Plain answers to the pool questions Sunshine Coast owners ask us most: water that has turned green, pumps that stop, heating that costs too much, and what to buy when something needs replacing.
Aim for free chlorine of about 1 to 3 ppm (Saltmate's chlorinator manual) and a pH of 7.2 to 7.6 (Saltmate and Pool Pro). Correct total alkalinity first, then pH, then chlorine. Logan City Council's licensed-pool standard (pH 7.2 to 7.8, free chlorine at least 1.0 mg/L) is a useful Queensland benchmark.
The main causes manufacturers list for a pool pump that stops are power not reaching the motor, a jammed impeller or a pump that has lost its prime and is sucking air. Check the switch, timer and safety switch, the water level, both baskets and the lid O-ring first. Anything inside the motor, its capacitor or its wiring is licensed electrical work in Queensland.
A pool heat pump draws warmth from the air and moves it into your pool, so it can extend the Sunshine Coast swim season. As a quick guide, divide pool volume in litres by 2,500 for kilowatts and round up, then adjust for wind, shade, cover use and how long you want to swim.
Green, cloudy or unbalanced water, chlorine and pH levels, and salt chlorinators.
Aim for free chlorine of about 1 to 3 ppm (Saltmate's chlorinator manual) and a pH of 7.2 to 7.6 (Saltmate and Pool Pro). Correct total alkalinity first, then pH, then chlorine. Logan City Council's licensed-pool standard (pH 7.2 to 7.8, free chlorine at least 1.0 mg/L) is a useful Queensland benchmark.
A green pool is an algae bloom, usually caused by free chlorine falling too low. To fix it, get the pump and filter running, brush every surface, bring pH to 7.2 to 7.6, shock with chlorine to the product label and filter continuously until the water is clear, then retest before anyone swims.
Most salt chlorinators stop making chlorine because of low salt, scale on the cell, poor flow, or water chemistry such as low stabiliser, which lets sunlight break chlorine down faster than the cell makes it. Owners can test the water, check flow and clean the cell by the manual. Power faults, fuses and worn cells need a technician or licensed electrician.
Both are chlorine pools. A salt chlorinator makes chlorine on site from dissolved salt, while a traditional pool is dosed by hand with liquid, granular or tablet chlorine. Salt cuts routine chlorine handling but adds a cell, acid for rising pH and corrosion care; hand dosing has simpler equipment but needs a steady routine.
When the pump stops, the filter clogs or the water level drops, and how to choose replacements.
The main causes manufacturers list for a pool pump that stops are power not reaching the motor, a jammed impeller or a pump that has lost its prime and is sucking air. Check the switch, timer and safety switch, the water level, both baskets and the lid O-ring first. Anything inside the motor, its capacitor or its wiring is licensed electrical work in Queensland.
A variable speed pool pump lets you set its motor speed, so the pool filters at low speed for longer and speeds up only for cleaning, backwashing or heating. Because, in theory, power drops far faster than flow as speed falls, it suits pools that filter daily, provided low speeds still give your chlorinator, heater and cleaner the flow they need.
Put a bucket of pool water on the second step, mark both levels, switch off the pump and auto top-up, and compare after 24 hours. If the pool drops further than the bucket, it is probably leaking. Repeat with the pump running: more loss then points to the filtration system or plumbing.
Neither filter wins outright. A sand or glass media filter is the simple backwash-and-go option, while a cartridge filter avoids backwash water and, by Zodiac's figures, filters finer. Glass media makers claim less backwash water than sand, and DE filters finest but needs fresh powder after every backwash. Choose by debris load, space, sewer access and upkeep.
Heat pumps, solar heating and covers: how each works and how to keep more of the heat.
A pool heat pump draws warmth from the air and moves it into your pool, so it can extend the Sunshine Coast swim season. As a quick guide, divide pool volume in litres by 2,500 for kilowatts and round up, then adjust for wind, shade, cover use and how long you want to swim.
Solar pool heating pumps pool water through roof collectors, where the sun warms it before it returns to the pool. A controller only sends water up when the roof is hotter than the pool. It extends the swimming season on sunny days at low running cost, but it depends on sunshine, so it cannot hold a set temperature.
For most Sunshine Coast pools, yes: a cover keeps heat in, cuts evaporation and keeps leaves out, which stretches the comfortable swim season. It adds little if it rarely goes on, it can overheat water in midsummer, and it never replaces the pool barrier Queensland law requires.
Choosing between robotic and suction pool cleaners.
A robotic cleaner suits owners who want floor and walls cleaned without extra pump hours or filter load, because it has its own motor, power supply and filter. A suction cleaner still suits a simple pool with light debris and a pump already set up to drive it.
Call or visit the nearest Billabong shop, from Noosa to Caloundra.
Or see our services: Regular pool servicing, Pool repairs, Pump repairs, Pool heating.