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Ask the Guru If you need to contact us please e-mail us. Please be advised we only respond to questions about orders. Any technical questions will not receive a response. We are an on line company that offers products at wholesale prices and at these prices something has to be sacrificed, we do not have a large enough staff to support technical assistance to our customers just great prices. To assist you here are some of our frequently asked questions ! |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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I need an item not listed on your web site. DPW is not currently adding new items to our web site and we are not currently taking phone orders. If the item you need is not listed on our web site we suggest that you perform a Google search. I need technical assistance with my pool or spa equipment. We are unable at this time to answer your questions with a phone call or by e-mail. We do however offer an extensive on line FAQ page (see below for FAQs) along with a very detailed self help web page and a number of different topics. If you need technical assistance we recommend you contact the manufacture of the item you have questions about. Here are the three most popular manufacture's phone numbers: Hayward Pool Products(Including Goldline Controls).................................1-800-432-8387 Pentair Water (Including Sta-Rite, PacFab, American Products)...............1-800-831-7133 Zodiac Pool Systems(Including Jandy, Clormatic, Polaris, Baracuda).......1-800-822-7933 If you do not see the manufacture that you are looking for listed here do a google search for the company you are looking for and contact them for technical assistance. I need a price on an item not listed on your web site. DPW is not currently adding new items to our web site and we are not currently taking phone orders. If the item you need is not listed on our web site we suggest that you perform a Google search. I need technical assistance with my water chemistry. DPW is currently unable to assist you on a individual basis with your water chemistry. We do however have a very extensive water chemistry data base you can refer to on our self help web pages or our frequently asked questions (see items below this). I want to know if DPW has a specific item? If you need something you do not see on our web site we recommend you do a google search for the item. At this time we are not adding any new items to our web site and we a currently are not taking orders by phone. If you want to check our stock please send us an e-mail and we will reply the same day during normal business hours. How long will it take for an item to be delivered? There are many factors that will effect the time it takes for your package to arrive below is an overview of what you can expect some times will vary. Please allow 1 business day (based on Monday through Friday) for your order to process then add the time in transit from the carrier you choose. We endeavor to ship items as soon as we possibly can, we also try to ship the same day we receive the order (if we receive the order by 11:00am EST or EDST) however we do not guarantee this will happen every time. If time is of the essence and it is a do or die situation you may want to consider another source. In some cases we may have our distributor ship the package directly to you if we do not have the item in stock, this saves time and shipping expenses and may reduce transit time. DPW reserves the right to change carrier selection, if there will be additional shipping costs we will notify you by e-mail requesting your permission for the additional costs to be billed to your credit card. UPS: This is the most popular method of shipping we offer. UPS is very reliable and reasonably priced. If your package is shipping from DPW's location in Chesapeake the chart below will indicate how long your package will be in transit with UPS. |
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FedEX: Our agreement with FedEX is for Next Day Air Domestic or International only. We are currently unable to ship FedEX Ground service. We recommend you choose either UPS or USPS for ground service. Please keep in mind if you choose this Next Day Air service there may be 1 day to process the paper work. We endeavor to ship packages the same day however we do not guarantee this will happen every time. If time is of the essence and it is a do or die you may want to consider another source. USPS: This is the least expensive method of shipping we offer. USPS has greatly improved their transit times. When you choose USPS on the shopping cart it will show you the estimated time in transit of your items based on items shipping from DPW in Chesapeake, VA. If your package must ship from one of our distributors DPW reserves the right to change carrier selection, if there will be additional shipping costs we will notify you by e-mail requesting your permission for the additional costs to be billed to your credit card. Shipping costs will depend on where you live, the weight of the item you purchased, the speed of the delivery and carrier you choose. The best way to determine how much something will cost to ship is to add it to the shopping cart and follow the cart through to the shipping choices. The shipping costs will appear before you are asked for any credit card information. Then you can decide if you want to proceed with the transaction or cancel the transaction. If you decide to cancel simply navigate away from the the web page and you are clear. Will DPW ship internationally? We will ship internationally, however you should be aware that only Canada, and Mexico have the option of ground shipments. Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska have special air rates. All other shipments are done by air and are usually very expensive. All air shipments domestic or international are calculated by the carrier on a dimensional weight basis. This means that they take into account the size of the package and the weight of the package. The best way to determine how much something will cost to ship is to add it to the shopping cart and follow the cart through to the shipping choices. The shipping costs will appear before you are asked for any credit card information. Then you can decide if you want to proceed with the transaction or cancel the transaction. If you decide to cancel simply navigate away from the the web page and you are clear. You should also be aware that certain countries are flagged as suspicious and any credit card transaction originating from these countries will be subject to extensive fraud checks. DPW does not produce a catalog, you are looking at our on-line catalog this is the only catalog we produce. If you need something you do not see on our web site we recommend you do a google search for the item as we are currently not adding any new items to our web site. I want to track an order I placed? If your order is shipping from DPW you will receive tracking information from the shipper (UPS, USPS or FedEX). If your order is shipping from our distributor you should receive your tracking number by e-mail from DPW within 48 hours. The delay is in getting the information back from the distributor who is shipping the item. If your order is overdue please send an e-mail* with your name and your order notification number and we will e-mail you the status of your order. Can I pick up my order at a physical location? Unfortunately we are unable to allow any pickup orders. There are no exceptions to this request. Who should I contact about a warranty issue? You should contact the manufacture of the item in reference to any warranty issues you might have. Here are the three most popular manufacture's phone numbers: Hayward Pool Products(Including Goldline Controls).................................1-800-432-8387 Pentair Water (Including Sta-Rite, PacFab, American Products)...............1-800-831-7133 Zodiac Pool Systems(Including Jandy, Clormatic, Polaris, Baracuda).......1-800-822-7933 If you do not see the manufacture that you are looking for listed here do a google search for the company you are looking for and contact them about warranties. If the item you ordered has a warranty card we recommend you follow the information on the card about warranty claims. Why are you holding my order for additional information? Many things can happen with an order, there may be an issue with the credit card, there could be a price increase or there may be a problem with the shipping address. These are just a few of the possibilities when an issue occurs we attempt to contact you by e-mail to resolve the issue. If you have not received an e-mail check your spam folder or e-mail* us with your Notification Number and we will respond as soon as possible. Please make sure you have your Notification Number or your response and order may be delayed further. The shopping cart does not work can I place my order by phone? DPW currently does not accept phone orders. If the shopping cart will not work for you try using a different computer or web browser. If that does not work e-mail us and we will investigate the issue. Please be aware that we will only respond to questions about orders or technical issues with placing an order. We will not respond to technical questions about your pool. * Please note that the e-mail address is strictly for order inquires only DPW will only reply to this type request all other request will not receive a reply. Why don't all your items include free shipping? DPW tries to offer you the best price we possibly can. The reality about shipping is that there is not one flat rate that covers the products we sell. We have yet to find anything we sell that will fits in the USPS flat rate box. So if we are shipping to someone in California it will be more expensive than if we are shipping to some in Florida. So if we set the item for free shipping we would have to calculate the cost of shipping to California which means the customer in Florida would pay more than the customer in California. So to keep the price as low as possible we add shipping costs to most items, but in all fairness the closer you are to our warehouse the better your deal on shipping will be. See map above. The following are some of the most Frequently Ask Questions about products we sell. The pool alarm we recommend is the Poolguard Pool side alarm. This alarm senses water displacement and we have found it to be the most reliable. If you have an above ground pool and are unable to mount the alarm on the top rail of the pool we recommend the Safety Turtle, however we do not recommend Safety Turtle alarms in pools with salt generators as the salinity of the pool water can block the alarms signal. I see sand at the end of the backwash hose after backwashing my sand filter. Is this normal? It may be possible to loose some sand in the backwash process. This is even more common after you have changed the sand in the filter. After replacing the sand the filter will automatically eject any amount of sand that is over it's design capacity, however after several backwashes this should end and there shouldn't be any more sand coming out. The only other possibility for sand to be ejected from the filter is if you live in a sandy environment and you have vacuumed a lot of sand into the filter to clean the pool, the filter will eject this sand out of the backwash line. Otherwise if you have a noticeable amount of sand coming from the backwash line and none of the situations above apply you have a problem with your filter. This usually involves the laterals in the underdrain assembly, however it could also be a problem with the stand pipe, automatic air relief (if so equipped) or the connection to the multiport valve. The only way to resolve the problem is to open the filter and inspect the components inside for damage. I accidentally Turned the multiport valve while the pump was running, did I do any damage to the system? First and foremost NEVER turn the multiport valve while the pump is running unless you are feeling lucky. I had a guy working for me who overheard me telling a customer that and he informed me that he never turned his pump off when he turned the valve, that it was not necessary to do that. Well famous last words... the next time he backwashed his filter he blew the gasket in the valve! Let that be a lesson to everyone. What will happen is you will blow the spoke gasket out or all the gaskets out and you will be replacing parts on the valve. It is always best to turn the pump off rotate the valve and then turn the pump on again. I know it is a hassle but a little extra effort will save a lot of time later when you probably won't have the time. I accidentally Turned the pump on while the multiport valve was in the closed position, did I do any damage to the system? First and foremost NEVER turn the pump on while the multiport valve is in the closed position unless you are feeling lucky. What can happen is the you will blow the spoke gasket out or all the gaskets out and you will be replacing parts on the valve. Don't be in a rush make sure you pay attention to what you are doing and life will be good. I just installed a new vinyl liner in my pool what chemicals do I need to add to my pool to keep it properly balanced? What chemicals you will need to add to your pool water will depend on several different factors. First is the balance of the water you are putting in the pool, what type of sanitizer you will be using and the type of equipment you have on your filter system. After the pool is full and the filter has circulated the pool water at least 4 hours we recommend you take a sample of your pool water to your favorite local swimming pool retail store for a complete analysis and add whatever chemicals they recommend for your situation. My pump runs briefly then cuts off. What is wrong? The problem is with the motor that is attached to the pump. The motor has a temperature sensor that will automatically turn the motor off if it gets too hot. Motors can get hot for several reasons; the bearings are failing in the motor, there isn't enough water running through the pump or the voltage going to the motor is wrong. If the bearings are failing then you will need to replace the bearings or the whole motor. If there isn't enough water going through the pump then either the water level is to low in the pool (you have not been monitoring the water level, or you have a leak in the pool) or you have an air leak on the suction side of the pump that needs to be repaired. If the motor has just been installed then you may have connected the wire incorrectly, check your wiring. If you have determined that none of these are the cause then the temperature sensor may be bad. You can purchase a new sensor at a motor repair shop in your area. Our family's eyes burn when we use the pool what is wrong? Either someone put hot sauce in your pool or your water chemistry is out of balance. I would put good money on the pH being out of balance. Your pH level should be between 7.4 and 7.6. If the pH level is below 7.4 it could cause eye irritation. The pH of your eye is 7.4 so anything below that can irritate the eye. If the pH level is below 7.0 it is going to burn the heck out of your eyes and the lower the pH is the worse it will be. In addition if you pH level is real low you can etch the enamel off of your teeth if you swim in the pool long enough. All this does not even take into account what the low pH is doing to everything metal in your pool. When the pH is low the water will be aggressive toward everything metal in the pool and in particular the copper heat exchanger in your gas heater. The heat exchanger is one of the first things to go because copper is real soft and easily dissolved by the low pH level. So I cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining the pH level between 7.4 and 7.6. Now you are probably wondering how in the heck did the pH level get that low? The are several different things that will effect the pH. First and foremost just about everything you put in the pool will effect the pH level (unless the product says it is pH neutral) one of the most common things is stabilized chorine tablets. These tables have a pH level of about 3.0. So every time you add chlorine tables to the pool water you are lowering the pH level. Once a week you should be checking the pH leve and making an adjustment if necessary (and it usually will be necessary). For more detailed explanation on how to care for you pool water chemistry please see our How To page. My Clormatic/Aqua Pure says "Clean." How do I clean this? The "Clean" indication does not mean you need to clean anything. There are 2 cycles there is what we would call a "forward cycle" and a "reversing cycle." These cycles are referring to the polarity that is being applied to the plates in the cell. If the polarity stayed the same all the time then the plates would form scale. So to avoid this they created programing that switches the polarity on a timed basis. The "reversing cycle" would be the cleaning cycle or "Clean." There is no need to clean anything it is being done for you automatically. Unless you have neglected the pH level (see the question above.) When I start my D.E. Filter in the morning stuff comes out of the jets. Is there something wrong with my filter? There are a number of possibilities with this type of problem. First and most likely there is a problem inside the filter with a seal or the grid, flex tubes or cartridge depending on the type of D.E. filter you have. The best way to determine where the problem is would be to take the filter apart and do a through inspection of the internal workings. The other possible issue is with the system. If the filter system drains down after you turn the pump off this can cause the D.E. to go backward through the system if this should occur and you have a problem with the multiport valve then it will blow D.E. Back into the pool. When you turn the pump off the water should not drain out of the system, if it does then you have an air leak somewhere on the filter system. For either problem I would recommend you hire a swimming pool professional to investigate the problem. If you want to tackle it yourself you will need the assistance of your favorite local swimming pool retail store for more in depth information about your system. What size filter do I need for my above ground pool? The size of the filter you will need will depend on the number of gallons of water in the pool. The standard design turnover rate for residential pools is 10 hours. So any filter that will move the volume of water in your pool in 10 hours would be more than adequate for your pool. Here is an example for a 24' round above ground pool. This pool holds, on average, 13,500 gallons of water. So you need to turn over 1,350 gallons of water every hour, which translates into 22.5 gallons per minute. So if you are purchasing a filter and pump together you would want to make sure it is designed to move at least 22.5 gallons per minute any thing above that is a bonus. However, it does not make a lot of sense to go more than 3 times the required turnover rate. Doing this moves the pool water faster but it also costs a lot more to operate and who wants to spend more money than they need to? When you are purchasing a filter make sure you check the designed flow rates to make sure the filter will accommodate the designed flow rate of your pool pump. What horsepower pump should I get for my pool? There are two different ways of looking at pool pumps, you can consider either horsepower or designed flow rate. If you decide you want to purchase the replacement pump by horsepower and the horsepower you currently have is working well for you then I would recommend you stick with what you know works. However, you may have too much horsepower on you pool so I would recommend that you take the time to size your pump not only to your pool but also to your filter. The best way to do this is by the designed flow rate. See the FAQ question above this one for a discussion of how to size the pump. The same turnover calculations apply for the pump as the filter. However, here you need to take into consideration the pool and the filter. Where in the example you are taking into account the designed flow rate of the pump and the required turnover for the pool.  Like in the example above it does not make a lot of sense to oversize your pump to you pool and you will cause a lot of problems if you oversize your pump to the filter. If the pump drives the filter too hard it will actually not filter the water or even damage the internal components. Recently manufactures have begun pushing dual speed and variable speed pumps. There are several things to keep in mind when deciding on which pump you want to purchase. First, if you are going to operate with this type of pump you do not want to use a sand filter. Sand filters are High Rate sand filters and in order to filter properly they need to a minimum amount of water running through them and the slower flow rates will not provide that volume. Second, use a D.E. or a cartridge filter these filters do not have a minimum flow rate requirement. And lastly, when you operate on a slow speed you will not effectively skim the surface of the pool so you will want to have some high speed cycle run time each day. Keep in mind the more circulation you get the easier it will be to care for your pool. Balancing that against the cost to run the pump and the demands of your power company can sometimes be tricky. How do I get a replacement frame for my Polaris? Polaris closely controls the frames on their automatic pool cleaners because they have the serial number on the frame. The way the manufacture, Zodiac, handles this is you will need to return the frame to the dealer or the manufacture along with payment for the new frame (if not under warranty). When Zodiac receives the old frame and payment they will ship the new frame to you or the dealer depending on who shipped it to them. The other option would be to find a used unit with the same model number and use the frame from that unit, or just buy a who new unit. How often should I change the sand in my filter? Back in the early days of sand filtration sand filters were referred to as "permanent media" filters. While not truly permanent the sand has one of the longest life expectancy of all the filter medias available. Depending on how well you care for your pool water chemistry and how well you maintain your filter you can expect the sand to last between 5 and 10 years with 5 years being the average life of the media. What happens to the sand is that when it is new the edges of the sand grains are real sharp and will catch a lot of material, however as the water runs over the sand over time it tends to wear the sharp edges down to rounded grains thus making the sand inefficient. You can tell when the time has come when the water chemistry is correct and the water just does not sparkle or you have a difficult time with clarity or algae.
Determine the correct amount of sand to put into the filter after you have emptied it. Most manufactures will have a label on the side of the filter indicating the model number and the amount of sand in pounds (U.S. measure) to install in the filter. If this label has worn off you will want to measure the diameter of the filter (from one side to the other) then use the chart below to determine how much sand to add to your filter. You can also measure the circumference of the filter (point "A" on the widest point of the filter tank wrapping a tape measure around the tank back to point "A" again) then take the measurement in inches and divide it by 3.14 and it will tell you how many inches in diameter the filter is. Then use the chart below to determine the correct amount of sand. If you add too much it will automatically backwash out, but it is best to be as close as possible to the correct amount.
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My motor just hums when I turn it on. What is wrong? A motor humming or not making any noise at all is not a good thing! There are several possible problems some not as bad as others. If the motor is just humming then it could be the capacitor. Most in ground pool pump motors have capacitors, where as most above ground pool motors do not have capacitors. If you have a capacitor then I would try replacing this item first. If you are going to tackle this problem yourself it is VERY IMPORTANT YOU TURN THE MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER OFF BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER. IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WORKING AROUND THE HIGH VOLTAGE THAT IS IN YOUR PUMP MOTOR THEN WE RECOMMEND YOU CALL A SWIMMING POOL PROFESSIONAL TO HANDLE THE REPAIR. The Capacitor in in the back of the motor or mounted on top of the motor. Some motors have more than one capacitor. The capacitor is either made of a black plastic or aluminum. Before removing make a note of how the wires are connected to the capacitor you will need to reconnect them again exactly the same way FAILURE TO DO THIS CORRECTLY COULD DAMAGE THE MOTOR AND CAUSE SEVERE INJURY TO YOU AND ANYONE STANDING NEAR BY. AGAIN IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS WE RECOMMEND YOU HIRE A SWIMMING POOL PROFESSIONAL TO HANDLE THE REPAIR . After removing the capacitor you will need to find an EXACT match to replace it. Electric motor repair shops are usually your best bet for finding this type of item although some of the better swimming pool retail stores will stock capacitors. Once you have replaced the capacitor turn the pump on, if it still is not running and just hums the shaft is probably seized. If the thru motor bolts are not seized then you can have the bearings replace for less than the cost of a replacement motor. Either an electric motor repair shop or some swimming pool retails stores will perform this type of repair. If you need any part other than the bearings you will probably want to replace the whole motor. Any time you replace the motor or perform a repair on the motor you should always replace the shaft seal. If your motor is seized your shaft seal probably failed. If you neglect this failure it will cause premature motor failure. About once a week you should check your pump to see if there is any water under the pump. If it has not rained or snowed in the last few days and you see standing water or a wet spot the shaft seal has begun to leak. It will leak the pool water into the bearing and the bearing will corrode. When the corrosion gets bad enough the bearings will seize. If it has been leaking long enough the end bell will be ruined and the thru bolts will be seized. When this happens it is time for a new motor. I need a replacement wall for my above ground pool? DPW currently does sell replacement walls for above ground pools. The best thing is to either contact the company that sold you the pool or the manufacture who made the pool. If you don't know where the pool was purchased and/or you don't know who manufactured the pool it would be best to replace the whole pool (wall, uprights, top and bottom rails, and liner). You won't need the the thru the wall skimmer or filter system, just the pool itself. To clean a cell that is scaled you will need a special Cell Stand (if you have a Clormatic or Aqua Pure you can immerse the entire cell in the solution any other manufacture or model should be done inside the cell ONLY!) and a bottle of muriatic acid. Mix a 75/25 solution of water and acid 75% water and 25% Muriatic Acid into a 5 gallon plastic bucket. WHENEVER HANDLING ACID ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION THAT COMPLTLEY COVERS THE EYES AND PLASTIC GLOVES ON YOUR HANDS ALONG WITH OLD CLOTHES. ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER, NEVER ADD WATER TO ACID. Pour the solution into the open end of the cell with the cell stand on the opposite end of the cell. Allow the solution to stay in the cell until it stops fizzing. Once the solution stops fizzing the cleaning process is complete. You will pour the solution back into the plastic bucket and slowly add soda ash to the solution to neutralize the pH. If you pour the solution you mixed to clean the cell onto the ground before you neutralize it the solution will kill plant life or if you pour it on concrete or asphalt it will erode the surface substantially! The other alternative is to pour the solution into your pool, however this will have a major effect on your pH level and is only recommended if your pH level is above 7.8. If you are uncomfortable with this process you should take the cell to your favorite retail swimming pool store to be cleaned for a fee. Please call them first to confirm they will clean it and how much they charge. Why does my automatic pool cleaner get stuck on things the protrude from the bottom or side of the pool, like the main drain or wrinkles in the liner? What is the best pool cleaner for this type of issue? Imperfections on the surface of the pool can create problems for just about any pool cleaner. There is no one pool cleaner that will clean a pool that has issues. Some are less problematic than others, so here are some of our best tips to solving the problem then choosing a good pool cleaner for both above ground and in-ground pools. In-ground pools- If your cleaner is getting stuck on the bottom of the pool Polaris makes a cover (UniCover) for the grate that will smooth out the bump and keep automatic pool cleaners that use wheels or tracks from getting stuck on the main drain. It may not work with suction side cleaners that slide across the bottom of the pool, with this type of cleaner you will have to either remove the obstruction or get a backup or reversing valve for the unit to get it unstuck. The best most efficient units for in-ground pools are either pressure side cleaners or robotic cleaners. Suction side cleaners will work in pools if they have a smooth bottom with no sharp creases. Above ground pools- The best cleaner for an above ground pool is the Polaris 65 because it does not depend on the bottom of the pool to function. The Polaris 65 requires a minimum flow rate of 15 gpm to work so it may not work on all above ground pools systems, before purchasing a Polaris 65 make sure your filter system will accommodate the proper flow rate. Bottoms have to be perfectly smooth for any bottom crawling suction side cleaner. If there is an imperfection the cleaner will get stuck and then you have to go out and nudge it and it will work until if finds that spot or another spot. Not much of an automatic cleaner. The next cleaner that will work is a robotic cleaner like the RoboKleen. How long should I run my pool with a salt generator? These are guidelines you should follow for running your pump. Keep in mind running the pump during daylight hours is preferred and the pump should always run in a continuous cycle, not on for a couple of hours then off then on again. The hours listed below are based on water temperature, the hotter the water the longer the pool needs to be circulated. They are also designed for single speed pumps. If you have a 2 speed pump and you are running in low speed most of the time you will need to keep the pump running 24 hours a day regardless of the water temperature. Water Temperature Length of Time the Pump Should Run
Freezing Air Temps......................................................................24 hours a day 33° to 59.................................................................................6 hours a day 60° to 69°...............................................................................8 hours a day 70° to 79°............................................................................. 10 hours a day 80° to 89°.............................................................................. 12 hours a day 90° to 99°...............................................................................14 hours a day Above 100°............................................................................. 20 hours a day minimum 24 hours ideal.
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Copyright 2011 © by Discount Pool Warehouse.com. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of Discount Pool Warehouse.com is strictly Prohibited. All prices are subject to change without notice. For more information contact the Webmaster. |
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