FAQs
Young family having fun together in pool

Swimming Pool FAQs

We’ve put together a list of some of the questions that our customers frequently ask us regarding safety, cleaning and water chemistry for their swimming pools. Please browse through the questions below and if you have any additional questions that you don’t see answered, please get in touch with us on Array.

Pool Safety Requirements

  1. What are the safety requirements for a pool gate?
  2. Queensland law requires that pool gates meet the below requirements:
  • The gate must close by itself from any position.
  • The gate must open outwards and away from the pool.
  • The latch must lock by itself when in the close position.
  • The latch must be positioned on the pool side at least 150 mm from the top of the fence so a child cannot reach the latch.
  1. What are the safety requirements for a pool fence?
  2. Queensland law requires that pool fences meet the below requirements:
  • The pool fence must be at least 1200 mm high on all sides above ground level and restrict access from neighbours and your house.
  • Any gap about the fence must be less than 100 mm. This includes from windows or doors.
  1. What are the safety signage requirements for a swimming pool?
  2. Your pool area must display a CPR sign that is clearly displayed near and visible from all areas of the pool. Your sign must show the current procedures for CPR approved by the Australian Resuscitation Council.

PoolSafetySign

Pool Cleaning and Suction Cleaners

  1. Why doesn’t my pool cleaner move?
  2. If your suction pool cleaner has stopped working, we recommend doing the following:
  • Make sure there are no holes in the cleaner diaphragm or blockages in hammer or diaphragm.
  • Ensure skimmer and pump baskets are clean and the cleaner hose is firmly attached to the vacuum plate in the skimmer box.
  • Check hoses are firmly joined together and there are no splits or holes in the hose.
  1. Why does my pool cleaner move so slowly?
  2. If you believe that your suction pool cleaner is running slower than it should be, we recommend trying the following:
  • Ensure the pump and skimmer basket are clean.
  • Clean the pool filter by backwash and rinse or clean the cartridge.
  • Check for obstructions in the cleaner or hose.
  • Check there is no air in the system.
  1. Why does my cleaner not cover the whole pool?
  2. We recommend the following tips and tricks to ensure that your suction cleaner is reaching all areas of your pool:
  • Firstly check the length of the hose. It should be the length between the skimmer box and the far end of the pool plus 1m.
  • Ensure the return jets are facing down towards the bottom of the pool so the return pressure doesn’t interfere with the cleaner hose.
  • If the hose is continually curling up, lay it out in a straight line on a hot day.

Water Chemistry

  1. How do I clear my green pool?
  2. If your pool is starting to turn green you can try the following steps to correct the chemical balance:
  • Clean your filter ie backwash/rinse or clean filter.
  • Adjust pH to sit between 7.4 and 7.6.
  • Broom pool surfaces.
  • Add Burnout 600gm (per 50,000l) down skimmer with filter running.
  • Add 1litre x Polygard (per 50,000l) evenly around edges of pool and run filter until clear.
  • When pool water is clear clean the filter again.

If these steps don’t work for you, contact Poolside Noosa to organise a professional pool technician to restore the chemical balance of your swimming pool.

  1. Why does my pool smell of strong chlorine?
  2. If there is a strong odor of chlorine it is likely that you have chloramines in your pool. Chloramines occur when the chlorine has combined with organic matter and the combined chlorine is unhealthy and no longer free to sanitise. It is important at this stage to oxidise your pool with Burnout 600gm (50,000l).
  3. What is causing my kids eyes to sting?
  4. The most likely cause of sore eyes is incorrect pH levels. The ideal pH is 7.4. Excessively high chlorine levels can also cause eye irritation.
  5. Why is my pool water cloudy?
  6. If your pool water is cloudy, we recommend the following steps:
  • Ensure the filtration system is clean.
  • Check water balance, high pH can cause cloudy water ad can reduce chlorine levels.
  • Check phosphate levels if higher than 0.4ppm treat with Starver.
  • If water chemistry is correct and filter system clean treat water with Polysheen clarifier and run filter until water is clear.