How to Properly Maintain Your Loop Loc Cover

If you have a Loop Loc cover, you know it is the strongest pool cover on the market. While it is virtually maintenance free, there are steps you should take to promote the longevity of your Loop Loc cover.

1. Proper Storage: When storing your Loop Loc, fold it up and roll it into the provided storage bag. Hang the bag on a hook or nail (or any way to keep it off the floor). By keeping your Loop Loc off the floor, you are allowing the cover to drain through the bag as well as protect it from rodents. Rodents notoriously like to make a home out of pool covers; chewing holes and causing rips.

2. Handle with Care: Loop Loc covers can be bulky and heavy, but it is important to handle them with care. It is best to avoid dragging the over across the deck or placing it near any sharp edges which will damage the cover.

3. Snow Support: During Western New York’s inevitably cold and snowy winters, your water level should be 15”-18” below the top of the pool. The water (and eventually ice) will act as a support for your Loop Loc when the snow accumulates. This support will help relieve the stress the weight of the snow is placing on the cover.

4. Stay Off: While Loop Loc is touted to be able to hold an elephant, it is best to keep off of your cover to maintain its strength. Not only can being on the cover put stress on it, but pets and other animals can put rips in the cover with their paws/claws.

There are just a few helpful tips that will allow you to get the most out of your Loop Loc cover! Visit the Loop Loc page on our website for more information: www.colleys.com/loop-loc-covers

Vinyl Liners: What You Need to Know

If you are on our list for a brand new vinyl pool to be installed, or a new liner to be put into your existing Colley’s pool, this blog is for you! Not only is it one of the most important aspects, but also one that the customer has full control over.

While we do want to make customers aware of the nuances between liner options, we stress that it is 100% the choice of the customer which liner they choose- it is your backyard oasis!

With that in mind here are some things to consider when choosing from one of our high-quality, American-made Craftworks liners.

• The Liner Thickness

One of the considerations we notice customers take into account most when choosing their liner, is the thickness of the liner. Our manufacturer, Craftworks, offers 3 options regarding liner thickness. The options differ based upon the liner pattern but can be broken down as follows:

20/20: This means both the walls and the floor of your liner will be 20 millimeters in thickness. This is the thinnest option offered.

27/20: This means the walls of your liner will be 27 millimeters, while the bottom floor of your liner will be 20 millimeters.

27/27: This means both the walls and floor of your liner will be 27 millimeters. This is the thickest option offered.

• Sunlight in Your Backyard

Some backyards are subject to rather constant sunlight throughout the pool season if you do not have trees or other structures that may mitigate the amount of sunlight that reaches your pool. Repetitive, direct sunlight can cause fading to your liner’s color as time goes on. In response to this, our manufacturer, Craftworks, offers the “Infinity” style liner.

The, “Infinity” liners offer 20% more UV resistance. Additionally, the, “Infinity” liners are produced with 50% more of top coating.

• Pricing

Not all liners that Craftworks manufactures are the same price. There are some styles that they produce that do include an upcharge. Your local Colley’s specialist can walk you through which liners will have an upcharge and what the upcharge may be.

Choosing your liner can be one of the more exciting aspects of your vinyl pool project. Armed with this additional information in mind- you can choose the liner that best suits you!

NOTE: The longevity and condition of the liner varies depending upon many factors such as, how well the customer maintains their pool (balancing chemicals, cleaning regularly, etc), the amount of usage the pool gets as well as the ground water in the yard (ground water can cause the liner to wrinkle or float), etc.

What to Know When Considering a Salt Chlorine Generator

Are you thinking about transitioning from a chlorine-based pool to a salt chlorine generator? Here are some things to know when deciding which salt chlorine generator to purchase:

1. Power Supply- The power supply takes high voltage and changes it to low voltage, which energizes the cell and allows it to generate chlorine. A control board lets you control how much chlorine the cell is generating. Using either a dial or push buttons, you can set the chlorine output level anywhere from 0-100%.

   Some systems allow you to adjust the level in small increments, while others allow adjustments in larger increments. Naturally, the 1% incremental control will allow a much finer tuning of the salt system to match the pool equipment’s normal operation. The higher increments may require some adjustments of the pump run times to ensure that you maintain the proper chlorine level.

2. Cells- All cell designs are generally similar and usually consist of a PVC housing and titanium blades with ruthenium oxide coatings. The number of blades and the amount of power going to the cell determines how much chlorine the cell generates. The amount of ruthenium oxide on the blade determines how long the cell will last.

   Important to note, calcium scale formation on the blades is detrimental to cell life and should be prevented. Allowing calcium scale build up on the blades will shorten cell life and reduce chlorine output and efficiency. Power Supplies are designed with a self-cleaning mode for the cells to help prevent calcium scale buildup. However, if water chemistry conditions are not maintained properly, calcium scale will build up and will require manual acid washing to rid the cell of calcium.

3. Flow Protection- Two methods of flow protection are available: mechanical flow switch and electrical gas trap. The mechanical flow switch is a device that senses water flow prior to the cell, and pushes a flow paddle towards a magnetic switch. When water flow is correct, the switch sends a signal to the power supply to let it know there is sufficient flow.

   The gas trap design requires there to be sufficient flow to evacuate any air or gases that can accumulate within the cell body. Gas traps typically require an initial high flow rate to rid the gases, and then it can operate at lower RPMs. However, the gas trap may still require a higher flow rate than that of a flow switch.

   Flow switch designs allow for flexibility in the cell orientation, whereas the gas trap requires the cell to be mounted horizontally. Flow switch designs will work better with variable speed pumps (remember this from the 3rd blog?!) by allowing a lower RPM, and lower flow rate, to activate the flow device.

A salt chlorine generator is not for everyone- but if it’s something you are considering, it is always best to consult with your local Colley’s expert!