It’s always struck me as ironic and unfortunate how water is the most important element in a swimming pool – the only reason that the pool, or spa, exists in the first place – yet the quality of that water is almost always left to chance because the systems and routines being used to manage it are inadequate.
If you’ve ever walked into an indoor pool facility and noticed the smell, or heard complaints from swimmers about problems breathing or skin irritation, or had your pool shut down by a health department inspector, you’ve already experienced some of what can happen when water quality isn’t what it should be. Those issues can be expensive, frustrating, mysterious and potentially harmful. But the good news is that with expert comprehensive pool care, such problems are all entirely avoidable.
Water quality problems have many possible culprits. It might be an undersized or poorly serviced filter, or the chemical treatment can’t keep up with the demand, or the mineral content is out of balance, or the water testing being used is inaccurate, or the flow rate through the system is compromised. Often, simply identifying the cause of the trouble is beyond many pool professionals, and as a result finding a solution usually comes down to some form of trial and error.
Preventing Problems with Science, Technology and Experience
That’s why every pool, and especially every high-use pool, needs the care of a water quality professional (WQP). Water is a complex and potentially dangerous beast, and while treating it might not be brain surgery or rocket science, per se, it is nonetheless a profession that takes years to truly master.
Taking water-quality management to the highest level possible requires an understanding that biologically safe and chemically balanced, crystal clear water is best achieved through a “systems approach,” meaning treatment that encompasses multiple coordinated and interdependent factors.
There’s no one chemical product or piece of equipment that gets you there. It’s a combination of the circulation, filtration, cleaning routines, multi-layered chemical treatment, hydraulic efficiency, automated testing and monitoring, and more than anything a detailed understanding of the nuances found in every body of water used for human immersion.
A qualified WQP provides comprehensive care and in doing so takes away the struggle that so many pool owners, operators and pool professionals experience every day. The cliché is true: We do the worrying, so our clients don’t need to. WQPs are in the business of preventing problems before they happen, and do it with proven science and robust technology.
Onsite Visits and Remote Monitoring
During this crazy time of forced isolation and distancing, the government has defined pool service as an “essential” business. We certainly applaud the wisdom of that decision, but you don’t have to be an expert to know that any body of water left unattended will become a serious problem in a relatively short period of time. We’ve also learned the value of being able to perform any kind of job from a remote location. When it comes to taking care of pools, there’s no avoiding the need for regularly scheduled service visits, but it’s also true that a large part of what a WQP does can happen remotely.
To support WQPs and pool owners, we offer 24/7 remote systems monitoring as part of our service, supporting distancing and safe maintenance of your pool by using systems and apps that let you, and us, know in real time what’s happening in your pool. Doing so enables us to respond immediately when something goes wrong, and in many cases make adjustments without a poolside visit. As a WQP we, in a way, become your mission control and primary care physician all wrapped up in one.
When you combine a properly designed and operating system with expert real-time monitoring, it’s amazing what you can achieve. There’s even an added value. Not only does this approach avoid problems with downtime, unpleasant or even foul water, user complaints, etc., the WQP can achieve a level of water quality that most people don’t even realize exists.
Our Treatment System
SRK HydroZone 3® water is named for the method used in the pools that SRK Pool Services builds or upgrades, and it is sensational, literally. People who experience the HydroZone 3 water often say they had no idea water could look so beautiful and feel so good. We often hear our clients say that they feel cleaner after a swim than they do after a shower. It’s tough to describe, but when you experience the difference this water creates, it’s easy to remember and we hear about it all the time.
This higher level of water quality does not happen by accident. As described in previous blog posts, we use robust treatment systems that include ozone, UV and low levels of chlorine. We have automated the chemical balance using CO2 to control pH, and every aspect of the filtration and circulation system is efficient and balanced with upsized filters, multiple skimmers, distribution of treated water and countless other details.
Mindful Mastery from the Water Quality Professional
To be clear, it’s not just that we use these tools, it’s that we know how to best apply them to achieve the desired result. We know how to set up an ozone side stream with optimum flow rates, concentrations and contact time, all combined with constant monitoring and proper equipment selection. The same is true of our UV treatment systems and the very tightly controlled levels of chlorine. In each of those areas, multiple fine points have to be dialed in to work together.
The pool and spa industries are full of people who claim they can solve water quality problems with a magic bullet of some kind, which they just happen to be selling. That brand of product-based thinking is always hit-and-miss because conditions in each pool are so different. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to water quality management.
The focus of the WQP is that we don’t care about selling one product or another, but we are solely concerned with generating a healthy water quality that sets your pool apart from others. In residential settings, that means giving discerning homeowners the best and safest water available. For commercial facilities that rely on pools to generate revenue, our approach to water-quality management puts you several steps ahead of the competition and the health department. It becomes a point of pride and a powerful selling point.
We are confident that HydroZone 3 and the water quality professional’s overall level of care and know-how are the future of water quality management, and they are available today.