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Information & Services

Design and construction philosophy

Wahoo Pools' intelligent designs are based on careful site review and understanding of client requirements. Our objective is to provide you with an asset that enhances your lifestyle while gaining maximum return on your investment.

Wahoo Pools want to make the construction of your new pool as trouble free as possible.

Safety to workers, clients and the public is paramount at all times.

Wahoo Pools' attention to detail ensures that the foundations of your pool asset will remain solid and sound for years to come. A solid foundation ensures smooth completion of your project and a high quality result.

As the director and owner of Wahoo Pools, Adam Rubagotti’s complete understanding of all requirements and his good communication skills with his trades people means that all finishes are of the highest quality and exceed client expectations. In fact, Wahoo Pools undertakes to provide the best finishes in the swimming pool industry.

Wahoo Pools Guarantee

Wahoo Pools guarantees to communicate with our clients with integrity and transparency. Whether it is the first meeting or the finalisation of the project, Wahoo Pools will always provide you with the most accurate information in response to your enquiries.

We want our clients to have a satisfying experience from initial quoting and design through to council approvals and construction.

Our price guarantee is that we will match any quote that you receive for your pool construction project that is identical in specifications. This guarantees you the highest quality construction at a reasonable cost.

Many pool builders will quote a project and offer low initial prices, but with several variation clauses. Wahoo Pools commits to include all assessable components in its quotations. If there are variables, Wahoo Pools will supply you with rates and estimates for these situations.

When comparing quotations the following checklist may be valuable:

Council Applications

Wahoo Pools understand individual council and government requirements. We will submit plans that are processed quickly and in a cost effective way with little or no amendments.

Wahoo Pools has never had an application rejected by any council.

As part of your council application Wahoo Pools will prepare all documents required, such as:

Wahoo Pools will happily work with town planners, council officers, architects, draftsmen and private certifying companies to complete a problem free application.

Water restrictions and guidelines

Wahoo Pools advises clients on all Sydney Water requirements in the construction or renovation of your swimming pool, particularly during periods of water restrictions.

There are no restrictions on building or renovating swimming pools. To fill a new or renovated swimming pool there is a $22 permit fee.

Sydney Water has mandatory Level 3 water restrictions currently in place. They are:

A fine of $220 applies for all breaches of Level 3 restrictions by individuals. The Water Restrictions Patrol is carrying out random audits to ensure compliance with the new exemption conditions.

Water testing and balancing information

Testing your swimming pool water is not such a complicated exercise. It is simply the relationship of different chemical parameters to each other. Your water is constantly changing. Anything and everything from sunlight, wind, rain to the oil, dirt and cosmetics which may enter the pool can affect pool water balance.

You will likely not change your pool water for many years. Continuous filtration and disinfection remove contaminates which keep the water enjoyable, but this is not water balance. A pool that is BALANCED has proper levels of pH, Total alkalinity and Calcium Hardness.

A good test kit is a must- there are many on the market to suit you needs. Expired tablets/ test liquids should always be thrown out as they will give inaccurate readings, resulting in us pouring unnecessary and expensive chemicals into our swimming pools. Always keep your test kit in a dry cool place out of the sun and out of reach of children.

When testing the pool water, make sure your test kit is rinsed thoroughly before filling them with new water and always get water from at least 20-30cm below the surface of the swimming pool and at least that far from the pool wall. Never empty the test solution back into the swimming pool. Always read and follow your test kit’s according to manufactures instructions.

Alternately you can have a swimming pool consultant come to your home and test the water for you on a regular basis. They will usually carry all the required test kits and chemicals your pool water needs. There are also swimming pool shops you can take a water sample to and have them test your pool water for you and they will recommend any chemicals required. Always make sure you use a clean glass jar each time!

Always add chemicals according to test results and manufactures instruction.

What chemical levels do I need to test regularly?

The four main test to perform with a test kit are- pH, chlorine(or other sanitizer residual) Total Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness. Cyanuric Acid levels, mineral content, total Dissolved Solids and Acid or Base Demand tests may also be performed as needed.

How often do I need to test the water?

The pH and chlorine should be tested at least once a week. The other chemicals should be tested once a month.

What are the recommended levels?

pH

pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is. pH is a logarithmic scale from 0-14, with 7 being neutral. Below 7.0, a substance is defined as being acidic, while levels above 7.0 are said to be alkaline. The pH of our eyes is 7.2, so no wonder the ideal pH level for our swimming pool is just that, 7.2 and should be kept within the range of 7.0-7.6.

By neglecting to test and correct the pH we not only cause it to become unsightly but we also cause ourselves physical discomfort. Whether the pH is too high or low it will affect our eyes and causing skin to be dry and itchy. We are also throwing away our hard earned money on swimming pool chemical that are not effective in the pool water.

What happens if the pool is to acidic? (pH is low)

This may dissolve your pool surface, creating a roughness which is ideal for pool algae growth.

Metals corrode – this includes pool equipment, pipe fittings, pump connections etc. As this occurs sulphates are formed. These sulphates are released from the water on to the walls and floors of the swimming pool it causes ugly brown stains.

Chlorine, which is used as a disinfectant in the swimming pool water, is activated and lost to the atmosphere very quickly. The water is not being sanitised, and we are throwing away our money by adding chlorine when the pH is too low.

What happens when the pool is too alkaline? (pH is high)

The calcium in the swimming pool water combines and forms scale, just like in our kettles. This calcification is seen most at the waterline, where it traps dust and dirt turning black with time.

The swimming pool water starts to lose its sparkle.

The calcium carbonate has a tendency to plate out on the sand in the swimming pool filter, effectively turning it to cement. So your sand filter becomes a cement filter and loses its ability to trap dirt from the pool water. As the pH rises the power of the chlorine to act on foreign particles is lost. At a pH of 8.0 the pool can only use 20% of the chlorine you put in. So 80% of it goes to waste and you would need 5 times as much chlorine to provide the disinfection you need.

Chlorine

It is important to remember that there are 3 aspects which can be measured:

Free available chlorine: (or residual chlorine) – is the amount of chlorine in the pool that can sanitise or disinfect the water and is the important measurement for us.

Combined chlorine: - consists of undesirable, bad-smelling, irritating compounds which form when there isn’t enough free available chlorine.

Total chlorine: - is the total amount of chlorine in the water. It includes both free available and combined chlorine. We are interested in how much available chlorine there is in the water - chlorine that can act on foreign substances in the water to keep the pool clean and safe for the swimmers.

What happens when too little chlorine?

This results in algal and bacterial growth, waterborne illnesses, cloudy water and insufficient sanitation of the water.

What happens when too much chlorine?

This can result in eye and nose irritations. Remember that the chlorine in the pool is carcinogenic (meaning can cause cancer cells) and we should aim to keep its levels to the minimum required for complete disinfection.

Total Alkalinity

A close cousin of pH, the level of alkalinity in the water is a measure of all the carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides and other alkaline substances found in the pool water. pH is alkaline dependent, that is alkaline is defined as the ability of the water to resist changes in pH. Also known as the buffering capacity of the water, alkaline keeps the pH from bouncing all over the place. Low alkalinity is rasied by the addition of a base (just like pH) sodium carbonate is commonly used. High levels of alkalinity are lowered by the addition of a acid (again just like pH). Experts recommend pooling the acid in a small area of a low current for a greater effect on alkalinity. That is ,adding an acid will lower both pH and alkalinity. Walking the acid around the pool in a highly disturbed manner is said to have a greater effect lowering the pH then the alkalinity. Pooling the acid has the opposite effect. Alkalinity should be maintained in the 80-120 ppm range for concrete pool.

Calcium Hardness

When we speck of scale, we are talking about Calcium Carbonate, which has come out of solution and deposited itself on surfaces. It is a combination of carbonate ions, a part of total alkalinity and calcium, a part of the calcium hardness level. The test for calcium hardness is a measure of how hard or soft the water is. Hard water can have high levels of calcium and magnesium. If these levels are too high, the water becomes saturated and will throw off excess particles out of solution which then seek to deposit them selves on any surface inside the pool. This is a calcium carbonate scale. If the levels are to low the water is under saturated. The water becomes aggressive as it attempts to obtain the calcium it needs. Such soft water will actually corrode surfaces inside the pool which contain calcium and other minerals to maintain its hardness demand. Recommended range for calcium hardness is 200-400 ppm.