Frequently Asked Questions
What types of services do you offer?
We offer a complete line of construction, maintenance and water treatment services. If you are interested in a service not listed on our site, feel free to contact us!
What towns do you serve?
Pacific Pools Inc. is a Goleta, California based company that works with clients in Santa Barbara, Carpentaria, Summerland, Montecito, Hope Ranch, Goleta, El Capitan Ranch, Gaviota coast, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Buellton, Solvang and portions of Highway 154 San Marcos Pass.
What types of pools and spas do you work with?
We care for spas, therapeutic soak tubs, fountains, residential and commercial swimming pools. Vacation rentals, second and third homes, primary residences and even health care facilities have been cared for by our service technicians. No property is too big or too small for the detailed work that we can provide.
Do you work with salt pools?
We have installed, diagnosed, serviced, repaired and maintained dozens of pools with salt water systems. We know how the system works, the byproducts of their operation and what needs to be done to properly run and maintain them for successful operation and longevity.
Is chlorine safe for us to use?
No definitive studies have proven chlorine pools to be unsafe or unfit for general use. In fact, the current health codes dictate that some level of chlorine be maintained in all public pool and spa applications. However, there is a movement to eliminate chlorine for reasons that many consider to be legitimate health concerns. In many cases chlorine by itself is not the primary factor, but the combination of other chemicals that are typically used in conjunction with chlorinated pools. You can explore more, here: How Chlorine Kills Pool Germs
Why are our skin and eyes irritated after we use our pool or spa?
It's hard to identify one specific reason that people can be bothered by pool water. In Santa Barbara and nearby areas, our water is laden with total dissolved solids, high calcium, hardness and elevated phosphate levels. That, coupled with the challenge of balancing pool water to bather comfort, can lead to multiple avenues for identifying issues, causes and finding solutions. You can contact us for more detailed, individualized analysis.
What can be done about the scale and stains in our pool?
Unfortunately, our water conditions in Santa Barbara lend themselves to scaling and staining. That doesn't mean there aren't preventative chemistry and filtration steps that can be taken to overcome those obstacles. Often even pools damaged by years of improper care or negligence can be reclaimed. We have had success using chemical treatments that do NOT require you to drain your pool. Again, individual circumstances vary and options for resolution can only be determined through site visit and analysis.
With the drought and well water usage, what are solutions to fill water and the poor quality of it?
It is true that the drought has put a major strain, not just on the availability of water but also on the cost. The quality of water we are getting from wells and even municipal sources is questionable. These facts make it increasingly important that the water quality and inherent properties at site be carefully evaluated. Each issue in water composition and quality can be identified and addressed using multiple options. Filtration, pre-fill water treatment, chemical additives (that sequester contaminants to filters) and maintaining proper chemical parameters are the options that are available to us and help protect the investment you've made in your pool.
With the wide availability of online purchasing for pool products, equipment and chemicals on the internet, why pay extra for a local supplier?
Internet purchasing has become a convenient and cost effective method to purchase products. The key is in knowing what you are buying and the value of it. We would agree that there are certain products that have no inherent downside of buying online, especially if it's a product you have used successfully in the past or are familiar with. Let's look at the upside and downside of two common product lines purchased online.
1. Water Treatment Chemicals: While chlorine may just be chlorine or an algaecide could be comparable to any other algaecide to an end user, there can be and often are distinct and notable differences. Usage of these can lead to productive and positive results or an increase in work, problems-solving, expense and time. For example, chlorine can be derived using multiple base agents; the most common are calcium and sodium. Not identifying which is best for your application could result in you purchasing the wrong one and lead you from a situation of having just an algae filled pool to a situation where you are overwhelmed with extensive scaling of your pool with calcium deposits and trapped algae below it. This is a much more difficult issue to deal with. Instead, a correct choice of chemicals would have clearly got you the right results.
2. Equipment Purchase: In the many years of selling, installing and performing warranty work we have seen everything from rebuilt units, beta testing units sold as "new" product lines, fakes and knock offs, and revisions that are obsolete or out of date. If you are buying a product that is simple with not many specifications, it is still okay. However, it is worth considering that solar/bubble cover from us will likely work as effectively and last, as long as one that is purchased online. But complicated products such as automation upgrade, a $3000 pool heater, a $2000 variable speed pump, should come from a known and reputable source. A source that can assess the installation point, offer perspective on options and stand firmly behind not only the product sold, but also its application and installation. If something online seems too good to be true, it just might be!