second, once we have established that our pool has a water leak, we need to find the location of the leak. This will need a thorough inspection.

In order to conduct a pool inspection, follow these steps:

• Check the pool skimmers. The area around the skimmer should be sealed. Be sure to check the area where the tile meets the skimmer.
• Check all the tile around the pool to make sure that there are no cracks or holes or if the grout has become too porous.
• Check all the jets and returns in the pool to make sure that there are no holes around them. Make sure that all the jets and returns are properly sealed.
• Check all the lights in the swimming pool to make sure that they have no holes or that the seal has not become too porous.
• Check the main drain for cracks, holes, or a porous seal.
• Check the pool plaster at different areas of the swimming pool and look for cracks or porous areas.

Once you have assessed your pool, make sure that the fix is something attainable for your pool experience.

Many swimming pool leaks may not be detectable with a surface inspection. Make sure that you recognize the need to call the experts at Pool Sharks. With current technology, most swimming pool leaks can be repaired without major disruption.

All in all, your swimming pool losing water can add up to major costs in the long run. Checking your pool for a water leak can save you money and headaches. Our experts at Pool Sharks will be happy to help you.

1. Pool Sharks has built a team of service professionals with expertise in every aspect of swimming pool care, maintenance and repair.
2. Every pool is unique. We’ll customize a scheduled program specifically tailored to your backyard.
3. Reliable service, count on us to be there on time and schedule.
4. We offer the longest warranties in pool equipment in the South Texas area, from Laredo to Corpus Christi.
5. Pool Sharks offers SEVEN days a week, 24-HOUR a day emergency service.
6. Our complete pool cleaning program offers: brushing pool walls, floor and tile, cleaning skimmer and pump baskets, vacuuming pool, backwash filter, and hose down pool deck.
7. Our pool service cleaners and technicians are state certified.
8. Pool Sharks is trusted by top insurance agencies for claims and warranties because we are knowledgeable and dependable.
9. Over 100 years of combined experience.
10. Values we strive for:

a. Leadership – Highly effective, lean and fast-moving company.
b. Integrity
c. Accountability
d. Passion – Committed in heart and in mind.
e. Quality – What we do, we do well.