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Swimming Pool & Spa Construction & Maintenance/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| connecting pool to fire hydrant | 1/19/2012 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: We are looking into connecting our pool to a fire hydrant. If we do connect and it passes the ... A: I'm not sure about the local MA laws (we are based in NC) but to get 1000 GMP you will most likely ... | ||
| diamondbrite patch? | 1/18/2012 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: My five year old Diamond Bright resurface has a 24" diameter un bonding where it has separated from ... A: If you drain the pool down below the patch site, you can patch the hole with diamond bright. Just ... | ||
| Hot Tub Pump Housing Crack | 12/28/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: I waited a bit too long to fill up our outdoor hot-tub this fall and discovered a crack (6") behind ... A: It wont be a perfect or permanent fix but you can try a 2-part putty epoxy, I have never used it on ... | ||
| french drain | 12/27/2011 | Manish J.Joshi |
| Q: We put in a inground pool with a vinyl liner in late summer 2007. We were told they were going to be ... A: Sorry to counter question I need to know the following : 1)What is the material used in the flooring ... | ||
| solar cover | 12/25/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: I want to purchase a solar cover for my pool (as they are cheaper now), there are so many types. ... A: To be honest the solar cover is not going to do much to heat your pool (just the top couple of ... | ||
| Spa bench--oval vs. rectangle? | 12/13/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: We are installing a Gunnite pool with an integrated spa. The spa is 5 x 7 and ended up looking a ... A: Right now the benches can only be replaced by jackhammering out the gunite and installing basically ... | ||
| 2 questions | 11/24/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: First: I have solar panels and repleaced my pool pump. The original pump was 3/4 horsepower the new ... A: 1. Horsepower is not what any pool professional should be looking for. What you are looking for is ... | ||
| water mark on hot tub wall | 11/23/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: This year I didn't get my hot tub emptied and cleaned and now there is a white film at the water ... A: We see this problem quite often. What you see is a combination of scale AND biofilm build-up. ... | ||
| Inground pool skimmer winterizing | 11/10/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: When winterizing pool skimmer, i usually vaccuum to waste until the water level gets below the ... A: Easy one...no Gizzmo needed. A PVC plug with tape will do the job for you. Just be careful that ... | ||
| Tree dust? I'm frustrated!!! | 10/29/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: I'm in Cypress, Orange County, Southern California. My pool is approx 12 or 13,000 gallons. And I ... A: Sorry to take so long to get back to you. When it comes to environmental issues like yours there's ... | ||
| Tiger Spa won't run- no power to control panel | 10/25/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: I have been pretty frustrated trying to self fix this issue. Maybe you can help me. I have a Tiger ... A: Sorry to take so long to get back. Our whole family has been down with the flu since Tuesday. ... | ||
| Tiger Spa won't run- no power to control panel | 10/24/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: I have been pretty frustrated trying to self fix this issue. Maybe you can help me. I have a Tiger ... A: As all of my other answers to questions like this, I remain convinced that spas - by & large - ... | ||
| Cutting pool maintenance costs | 10/19/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: I hope you can help me with saving maintenance costs on my in-ground pool. I'd like to ask the ... A: Never heard of the iRobot. Sand Shark is something new from Kreepy. If you like, the best time to ... | ||
| underground pool lines | 10/19/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: I live on Long Island, NY. I have an inground gunite pool. I had the underground lines replaced ... A: Yes...they stuck you with a product not designed for the intended purpose. Every flexible pipe ... | ||
| Repairs on Old Pools | 10/16/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: I have a rental house with a 40-50 year old pool that needs re-plastering and to fix a crack just ... A: If I were you, now is the best time to fully replace the old lines if you feel as though they are in ... | ||
| Cutting pool maintenance costs | 10/14/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: I hope you can help me with saving maintenance costs on my in-ground pool. I'd like to ask the ... A: You can take the course "Certified Pool Operator." It is a national course that all pool service ... | ||
| Cutting pool maintenance costs | 10/14/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: I hope you can help me with saving maintenance costs on my in-ground pool. I'd like to ask the ... A: Taking care of your pool is not really that hard if you take the time to learn about every piece of ... | ||
| Cutting pool maintenance costs | 10/14/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: I hope you can help me with saving maintenance costs on my in-ground pool. I'd like to ask the ... A: Sorry to take so long to get back to you. Thanks for your question. Pool care is relatively easy & ... | ||
| Hot tub control not holding temp | 10/10/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: I have a hot tub, I can set the temp. I want (100), but as soon as I release the button, it starts ... A: It could very well be that after you release the button, the counting down is to the actual ... | ||
| cantilever deck and tile | 10/8/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: Our swimming pool is gunite and we live in the southeast corner of Pennsylvania. Our pool is 16 ... A: The correct solution is the one that the professionals have suggested. The tile is popping off ... | ||
| swimming pool closure | 10/1/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: We are in dire straits economically and can no longer afford to maintain our gunite pool. We wan't ... A: I'm sorry to say that you are stuck in a hard spot. The solution is to leave the water in it and ... | ||
| A Few Questions Before We Buy A Pool | 9/30/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: Ron, I asked another expert one of these questions, but forgot a few things: (1) I live in a hot ... A: Let's take them one at a time. 1. With Ozone, you'll need to back it up with chlorine. Ozone is NOT ... | ||
| What Type of Pool Should We Install - Ozone or Salt? | 9/30/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: Frank, We are in the process of getting bids to put in a pool and are confused about which type is ... A: This is really a personal preference....First of all, you are not buying a saltwater or ozone ... | ||
| suck cup | 9/27/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: Today when i was closing my pool, my son took one of the black rubber plugs (with wing nut on top) ... A: Looks like you might have some work ahead of you...these types of issues can either be an easy fix ... | ||
| Closing | 9/19/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: I am not using my pool this season anymore. The service people are not closing it for another month. ... A: It's your pool and you can maintain it anyway that you want. I can tell you that the chemicals will ... | ||
| Closing | 9/14/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: I am not using my pool this season anymore. The service people are not closing it for another month. ... A: DO not neglect the pool for now. THey will charge you to get it clean before they close it. THe ... | ||
| shock | 9/13/2011 | Manish J.Joshi |
| Q: after every time i shock the pool, i get a reading of chlorine of 10 for a few days afterwards. ... A: Let us understand when you should shock the pool first. 1)When the pool is green or presence of ... | ||
| chlorine | 9/7/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: after every time i shock the pool, i get a reading of chlorine of 10 for a few days afterwards. ... A: I would recommend that you follow my advice as mentioned above. If your chlorine level is good & ... | ||
| chlorine | 9/5/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: after every time i shock the pool, i get a reading of chlorine of 10 for a few days afterwards. ... A: Strange as it may seem, your pool may not need to be shocked as often as you're doing it. For ... | ||
| shock | 9/1/2011 | Manish J.Joshi |
| Q: after every time i shock the pool, i get a reading of chlorine of 10 for a few days afterwards. ... A: I forgot to ask do you use your Tap water to recharge the pool? Since at times it might have high ... | ||
| shock | 9/1/2011 | Manish J.Joshi |
| Q: after every time i shock the pool, i get a reading of chlorine of 10 for a few days afterwards. ... A: Ofcourse you reduce the chlorine level by using stabilizers available in the market. But why do you ... | ||
| chlorine | 9/1/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: after every time i shock the pool, i get a reading of chlorine of 10 for a few days afterwards. ... A: Are you adding "too much" shock? How big is your pool & how much are you adding? You MAY be able to ... | ||
| chemicals | 9/1/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: after every time i shock the pool, i get a reading of chlorine of 10 for a few days afterwards. ... A: THere are chemicals at your local pool store that can do this for you. Most of them have names like ... | ||
| White (clorine) residue on pool bottom and steps | 8/24/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: Due to the weeks of 100+ temps in San Antonio I have had a hard time keeping enough clorine in the ... A: I hate to tell you but, you're going to have to live with this calcium residue until the water ... | ||
| vacuum | 8/24/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: My old vacuum hose must have a leak, as I keep losing suction and when I borrowed my neighboes it ... A: I'm pretty sure that most "residential" vacuum hoses are a standard size while "commercial" hoses ... | ||
| seals | 8/23/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: When replacing the strainer gasket to the pump, what type of lubricant can/should I use? Can I use a ... A: The main gasket that goes around the shaft of the pump between the impeller & motor should be ... | ||
| circulation filter problem. | 8/22/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: When I attempt to vacuum the pool, I get good suction through the hose, but also circulation through ... A: Sometimes the dead algae is so fine that it goes through the filter. You may want to try a few ... | ||
| circulation filter problem. | 8/21/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: When I attempt to vacuum the pool, I get good suction through the hose, but also circulation through ... A: I'm not sure but I am assuming that the filter is a cartridge filter. THe water will always flow ... | ||
| lubricant | 8/17/2011 | Ron Parrs |
| Q: When replacing the strainer gasket to the pump, what type of lubricant can/should I use? Can I use a ... A: Use a pool lubricant. Pool lubricants are made to hold up better under water and changes (sometimes ... | ||
| seals | 8/17/2011 | Frank Bowman |
| Q: When replacing the strainer gasket to the pump, what type of lubricant can/should I use? Can I use a ... A: THey make a special lubricant available at the local pool store for a few bucks (MagicLube). Put it ... | ||
Swimming Pool & Spa Construction & Maintenance
Answers by Expert:
Frank Bowman
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I have spent my life expanding my knowledge of swimming pools and their related systems and components. I have been retained to make presentations to other pool builders, architects and engineers from around the world at the International Pool and Spa Expo, Coverings (National Tile Expo), World of Concrete and numerous local and regional functions. I am confident in my ability to answer questions about swimming pool design, construction, renovation and the relates systems and components however my knowledge is more limited when it comes to above ground swimming pools. I currently own three companies http://www.FrankBowman.com , http://www.SplashPoolsNC.com , http://www.SignatureAquatics.com .
Experience
We have been designing and installing residential and commercial pools since 1996 in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. My past projects have ranged from a standard fiberglass pool installation to a $2.5 million backyard masterpiece featured in numerous national publications.
Education/Credentials
North Carolina State University - Business Management
Genesis 3 - Construction School, Color Theory, History of Architecture, Design School
Cold Weather Concreting - World of Concrete
Advanced Hydraulic Design - Texas
Commanding Water Chemistry - Florida
Infinity Edge and Perimeter Overflow Pools - California
Have completed in excess of 50 classes provided by manufactures on pumps, filters, heaters, saltwater chlorine generators, cleaners, etc.
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