Since December 2008, the pool and spa safety act has required new build or liner replacement to residential pools to include the new VGB anti-entrapment certified covers. The law also requires manufacturers to provide a lifespan for each cover that for the majority of them were between 5 to 7 years. How can you check your drain without jumping into the pool? Residential pool owners can contact the installer and asked them to check their records. Due to the inherent dangers of the old covers, I think it’s essential to educate any homeowner contemplating purchasing a house that includes a pool.
This is a picture of the pool skimmer. The skimmer sucks water from the pool’s surface and sends it to the pump, through the filter, and back out to the pool. There are two pipes under the skimmer which control how much water is drawn through the skimmer and through the main drain.
The picture I studied was about the path of water in a pool system. The water is sucked through either the skimmer or main drain by the pump. It then goes through the filter and heater if there is one. Then it is pumped back into the pool by the return inlets.
What we’re seeing here is a strainer pot for the pool’s circulating pump that is in need of cleaning. As part of any comprehensive pool maintenance program, the pump’s strainer pot should be inspected regularly. As the cover is transparent, a visual inspection will determine if the the strainer pot is in need of cleaning.
In the article “Pool Water Pathogens”, Nick Gromicko points out that even a well maintained, chlorinated pool is not enough to insure a healthy swimming environment. There are some organisms such as cryptosporidium that are immune to ordinary treatments used to control purity in the pool. Just as important as good equipment maintenance is being aware that certain diseases like with diarrhea can last for days versus hours for simple bacteria. Taking precautions with children in diapers for example will help eliminate the spread of disease.
This is a photo of a sand filter system of an above ground pool I recently inspected. The system is about 2 years old. According to the owner the sand was replaced at the beginning of this swimming season. I recommended that the handle assemble be lubricated with a silicone based lubricant and replacing the water pressure gauge that appeared to be inaccurate.
I read the article on Pool Drain Hazards Inspections. The article was informative and provided important information for an inpector to be cognizant of when performing a Pool and or Spa inspection. I would offer some words of advise for anyone going over their findings with the potential buyer. Though the buyer should be made aware of safety hazards, it can be done without using the words disembowel, death, or evisceration.
This is a picture of a pool heater pipe system. This one is quit modern. It used schedule 40 PVC, rather than the metal pipes our family pool had from before the turn of the century. The old metal pipes seemed to hold up fairly well over the years. I never noticed signs of leakage, even up to the time that I finally had the pool system dismantled when I turned the house into a rental.
I’m looking over the diagram of a pool skimmer system. It is amazing how little the technology for these have changed over the years. My parents had a pool build in the late sixties and the skimmer is almost exactly the same as what in currently used. The only real different is that the covers for the skimmer are now plastic. Back then it was a metal grate. Pool technology has not significantly changed in at least the last 40 years.
A pool skimmer helps clean the pools surface by skimming floating debris like leaves, dirt, twigs, and dead insects. This is made possible by a weir door, which only allows a thin layer of water to pass over it. The debris are then held in a basket at the bottom of the skimmer.
A chlorine generator has metal plates inside of it, which are connected to a control box. The control box sends an electrical charge to the plates which then creates chlorine. Over time heavy Calcium can buildup on the plates, and can reduce the performance of the generator.
Ensuring that the chemical properties are within the correct tolerances is key in keeping a pool a healthy environment for swimmers and protecting the pool’s equipment and structural materials. Here we have a ph test tool pictured. Keeping the ph level between 7.2 and 7.8 is optimal. I liked learning in this course that the ph of a human teardrop is 7.5. This is a great example of ph and an optimal level to reach in a pool. I can using this fact often when explaining where ph levels should be and how happy your eyes will be in a pool that has an appropriate ph level.
I read an article on pool water pathogens that had some useful information. Harmful bacteria can cause sickness and even have lethal effects if appropriate chlorine levels are not maintained. Some protozoa, like giardia and cryptosporidium can be resistant to chlorine and may take longer to eliminate. Consistency and attention are key to maintaining appropriate chemical levels in any pool and addressing pathogens that could be harmful.
Moisture intrusion is a problem with many homes and commercial buildings. Most moisture entering a home is through air movement. Moisture can also enter a home through the roof, plumbing ,leaks,flooding,human activities and plants.
Moisture intrusion can cause wood to rot and decay and mold will grow. This can be hazardous to the home and a families health.
Here we have a gfci outlet. All outlets with in 10 feet of all pools must be gfci protected. This outlet you can see has a burn,scorch mark on the top left prong. The test button does work. Gfci outlets should also have a weather cover over top of it as well.
pH alone is unstable. Rainwater, swimmers, and just about anything that enters the water can affect the pH level. When pH is low, it means your water is acidic, and when its high, you water is basic.
To give you an idea of how pH works, our tears are pH neutral. If they had a low pH, it would burn when we cried. And if the pH was high, it would dry out our eyes.
pH alone is unstable. Rainwater, swimmers, and just about anything that enters the water can affect the pH level. When pH is low, it means your water is acidic, and when its high, you water is basic.
To give you an idea of how pH works, our tears are pH neutral. If they had a low pH, it would burn when we cried. And if the pH was high, it would dry out our eyes.
This picture shows the opened control pack. I checked for proper connection of the service wire and bonding of all the equipment in the picture. The spa has 2 4 H/P pumps which control different seats in the spa. I checked for leaks at the pack, pumps and related plumbing including the branch plumbing to the individual jets and at the jet to shell connection.
No deficiencies were noted.
https://www.nachi.org/gallery/?level=picture&id=1887
This picture is a diagram of a whirlpool tub which is very similar to a freestanding or “portable” hot tub. A hot tub may have as many as 3 pumps with up to 5 hp and each of the pumps may have 2 or 3 speeds. Often a 120v single speed pump may be employed a circulation pump to aid in maintaining water temp and filtration.
This is a photo of a dirty skimmer basket that was observed during a recent ancillary pool inspection. The recommendation was to clean the leaves and debris from the skimmer basket and to regularly inspect and clean the basket as needed.
