FAQs

For Builders

What are your company credentials?

CPS Pools & Spas is an official member of the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. In business since 1957.

What criteria should I use when choosing a pool builder?

The best source of information will be people who have used the builder for their own pools. CPS Pools & Spas will provide you upon request a list of referrals. Ask your builder for the same. Call the customers on the list and ask about their experience. If at all possible, visit pools built by the builder and see first-hand how the pool was designed, constructed, and maintained.

Ask the builder as many questions as you want and make sure that you are satisfied with the answers. You may also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there have been complaints against the builder and if there was a response from the builder and if there was a response from the company to rectify any problems. And finally, check into how long the builder has been around. You cannot receive warranty protection or services if the company you have chosen has gone out of business. Look for a company that has been well established in your community.

Do the benefits of owning a pool make the cost worth it?

Absolutely! Owning a pool can be one the most rewarding investments that you will ever make! The lifetime of memories created by owning an in ground pool are priceless and irreplaceable. Plus, your own pool improves your mental, physical well-being by providing both stress relief and the perfect exercise solution. So what are you waiting for? Make your family Pool People today!

I have a certain design in mind for my pool. Would your company be able to create it?

All our pools are custom designed. If you can conceive it, CPS Pools & Spas can build it in a Gunite pool. We can accomplish almost the same thing in Vinyl Liner pools.

Gunite Pools versus Vinyl Lined Pools?

CPS Pools & Spas builds both Gunite and Vinyl Liner Pools.

Gunite is a seamless, superior strength concrete applied under high pressure from a special machine…then finished with the interior surface of your choice.
No other pool can match the long term durability, creative designs and beauty of a Gunite pool. Gunite will cost more than vinyl lined pools, but the added value of Gunite is something most homeowners can easily see and appreciate.
Vinyl liner pools offer you all the design and custom look of Gunite yet at a cost that is considerably less. You can take your pool to the next level by adding brick coping, stained decks, and choices of colors and patterns of your vinyl liner.

Why do you keep saying that the rain is delaying my pool being built?

The worse we could do is dig a hole and have so much rain that the walls start to cave in. Can we ever predict the weather in Mississippi? These critical stages are influenced by rain:

1. During the dig
2. Before the bottom & walls cave In.
3. Usually after the deck which must be graded & leveled or dry dirt.

We strive to complete pools in the order that the contract and money was received. During the spring, rainy season we always start with the driest yards to complete work in. One of the reasons CPS Pools & Spas can complete work faster than other companies are because we have separate crews for every phase of your pool and try to keep them working continuously.


About Chemicals

Does it matter where I purchase my chemicals?

Absolutely! Take in mind the quality of product, What about the ingredients in the package you are buying? There are differences. Cheaper chemicals mean more ingredients in the mix that don’t really do anything for your pool water, but fill up the bag and allow the big store to sell it for less.

How do I collect a water sample, and how soon does it need to be tested?

Water sample should be collected at the deep end, elbow deep in water. The sample should be brought in the store within an hr if not refrigerate or put inside a bag of ice.

Even if my pool looks physically clean, how do I know its biologically clean?

Even if the water looks crystal clear it can still be unbalanced and unsafe to swim in.

Why won’t my water hold chlorine?

Probably the most common pool question we get this time of year, and there are a few culprits that could be at play. First being a low stabilizer level (a.k.a. Cyanuric Acid), without a proper stabilizer level (20- 50 ppm) your chlorine could be eliminated daily, especially if your pool gets direct sunlight. Second, is having combined chlorine. Combined chlorine occurs when your Total Chlorine is higher than your Free Chlorine; ideally these two numbers should be exactly the same. And third, the presence of Phosphates in your water. Phosphates bind with chlorine and can cause decreased chlorine levels and eventually a combined chlorine problem

Why does the water burn my eyes?

When the PH falls below 7.2 the water is considered acidic and causes your eyes to burn.

Should I add chemicals to my water even though it’s going to rain?

Knowing when a prolonged period of rain is forecast can allow you to prepare for certain chemical changes related to precipitation. Rain often is slightly acidic and especially so near large urban centers where pollutants are expelled in higher amounts from factories and automobiles. Rain also captures pollen and other organic materials that will end up in a pool. Add a bit more chlorine and pH balance chemicals than you might need when performing regular pool maintenance to account for these potential changes and maintain the pool’s chemical balance.

Why do I need calcium hardness in my pool?

Calcium on the low and high end of the scales will eventually cause problems and when they do, be ready for some serious problems. Low calcium, as is often the case, will cause long-term serious damage especially to plaster, vinyl liners, grout in between tiles, metal rails, and even concrete decking around the pool.

Why are phosphates so important? How do they affect my pool?

Phosphate is a nutrient that is vital to plant life. Pools can build up high phosphates from rain, fertilizers, adding water from your hose etc. This creates a food source for algae to grow.

Following chemical treatment, how long do I have to wait before I use my pool?

With the exception of super chlorinating (which requires waiting until the chlorine level drops to recommended levels), you can generally use your pool when the chemical is dispersed throughout the pool. Fifteen minutes to one hour is a good rule of thumb.

Why do I need to shock my pool? (Super Chlorinate)

Pool water composition always includes some undesirable elements that actually contaminate your pool water and reduces the efficiency of the disinfectant or sanitizer. Material such as hair spray, suntan oil, cosmetics, perspiration and other organic material react to combine with the chlorine in the water to form “combined chlorine”.
I added algaecide to my pool, but the algae did not go away. What did I do wrong?
First, you must add the algaecide according to the directions. If you do not add the correct dosage amount, it won’t kill any of the algae. However, be aware that using the entire bottle of algaecide is also ineffective. Not only will you spend additional money, large doses can also lead to staining and foaming in your pool.

In addition to properly dosing your water, it is also recommended that the algaecide be added in the morning on a bright sunny day for best results. Algae are plants and grow in the presence of sunlight. Adding algaecide during the algae’s best growth time will increase intake of the algaecide and make it more effective. If black algae are present, brushing the algae at least once daily will also help expedite algae removal. Brushing the dead cells away makes the living more vulnerable to the algaecide.


About Pool Maintenance

Vacuum to waste?

When you “vacuum to waste” you are pumping the debris you vacuum out of the pool through the waste line, and nor through the pool filer. This method removes a large amount of water from the pool in a short time so be sure the pool is full before you begin. This method is used for large amounts of debris and dirt. This method will only work for circulation systems that use a 6-position filter valve.

How often should I have my sand changed?

Typically every 3-5 years or at least with every liner change.

How often should I backwash?

When the pressure is 10+ pounds above normal.

How do I clean my salt cell?

Depending on the cell will determine how it’s cleaned, most cells you can use 10 parts water to one part acid.

How to determine if I have a leak in my pool?

You should perform a bucket test.

Place a five gallon bucket on the second floor from the bottom of the pool. Put pool water in the bucket so the level of the water inside the bucket is the same as the level of water in the bucket so the level of the water inside the bucket is the same as the level of the water outside the bucket. (You may have to place a brick /rocks in the bucket to weigh it down) Record how much the water drops outside the bucket with your pump on for 24 hrs and again with pump off for 24 hrs.

When should I winterize my pool?

Once the temperature reaches a steady 60 degrees.

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