Policies & Procedures
Weekly Service
Weekly service consists of skimming the surface to remove leaves, bugs and floating debris; brushing steps, walls and seats; netting or vacuuming the bottom of the pool as needed; and emptying both skimmer and pump baskets. Chemical readings will be checked and maintained weekly and chemicals will be added as needed.
Filter Cleanings
All filters will be cleaned as needed when the filter pressure is 8 to 10 lbs over the filters clean starting pressure or there are signs of suction loss. Sand filters require backwashing and sand to be changed out every 3 years. Typically, filters need to be cleaned 2 to 4 times per year depending on how much use the pool gets and by how much dirt and debris gets into the pool throughout the year. Filter cleanings are not included in your monthly service charge and will be billed at the time the filter is cleaned.
Billing
Invoices will be sent out on or around the first of each month and will be due by the 7th of each month. Each month that payment is late will result in a $15 late fee. After two consecutive months without a payment, service will be reduced to chemicals only. If customer account becomes three months late, we have the option of discontinuing service or collecting your monthly fee prior to the start of each month.
Repairs & Additional Charges
TABS - A bucket of 3” chlorine tabs is required unless you have a salt system. A bucket of tabs will be provided to you at the initial sign-up and billed. As each bucket runs out, a new bucket will be provided and billed. You do have the option to purchase a bucket of tabs on your own, but they are required to be at your pool.
PHOSPHATES – Phosphates are tiny microorganisms that build up over time in your pool from dirt, leaves, debris and even your fill source water can contain phosphates. Phosphates are basically food for algae to grow. When the phosphate levels get too high, where high chlorine levels or super chlorinating the water does not take care of algae, then a bottle of phosphate remover will need to be added. When a bottle of phosphate remover is added, the filter pump will have to run for 24 hours continuously and in most cases, the filter will have to be cleaned soon after. The phosphate remover will be billed to your account.
REPAIRS – Smaller repairs like replacing o-rings, baskets and pool cleaner parts will
automatically be replaced and billed on your next invoice. Larger repairs like installing new equipment or replumbing equipment will be done after an estimate has been given and been approved by the customer. With any new equipment installation or any other larger repairs ($200 or more), a 50% deposit will be required. During busier times of the year, certain repairs or installations could take up to two weeks to schedule based on work load and ordering parts and materials.
SERVICE FEES – There will be a minimum service fee of $65.00 for diagnosing equipment problems. If the diagnosis process is more involved and takes more than an hour, the service fee may increase. Once the problem has been found, a quote for parts and labor will be given to you in addition to the service fee. However, the quote will take into consideration that we will not have to spend additional time taking the equipment apart if it is still apart after the diagnosing process is complete.
Service Day
Most people would like their service day to be on Friday; however it is not possible for us to do that. The day your pool is serviced will be determined by our nearest existing service to your location at the start of pool service. Once your service day is determined, we will do our best not to change it, but a shift in business may affect the service day and you will be notified of any permanent change. Occasionally, your pool may be serviced on a different day without notice to accommodate for time off while still providing service to you.
Holidays/Vacation/Time Off
There will be a two times throughout the year that your pool will not be serviced to allow time off for holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas). These days off, without service, will be during the off season. Advanced notice will be given to each customer either through your bill or in an e-mail. If your service day is on a holiday (i.e. Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.) you will receive chemical only service the day before or after. Since Christmas and New Years lands on the same day of the week, customers who have service on that day of the week will receive service either the week before Christmas or the week after New Years.
Inclement Weather
Service may be altered during bad weather. During windy weather, the normal amount of time will be spent on servicing your pool. Please keep in mind that it is our goal to clean your pool as quickly as possible, but it could take 2-3 visits to restore your pool to its sparkle. We recommend and offer extra service visits should you need your pool looking great for a function. Monsoon season can get difficult and we ask our customers to help with emptying their baskets 2 times per day to help keep your pool clean and make the storm cleanup a faster process. (Note: leaves and dust clogs up the filters much faster, so your filter will need to be cleaned again after the pool has been completely cleaned after a couple of big monsoons.) During rainy weather, service will be reduced to checking chemicals and emptying both pump and skimmer baskets. Depending on how hard it is raining a judgment call will be made by HRPS to reduce service to chemical check or not. In extreme cases when rain is very heavy, service may be canceled for that week. Your cooperation and understanding is appreciated during inclement weather. Please understand that during monsoon season we also get a lot of lightning and we use a metal pole to clean your pool.
Referral Rewards Program
For every new customer that you refer to HRPS that signs up for service, you will receive one month’s service for free after that new customer has made their first full monthly payment.
Customers Responsibilities
1. Pay monthly bills on time. Each statement is mailed to you on or around the first of every month and we ask that you pay by the 7th of that month unless prior
arrangement for a different day has been made. You expect us and we have committed to showing up to service your pool every week on time. We expect that you will pay us every month on time.
2. Maintain the proper water level in your pool. There are two rules of thumb for what the right water level is. If you have an overflow drain built into your tile line, you’ll want to keep the water about ½ inch below that. If you do not have an overflow drain, you’ll want to keep the water level high enough so that 50-60% of the tile is underwater.
3. Remove the pool cover prior to us servicing your pool. It is probably best if it is taken off the night before your service day or at the very latest, first thing in the morning. If the pool cover is not removed by the time we service your pool, we will not service the pool, we will only check the chemicals. If you require us to service the pool at another time later in the week, an additional charge may be required. The reason for this policy is that in our experience, the pool service usually is blamed for any damage that occurs to the cover.
4. Provide a clear path to your pool and equipment area. This includes keeping side yards free of clutter and obstacles for safe and easy entrance. This also includes picking up after your pets. Please refrain from using equipment areas for storage. We need access to the equipment as well as a clear visual to detect any problems or leaks.
5. Have a reasonable expectation. This is essential for us to have a good relationship with our customers. There are many factors that influence the overall condition of your pool. A few examples are extreme winds, monsoons, dust storms and rain. During Monsoons and Dust Storms or Heavy winds, we could easily spend two to three times our normal amount of time to service your pool. However, if we did this, we would not be able to get to all of our customers so we will allot the maximum amount of time possible to get your pool working as efficiently as possible and still be able to provide service to everyone. We also ask that you be understanding that not all pools are the same and service needs and requirements vary from pool to pool and from season to season. The amount of time spent servicing your pool will be determined by what the pool needs that week, not based on how long it took the week before. The time spent cleaning your pool can range from 7-10 minutes to 2 hours. All of this is based on the condition of your pool and the above weather conditions. What matters is that your pool is clean and the chemicals are balanced for healthy swimming. In the end everything evens out, our experience and tricks of the trade allow us to clean pools in as little as 7-10 minutes sometimes. We do not skip a step during our cleanings as that is what we are paid to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How long should my pump be running every day?
A. We understand that everyone wants to conserve energy, however, during the spring and summer months (approx. April through October) when the temperature is hotter and the pool is getting more use, you’ll want to run your pump a minimum of 8 hours per day. During the fall and winter months when the weather is colder and the pool is not being used as frequently, you can shorten the run time to 4 or 5 hours per day. It is important that you do not reduce your pumps run time shorter than 4 hours. Anything less will not allow the pool to circulate or filter properly which results in algae and bacteria growth that chlorine alone cannot kill.
Q. How can I get rid of the white line around the tile and around the spa overflow?
A. The white line is calcium. There are minerals in the water as well as oils and dirt from bathers that cause scaling and eventually this calcium is going to build up. There are a couple things to help prevent it or remove it. One way is by pouring a diluted acid on the tile, however, this is fairly risky. You can only do it if the pool needs acid added to it and you have to be careful how much is added. A safer and more effective way is by adding Scaletec or Beautec on a monthly basis to the pool. Scaletec is designed to help remove existing scale on the pool and Beautec is designed to help prevent scale from forming. If you are interested in this product, it costs about $30 per bottle and on an average size pool, one bottle will last three to four months. Please call our office
if you would like to start using this product. If scaling is really thick and covers a majority of the pools tile or spa overflows, we offer media blasting. Please let us know if you would like the calcium line blasted off so that we can submit a quote for the work.
Q. How do I know when I need to change out my water?
A. We test for TDS, total dissolved solids and other factors that help us with letting us know when to change out your water in your pool. These tests are done every 6 months and we will notify you of the results should the need arise to drain the pool.