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!

Why a Dolphin Robotic Vacuum May be a Good Idea

If you have a pool and clean it regularly, you’re probably well aware what a pain it can be to install and use traditional pool cleaning devices. Whether you have a suction cleaner that connects to your skimmer or a pressure cleaner that connects to the pump, you spend your time installing fittings, cutting and assembling hoses and untangling hoses and cords. It can be a chore!

Not only can traditional pool cleaning devices waste your time, but they can also waste your money. A typical suction cleaner can cost you up to $400 of electricity in a year. Pressure cleaners use even more energy, for a whopping yearly cost of about $650.

A Dolphin robotic pool vacuum from Maytronics is an independent cleaning machine that is “plug-and-play”. It doesn’t rely on the pool’s filter or pump, and it doesn’t need any additional pumps or hoses to get your pool clean. Just drop it into the water and turn it on.

Not only are these robotic pool vacuums easier to use—they are also up to 90% more efficient than the suction and pressure cleaners on the market today. A robotic cleaner uses far less energy for a total yearly electricity cost of only about $20.

The latest generation of Maytronics pool vacuums are cloud-connected, WIFI enabled, remote controlled and easily programmable, giving you the ability to clean your pool from anywhere, anytime.

So, stop in to your local Colley’s location and find out why a Dolphin from Maytronics is the right fit for your pool!