Pre season preparations

With Easter being early this year we have already started preparations for the new season. Now is the ideal time to have your pool system checked and overhauled where needed. Have the filter sand changed, replace sticking valves, recondition noisy pumps and deal with the unsightly scum line. It’s also the perfect time install solar panel heating or heat pumps to help extend your rental season.
It is also the ideal time to get your property back into great condition as well as spring cleaning the gardens and tidying up your land. We cover and area between Castellana Grotte through to Ostuni and provide services that cover everything you need for your holiday home here in Puglia. With Easter coming at the end of March it is well worth getting under way with the pre season work sooner rather than later.

Quotes for repairs or new works

I have mentioned this before, but in the light of recent events I feel the need to mention it again.
If you are asking an agent to get you quotes for work please please check the prices your are given with a reputable company to see if they in the ball park of where they should be. Recently we were asked to quote for some work at property and duly gave the quote to the agent. A few weeks later I bumped into someone in a bar who started talking to me as they saw the Puglia Pools name on my jacket. To cut a long story short, it turned out that our quote of €3000 had turned into a €7500 quote from the agent. It’s a relatively common occurrence which seriously annoys me especially as we could become associated with charging exorbitant prices for relatively simple work and our customers are being ripped off. We are more than happy to give you advice any quotes you may have if you feel they may be too high.

Buying property here in Italy

It is common practice here in Italy for the Estate Agents to produce all the paperwork and documentation needed for the purchase of a property. We would strongly recommend that you use an independent solicitor to check that all the documentation is fair and correct before you sign anything. We would also recommend that you obtain completely independent quotes for and any work that agents have provided prices for.

Pre pump filter baskets

The pumps small filter basket is designed to remove the larger pieces of debris which could damage the pumps impeller or even jam the pump completely. Depending on model of pump they cost between €5 to €20 to replace and can prevent costly pump repairs. If your pool maintenance company is repairing them with bits of wire then what other shortcuts are they making while looking after your pool?

Pool liner replacement tile bands

A continual problem with older or cheap PVC liner pools is the unsightly stain that builds up just above the water line. Even with constant cleaning it eventually gets to a point that it ruins the look of the pool. The simplest way of tackling this problem is with an adhesive tile band that is applied to the original liner and revitalises the look of the pool. There are several different makes on the market, some better than others so if you are interested then please contact us.

Concrete pool building standards

When laying the base of a swimming pool the pool company must use steel reinforced concrete to ensure it is strong enough to withstand any movement once the pool is finished. The base should be cast in one layer of concrete with the reinforcing grill mid way through the cement. It should not be cast in two layers with the grill dropped on top of the first layer once it had set! It should also have a waterproof membrane underneath which this hasn’t. Please check progress with your pool construction as even the big companies are not necessarily doing it correctly.

Ensure pipework is protected

When building a pool it is very important to ensure that all pipework is properly protected from damage once the surrounding earth is replaced. Over the years, as the ground settles, unprotected pipes can easily become damaged. If your pool company takes a short cut then the repairs to broken pipes around your pool can be very costly and inconvenient to repair.

Winterising your pool filtration system

​If you have a property in the Martina Franca area and are being charged €500 to winterise you pools filtration system then please call us. This service should be done as part of your pool closing process and costs your pool company nothing at all apart from half an hours work. It is a very simple process and uses a few euros worth of chemicals and should be included in the normal pool closing which costs €200. Companies will make it all sound very confusing, complicated and expensive…….it isn’t. If you would like to learn how to do it yourself then please give us a call and we will be happy to show you as well as give you the products you need.

Cyanuric acid

Cyanuric acid is a chemical that is added to dichlor and trichlor pool products to help stabalise the chlorine in outdoor swimming pools. Cyanuric acid forms a weak bond with free chlorine in the pool water, protecting it from the sun’s ultraviolet rays to reduce chlorine loss. If levels of cyanuric are too low then the free chlorine is quickly destroyed by the sun’s UV. If the levels of cyanuric are too high then the effectiveness of the free chlorine is reduced and it becomes and ineffective sanitiser for your pool. The time it takes to kill bacteria in the water is longer and the chlorine is less effective in keeping the water clean and problems such as increased cloudiness and exceeding combined chlorine limits can occur.
Ask your pool company what the level of cyanuric acid is in your pool and how they test for it? It should be done on a weekly basis and adjusted accordingly.

Chloromines

A clean, clear, correctly balanced, healthy pool should not smell in the slightest of chlorine. If there is a strong chlorine smell coming from the pool then it is an indication that something is not as it should be. It isn’t however what most people believe the problem to be. It isn’t because the level of chlorine is too high, in fact it’s opposite and the smell is caused by a compound called a chloramine.
The three types of chloramines are monochloramine, dichloramine, and trichloramine which are formed in the swimming pool when chlorine reacts with sweat, urine and other nitrogen compounds in the water.
Monochloramine is the product of the first part of the reaction between chlorine and ammonia and is not much of a problem as it acts as a disinfectant itself. Monochloramines in turn are converted into dichloramines and trichloramines and these two are the compounds that produce the strong chlorine small and can irritate they eyes and nasal passages when their levels rise. Trichloramine has a high toxicity level, is insoluble and is therefore likely to exist in a vapour form which being four times heavier than air sits just above the water level where bathers are breathing.
These compounds are known as combined chlorines and it is important to ensure that their levels are monitored and correctly maintained otherwise your pool will become very unpleasant to swim in.