Technical Repair Questions & Answers

Q: When should I backwash?

A: We recommend that you backwash a minimum of once per month, but you need to backwash whenever the starting pressure increases by 5 or more pounds. NOTE: It is important to know your clean starting pressure. Always remember that if you have a D.E. filter you must add D.E. after you backwash. After backwashing, if the pressure continues to raise quickly this is known as a short filter cycle and the filter should be taken apart and cleaned manually.

Q:Why is my pressure on my filter low?

A:
1) Have you emptied your pump and skimmer baskets?
2) Is the pump lid oring seated properly to allow a full seal?
3) Is the pump lid on tight?
4) Have you relieved the air from the filter?
5) If the spa fountain and/or filter pressure are going up and down, checkfor a stuck skimmer door or low water level.

If you have tried these possibilities and you are still experiencing a problem, call 972-393-2884 for a professional Technical Repair Technician to come to your home.

Q: How often should I have my filter professionally cleaned and equipment checked?

A: All manufacturers of D.E. filters recommend that the filter be disassembled and cleaned every 6 months. At the same time, Robertson Pools also lubricates the valves, inspects the salt cell and cleans if necessary, fires the heater and diagnoses any issues with the heater, in addition to a visual inspection of all other equipment. Large cartridge filters will usually go 6 months between cleaning, but if the pressure goes up & circulation goes down, it will need to be done sooner. Please call 972-393-2884 to schedule this comprehensive filter clean and inspection for your pool.

Q: Why did all of my lights go out at the same time?

A: This is usually caused by a tripped GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter). It looks similar to the trip/reset in your bathroom electrical outlet by the sink. This is often located by your equipment or by the light switch, but could also be located many other places in the yard. Most of the time, the resetting of the GFCI will solve the problem. If you have tried to reset the GFCI and you are still experiencing a problem, call 972-393-2884 for a professional Technical Repair Technician to come to your home.

Q: Is my pool leaking?

A: To get a good idea as to whether your pool is leaking, completing the 24 hour on/off test is the best approach. Follow the below directions and call us at 972-393-2884 with your results and we can help you decide the best approach to take toward locating the leak.

24-Hour On/Off Diagnostic Cycle

Fill up the pool and spa to the normal level, mark both levels with tape. If you have an auto fill, turn off the water supply valve to disable it. Turn off all circulation pumps and leave them off for 24 full hours, unless a freeze is imminent. After 24 hours, measure the distance between the original marks and the new levels in both the pool and spa.

Fill the pool and spa back to the normal level. Run the main circulation pump for 24 hours. Do not run any water features. Do not heat the pool. After 24 hours, measure the distance between the original mark and the new level.

So, we should have two measurements: one from when the pool was off and one from when the pool was running.

Your pool will need to be full to the fill line, clean, and clear for the technician to continue with leak assessment and/or detection.

Q: Why isn’t my salt system generating chlorine?

A: There are many possible solutions to this problem from the salt system itself, to circulation, to water chemistry. See below some of the most common resolutions.

• 1) Are there any error codes on the system?
  • a) If they have an error code, please refer to the owner’s manual and make adjustments based on the manual or contact the Technical Repair Department at 972-393-2882 if it calls for service.
  • b) If you do not have an error code, the issue is likely not a manufacturer’s defect and is probably due to your water chemistry being off balance. We recommend that you have it tested by a Robertson Pools pool professional and adjust the chemicals accordingly.
• 2) How long are you running your pump?
  • a) We recommend that you run your pool 1 hour for every 10 degrees of the predicted high temperature. The exception would be when the temperature goes below freezing, then it should run 24/7 until the air temperature goes above 34 degrees.
• 3) What percentage are you running the salt sytem?
  • a)We recommend that you start at 70% and increase or decrease the percentage as you test the chlorine level. Every pool is different, so it will take a few tries.
• 4)Please also see the answers to low and high filter pressure questions for more possibilities.

If you have tried these possible solutions and you are still experiencing a problem, call 972-393-2884 for a professional Technical Repair Technician to come to your home.

Q: Is my pool safe?

A: The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety act was signed into effect for 2008. The federal government has found that pool and spa entrapments are a great enough danger to adults and small children that a new law was necessary to protect the public. This law may only affect new residential pools and commercial pools, however, our customers and their families’ safety is of the utmost concern to us.

We now offer entrapment evaluations performed by trained and certified technicians who can evaluate the main drain covers in your pool and spa as well as your equipment configuration for dangerous entrapment possibilities. Our technicians can then make recommendations that can protect you and your family from this danger as well as bringing your pool up to date with current safety standards. Technology in recent years has grown and changed to meet the needs of today's high performance pumps and modern design which incorporates multiple pumps on many systems.

These inspections are offered free of charge to anyone willing to update their pool to current code and safety standards through Robertson Pools, Inc. For instance, if your pool is safe and up to code you won't pay for the inspection. Conversely, if it’s not safe you only pay for the updates. Should you choose not to have the recommended updates performed through Robertson Pools, Inc., there will be a minimum charge of $150.00 for the evaluation. All anyone has to do to understand how dangerous and deadly an entrapment can be is to perform an Internet image search for swimming pool suction entrapment victims. Be warned that you may see graphic and disturbing images of children and adults who were injured or killed from an accident that could be avoided through current technology. Please call 972-393-2884 for a VGB Compliance Specialst to come to your home for an evaluation.

Cities Covered by Weekly Maintenance

Coppell, Prosper, Farmers Branch, Lewisville, McKinney, Fairview, Flower Mound, Highland Village, Allen, Parker, Corinth, Argyle, Bartonville, Plano, Frisco, Addison, Carrollton, Double Oak, Copper Canyon, Grapevine, Southlake, Dallas, University Park, Highland Park, Irving, Valley Ranch, The Colony.