The 5-Step Tutorial on Pool Equipment

So you have a swimming pool or are considering one. At some point you want to figure out what happens behind that fence in the corner of your yard. Or you need to know why some people have a hose in their pool while you don't. No need to worry, this is the 5-step tutorial on pool equipment.

Walk into a swimming pool supply store and you may find thousands of supplies. That's merely because of the various brands making almost the same products with slightly varied options.

Pool equipment bascially falls into one of these categories:

• Heaters
• Filters
• Pumps/Motors
• Automatic Pool Cleaners
• Poles/Brushes/Vacuums

So let's keep it easy. Each of our five steps is understanding each of these categories. Let's get started...

Step 1: Pool heaters & spa heaters - Most swimming pools do not even have a pool heater (just move to step 2 if you're not interested...see, we're keeping pool equipment easy for you). Of course, every spa needs to have a heater - that is how the spa water stays hot.

The good news is that pool and spa heaters typically work the same. They generally run on electricty. Coils within the heater are heated up. Your water then flows from your pool or spa into the coils, heats up, and then the hot water flows back into your pool or spa. Of course you are mixing water and heat, so heaters have a tendancy to rust, overheat, and if improperly wired they may short.

In short, when something goes wrong with the heater you typically have to contact a specialist to get it repaired. Keep reading the articles by clicking at the end of this page for more information on heaters.

Step 2: Pool Filters - Every swimming pool has a filter as standard pool equipment. Regardless of how perfect your pool water may be, over time things will get into the water. These things may be dust, leaves, sun tan lotion, or just bacteria.

Chemicals can help kill bad things in your water, such as bacteria, but the only way to get the remains out of your pool is to filter the debris out. Your dirty water flows through your pipes, underground, into that big thing sitting in the corner of your yard. That big thing is your filter.

When the dirty water goes in the filter it must pass through a "debris-capturer" that is either sand, broken up seashells, or screens. This "debris-capturer" collects the debris and lets the cleaned water pass through to the other side. The clean water then flows through other pipes underground back into your pool. This time your water is clean. Keep reading the articles by clicking at the end of this page for more information on pool filters.

Continue to Steps 3-5 >>