#1 Myth of Fiberglass Pools – They Float or Pop-Up

Being the premier pool builder and dealer of Viking fiberglass pools in the Virginia Beach area for over a decade, we've addressed many concerns of customers involving the pros and cons of owning a fiberglass pool. Without a doubt the biggest myth we continue to dispel is that fiberglass pools float or pop up.

It’s a little bit amusing to us every time we hear it because we know that it’s the competitors of fiberglass pools that set this myth into motion and continue to add fuel to the fire with misinformation. We don’t believe in trying to use fear as a means of motivating our customers, we just want you to have the facts so that you can make the best decisions for you and your family.

During our over a decade in the fiberglass pool business and having installed over a thousand pools in the ground we have never had a pool float after installation.  It only stands to reason that if the pool is full of water, it’s not going to float, its general physics. 

Here’s a great you tube video by another fiberglass pool builder that shares with you a demonstration on how it’s not possible to have a fiberglass pool pop up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cjuKk1NAhg

As mentioned in the video, vinyl pools and concrete pools need to be drained for replacement or cleaning, a fiberglass pool doesn't need to be drained for any reason and if it did there are measures taken to make this safely possible. Contact a professional fiberglass pool builder before draining a fiberglass pool for any reason.

The second largest myth about fiberglass pool (yes, set into motion by the fiberglass pool industry competitors) is that fiberglass pools are much more expensive than a vinyl liner pool. If you were to only look at the initial cost of the project this might appear to be a true statement. If you add the expenses of the pool over the course of it’s lifetime you will see that the beauty of a fiberglass pool is there are almost never any expenses down the road for the home owner to worry about. Expenses like replacing a vinyl liner which typically lasts 5-8 years on average at a cost of 3-5K, so in it’s life time an owner could easily add 8-12K onto the original cost of the vinyl pool. This same principle will apply to concrete pools too requiring re-plastering every 8-12 years that will average 5K and over. If you are a potential pool buyer, figure in the cost of these long term repairs/expenses, as well as the year to year savings on chemicals, you will see if you are willing to pay more initially for a fiberglass pool you will pay less in the long run and have less headache.

Have questions? Call the premier pool builders of Virginia Beach 757-463-0600 | www.thepoolguyz.com

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Pool Maintenance | How to Open Your Swimming Pool for the Summer

Opening your swimming pool for the season can be exciting. We highly recommend that you use a professional pool company to perform the opening and closing of your pool. Much like winterizing a home a professional with the knowledge and experience can save you a lot of time and money!

Pool Opening Tips

Taking The Cover Off

The very first thing you need to do is remove the cover from your pool. If you have a safety cover, you will need an installation rod and hex key to remove the springs from the anchors and screw them down flush to the concrete.Again a professional is recommended for this process. Did you know that The Pool Guyz of Virginia Beach will close your pool for FREE when you purchase a pool cover from them?

If you have a standard tarp cover with water bags, just remove the water bags and empty them to store for the winter.  Remove any debris and drain the water off of the cover. You don't want the debris falling in the pool and draining the water will make your job a lot easier.

Fold the cover in half continually until it's easy to remove the cover from the pool.

Remove The Winter Plugs

Walk around your pool and find all the return lines. Remove the winter plugs with a screw driver from all the return lines. Air usually comes out when this is done if the pool was closed properly. Most pools have 2-3 returns, some have 4. Replace the plugs with eyeballs to circulate the water.

Remove the "Gizmo" from the skimmer or the ice compensator and replace the baskets.

Your pool will probably be a light green color. Make sure your pool is filled mid-way up the skimmer opening before starting your filter system.

Get Your Filter System Ready

Before you start your filter system, make sure all of the drain plugs are properly installed. Your filter system should have one main drain plug and your pump may have two. It's always a good idea to store your plugs in your filter basket for the winter season so they'll be easy to find when it's time to open the pool for the summer!

Replace the pressure gauge on your filter as well as any other parts that belong.

Check the o-ring on your pump lid to make sure it’s in good condition. Bend it between your fingers to check for cracks. If everything looks ok, just apply a Teflon-based o-ring lubricant before screwing the pump lid back on.

Once everything is in place, start your filter system.

Note: Your pump may have to be primed if no water is coming through. Turn off the pump and remove the lid. Fill the pump housing with water. You can use a hose or a giant bucket of pool water to do this. Replace the lid and your pump should prime itself. (having trouble getting the pump going? Don't let the water sit uncovered - call in a professional and get your pool up and running as soon as possible)

Depending on the type of filter system you have you will need to clean/replace the cartridge filter.
If you have a salt system you usually need to add salt at the opening of the pool.

If you have questions please as to they type of equipment or how to operate it please consult a professional pool service.

Test and Shock

Once your pool is up and running, take a water sample to your nearest pool dealer to get a professional water analysis done. Make sure you pH and alkalinity are properly balanced.

At this point, it’s a good idea to add the proper sanitizer to your water (i.e. chlorine). You can turn your salt system or chlorination system on high when opening the pool.

Some people like to shock the pool to help in the clearing of the water process.

Cleaning Up

Make sure you clean your winter cover before storing it away for the season. Check your local pool supply dealer for winter cover cleaner. Need a winter cover for your pool? Call The Pool Guyz at 757-463-0600

Vacuuming your pool using a manual vacuum at first is a good idea to get all the heavy debris out (if there is any). After that, you can continue to use your automatic pool cleaner.

Remember if you go it alone it's possible you could ruin equipment or something worse. Call in a professional The Pool Guyz serve Virginia Beach- it's worth it!

Have a Splash & Enjoy Your Cool Pool!

Top 5 Questions & Answers People have about Fiberglass Pools in Virginia Beach

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Viking Awarded for Superior Product

See the best that the Swimming Pool And Hot Tub Industry has to offer. PoolAndSpa.com announces the winners of their annual Best Of Class Awards for 2012. The award program recognizes outstanding products, innovations and/or customer service in the Swimming Pool And Spa industry.

PoolAndSpa.com, a Nevada based Swimming Pool and Hot Tub Spa web site, announces the winners of their 2012 Best Of Class Awards for companies in the Swimming Pool and Hot Tub Spa industry. The award program recognizes outstanding and superior products, innovation and/or customer service in the Swimming Pool And Hot Tub Spa industry.

Among this years' winners for Best Of Class Product Innovations are Viking Pools, Blue Hawaiian Pools, Composite Pools and many more.

To view go here;
POOL AND SPA

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. This years' Awards were based on a combination of factors including product inspections and phone interviews, as well as very detailed consumer input through the use of a third-party consumer survey company. Over 5000 consumers were polled throughout 2011 to the present. The 2012 Best Of Class Award Program focused on quality, not necessarily quantity.

PoolAndSpa.com was one of the first pool and spa companies to have a web site and has been on the Internet since 1994. They have presented their Best Of Class Awards every year since 1998. Award recipients receive a trophy, an award certificate, and editorial review.