BIO203: Intro to Problem Solving

1. BIO203: INTRO TO PROBLEM SOLVING
Pool & Spa University

2. PROBLEM SOLVING
➤ Even with the system care approach and careful water testing, not every pool owner will stay “out of
trouble” with regards to their pool. Chlorine feeders run dry, shock treatments are forgotten, the pool is
left unwatched during a long vacation, bather loads increase: there are many ways a good pool can go
bad.
➤ Most pool problems can be directly correlated to a handful of factors:
➤ Inadequate circulation
➤ Inadequate filtration
➤ Inadequate sanitizer/shock
➤ Inadequate balancing
➤ Any of these factors—or a combination of them—can result in a pool problem and a headache for the
pool owner.
➤ The most common pool problems:
➤ Cloudy water
➤ Algae
➤ Metals
➤ Chlorine demand

3. Left: green algae. Top-right: iron staining on pool steps. Bottom-right: cloudy
water.

4. ORDER OF OPERATIONS
➤ When it comes to solving pool problems—as well as correcting balance issues—there is a specific order
of operations to follow.
➤ Order of operations:
➤ Need for draining
➤ Metals
➤ Chlorine demand
➤ Balance
➤ Sanitize
➤ Algae
➤ Cloudy water
➤ Staining
➤ Maintenance
➤ The order of operations takes into account how different pool problems interact with each other; for
instance, trying to break a demand when metals are present can cause a severe staining problem. Be
sure to follow the order of operations!
➤ We’ll briefly cover the need for draining in this activity.

5. WHEN TO DRAIN
➤ When we discuss draining pools, we very rarely suggest draining the entire volume of water at once
due to structural concerns. We will recommend partial drains to 3” below the skimmer. 3-4 partial
drains and refills are generally sufficient to turn over a large volume of water safely.
➤ Spas are usually safe to drain entirely; for inground spas, it’s a good idea to have the customer check
with the builder first.
➤ Draining recommendations will come into play under the following conditions:
➤ Chlorine demand readings in excess of 100ppm
➤ High CYA levels
➤ Outdoor: >200ppm
➤ Indoor/Bromine: >30ppm
➤ High TDS levels
➤ For spas, we recommend draining when the water has increased 1500ppm over tap readings
➤ High Optimizer® Plus (borate) readings (>90ppm)
➤ Draining may also be an option for splasher pools (5000gal or less) and spas with issues like algae
or metals.

6. CONGRATULATIONS!
You have completed the activity!