Pool Services FAQ

Our Pool Services FAQ helps with Frequently Asked Questions regarding pool care, maintenance, chemicals, water balancing and filtering.

How many hours should I run my pool filter?

That depends on the time of year. There is a specific equation to determine how long your pool should run. As a rule of thumb, you should run your pool at least 1 hour for every ten degrees of the average high temperature, ie — Highs in the 90s’ = 9 to 10 hours of run time. Pools over 20k gallons or older pools plumbed with 1.5” plumbing may need longer run times.

What are the recommended levels for water chemistry?

Total Alkalinity (adjusted) 80ppm – 120ppm

To calculate adjusted alkalinity, take your Total Alkalinity ppm – 1/3 Cyanuric Acid  ppm = Adjusted Alkalinity

pH 7.2 – 7.8 pH Scale

Chlorine 1ppm – 3ppm

Calcium Hardness 200ppm – 400ppm

Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer) 20ppm – 40ppm

Pool Sanitation is important. Learn more here.

How long should I wait to enter a pool after it has been treated?

This will depend on the amount and chemicals added to the water. It could be as short as 3 hours; for more aggressive treatments like shocking the pool, we would recommend waiting at least 6 to 12 hours.

My water looks cloudy, what should I do?

Call us. Seriously. Most importantly, DO NOT add any products or chemicals to your pool without consulting a qualified pool service technician! When pool water is cloudy, it is often a filtration or mineral/chemical issue that requires a qualified technician to diagnose and resolve correctly.

Contact us by phone at (727) 269-3457 to have one of our qualified technicians diagnose the water quality issue.  Most pool issues can be resolved within 1-2 business days.

My water level in my pool is dropping, what should I do?

A few conditions may cause your pool water level to drop, depending on the situation.  Most often, a pool water level drop results from evaporation (more common during summer months) and a pool leak.

You should expect to see a ¼ – ½ inch loss of water per day during the summer months due to evaporation. This is roughly 2 – 4 inches per week, keeping in mind that the actual water loss will depend on several environmental factors and may vary.

If you’re seeing abnormal water loss, it’s entirely possible that you may have a leak and will need additional help from us.  In such cases, please get in touch with us by phone at (727) 269-3457, and one of our qualified technicians will be happy to assist.

What’re Cover2Pool’s operating hours?