Maintenance and Safety

This page briefly outlines certain requirements, which, if followed, will maximise your enjoyment, prevent problems and protect your investment. Select from the topics on the left menu.

Immediately Following "Handover"

Careful monitoring and attention is required by the Owner/Occupier immediately on "Handover', and thereafter, strictly: in accordance with the practices and procedures given by the Contractor, Supplier or Manufacturer to ensure that your investment is protected and that your Warranty or Guarantee requirements are preserved and maintained in accordance with the contract, and the protection provided under it.

Important Notice:

You could jeopardise any claim you are entitled to under "Statutory" or other warranties if these guidelines are not followed, or, the recommended chemical balances and procedures are not maintained

All warranty claims must be forwarded to your Contractor, in writing -as soon as you become aware or concerned.

When the Pool/Spa is filled (in preparation for "Handover'), the water supplied often contains impurities, chemicals and metals etc, and may not have the correct calcium hardness or correct water chemistry balances suitable for the purpose of a Swimming Pool/Spa.

Like a new car, a Pool/Spa and its water requires "running in" while the materials used "cure", and the water chemistry settles in, and like a new car - it is completely in the operators hands.

lf you follow the recommended "start up and running in" procedures, followed by the recommended, regular maintenance schedules, your Pool/Spa and accessories will provide you with many years of trouble free enjoyment, and, the water will be clear, clean and healthy.

Your Contractor should provide you with the manufacturer's warranty and instructional brochures on the use and maintenance of all the Pool/Spa equipment/accessories and other items supplied or used. If not, ask for them or phone the equipment manufacturer. The methods you use should be in accordance with these instructions.

You must follow the instructions provided by the Contractor, and should now locate, read (and then keep in a safe place), any "third party" instructions/warranties relating to equipment, supplies or accessories.

If your Pool/Spa is 'saltwater chlorinated'

your handover technician will advise you when the first lot of salt can be added (which may vary from immediately up to 4 weeks, depending on the initial water supply and/or the curing requirements of the internal lining).

If your Pool/Spa becomes cloudy

Top up the water to operating level (1/2 way up the skimmer box)
Use a "flocculent" to treat the suspended solids and allow about 24hrs for the floc to settle,
Brush and vacuum the sediment to waste, then top up the water to the operating level, again (if necessary).

Concrete Pools (with a cement based internal finish)

Are "acid washed" prior to being filled with water
The internal finish can take from 4 to 6 weeks to "cure", and
may require the addition of other chemicals or agents to counteract the effect of treated or bore water, or
may require the delaying of the normally required salt or other chemicals during the "curing" period

As a General guide, you will need to:

Add the recommended chemicals or agents as instructed (if not already done by the Contractor)
Monitor and Balance water chemistry - weekly

(for the first 3 weeks):

Manually Brush and Vacuum the entire surface finishes daily, checking and clearing the skimmer basket/s and lint pots in the pump/s for small particles brushed off the surfaces. The use of a "filter sock" in the skimmer basket, during this time will greatly assist in catching these small particles.

Run the filtration system for a minimum of 10 hours a day, check and
Adjust the pH of the Pool/Spa water every 2nd day
Maintain pH in the range of 7.2 to 7.6
Attend to "algae flashes" promptly

Newly finished concrete pools (with a cement based internal finish) require at least 250 mg/L calcium hardness in order to prevent the extraction of calcium from the cement products used in construction (ie. to prevent etching).

The concentration of calcium hardness may be increased by l0mg/L with the addition of either:

1509 of calcium chloride; or
1709 of calcium sulphate for each 10,000 litres of Pool/Spa water

Removing calcium build up is no easy task. However, preventing calcium from adhering to pool surfaces can be as simple as following the contractor's recommended procedures for the first 4-6 weeks.

Also, there are a number of metal sequestering agents available that can counteract the effects of calcium scale, and which allow for the easy removal of unsightly solid particles by brushing and then vacuuming.

Fibreglass and Vinyl Lined Pools

(Under normal circumstances, these finishes and internal linings are already "cured" prior to installation, and do not require an "acid wash" or the addition or delaying of chemicals or agents).

However, the water chemistry and water balance will still need careful monitoring and attention, as mentioned above ie:

Test the water twice a week
Ph to be maintained between 6.8 and 7.2
TA to be maintained between 60 and 200ppm
Cl not to exceed 4ppm
Brush and vacuum
Check that filters and skimmers have an unrestricted flow of water, and
Check that the "stand pipe" is free of water

If it all sounds too hard -consult your local NSPI Accredited Specialist and keep the written reports they provide.

In any event:

The written instructions given by the Contractor for the daily monitoring and adjusting of water chemistry filtration, brushing, vacuuming, or other maintenance instructions or requirements given at "Handover", must be strictly followed as indicated.

the Statutory Warranty provided by your Contract, and the Statutory Warranty period thereafter (under Queensland Legislation), is conditional upon:

The Consumer following the Contractor's instructions for initial and on-going maintenance, and
that any concerns with the Warranty of the Contracted Works, or the general operation of the Swimming Pool/Spa being directed to the Contractor in writing, within specific time frames.

Please keep your completed Contract in a safe place, and familiarise yourself with the Statutory Warranty, Contract Warranty and Manufacturers' Warranty terms and conditions.