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River Pools & Spas Blog
The most educational swimming pool blog in the country, providing fiberglass pool articles and videos, as well as information on inground concrete and liner pools.
Is drowning really an issue? Yes! I know it's easy to think, "That only happens to other people." We get lazy. We make assumptions. But this is the absolute worst time to learn what they say about people who assume. Drowning kills children under 5 years old more than anything else besides birth defects. About 1 in 5 people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another 5 receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. We can prevent these tragedies by knowing both how to prevent potential issues beforehand and what to do if an accident does occur.
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Hey guys, my name is Mike Harper, aka The Pool Care Guy, and in today's post I'm going to be talking about the pool water saturation index. It's a bit of a complex topic that involves lots of numbers, but I'll try to break it down into plain English as best I can. The water saturation index, officially known as the LSI (Langelier Saturation Index), is a scientific formula created to calculate the perfect water balance, or essentially whether it is corrosive or scaling. Specifically, it's defined as “an approximate indicator of the degree of saturation of calcium carbonate in water.”
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Don't blindly wonder if a fiberglass, concrete, or vinyl liner pool is right for you. Our educational ebook does a deep-dive comparison of the 3 types, all while noting the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Pools are party central, basically by nature. They're a great opportunity to win over your grumpy neighbors or spend quality time with your extended family. And, bonus, they offer a reprieve for awkward guests like me, who answer three questions about writing or work and then hide behind the refreshments table for ten minutes. Here at River Pools, we've learned that pools bring people together like nothing else. We specialize in fiberglass pools, but we're here to help you regardless of whether or not you buy a pool from us. Whether you have 3 guests or 30 (which seems like a lot to me, but still), we want to help you make the most of this bonding experience. And it's so satisfying to pull off a successful party!
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Patio and Coping | Pool Maintenance
The following is a guest article from Bill Michaels at Patterned Concrete. Nothing beats that “fresh, new look.” Unfortunately, too many things in life lose their luster if not properly cared for. That can be the case even for something as stable as stamped concrete, but it doesn’t have to be. Your new installation is beautiful, whether it's your patio, walkway or even indoor surface. With proper care it can keep up its appearance and luster for many years.
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You've invested so much into your pool. Time. Money. Sweat. Maybe even tears (although I hope not). And now some storm wants to come in and mess up your oasis? Not today, Satan! If a natural disaster is on its way, you can follow these guidelines to storm-proof your pool as much as possible. And this doesn't apply to only a hurricane or tornado per se, but any big storm, especially with high winds.
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Pool Maintenance | Swimming Pool FAQs
When I was a kid, I hated my mom’s chore charts. I vowed, with the seriousness of any 8-year-old, that if I had children, I would never make them do that. I now make chore charts for myself. Moms really do know everything. As you plan out the swim season, it may help to make a pool chore chart for your family—or at least to mentally review what you'll need to do.
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Fiberglass Pool Information | Swimming Pool FAQs
Considering a fiberglass pool? Every pool type has its advantages and disadvantages, and these are no exception. Weird, I know—a fiberglass pool manufacturer is saying that? Out loud? (Well, metaphorically out loud.) Yeah. At River Pools we believe pool buyers should have all the information, regardless of whether you buy a fiberglass pool from us. So we're going to go over the things you should know about fiberglass pools, both good and bad, so you can make an informed decision on whether or not it's the right choice for you and your family.
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Well, it's that time of year again, folks. And after the winter we had here in Virginia, I say good riddance! But with the warmer weather, the ‘swimming bug' will soon be affecting all of us. (That is, if it hasn't already done so.) In fact, as I write this article and sit in my car at a parking lot in Yorktown, Virginia, the temperature outside is about 93°F degrees on April 7. Wow, now that's what I call skipping spring!
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Fiberglass Pool Information | Swimming Pool Design
We can all admit that, back in the day, fiberglass pools used to be a bit of an eyesore. But science is an amazing thing: the technology has developed so that not only are these pools now gorgeous, but you can find the exact design and accessories to create your dream backyard. We at River Pools take nigh-parental joy in creating fiberglass pool shapes and designs to fit all kinds of needs. Disclaimer: The shape and size of fiberglass pools can’t be customized the way concrete or vinyl liner pools can. A, they’re built from existing molds, rather than from scratch. B, they have to be 16 ft by 40 ft or smaller, since they travel via highway to get to your house. It’s sad, I know. However, that’s not to say you have no choices! There are plenty of options available, and every fiberglass pool manufacturer produces different designs. Most people are able to find a fiberglass pool design that they love and that fits their needs.
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The following is a guest post from Mike Harper, aka The Pool Care Guy. Flocculant may sound like the white fluffy stuff you spray on your fake tree at Christmas, but it's actually a really useful chemical you can use to clean up a cloudy pool. In fact, it's probably the fastest way to clear up a pool that you can’t seem to get clean with your filtration system. But in case that’s not enough information for you, let’s talk about it a little more.
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