Pool questions, answered straight.

Most residential in-ground pools in the Satellite Beach area run $135–$195 per month for weekly full service with chemicals included. Screened pools sit at the lower end; open pools under oak or palm cover sit higher.

Yes. Florida pools need care in every month — winter is when algae is easiest to control and equipment problems are cheapest to fix.

No. We only need gate access. You get a photo and chemistry log after each visit.

Target free chlorine 2–4 ppm, pH 7.4–7.6, total alkalinity 80–120 ppm, calcium hardness 200–400 ppm, and cyanuric acid 30–50 ppm for chlorine pools or 60–80 ppm for salt pools.

Usually low cyanuric acid, high phosphates, or heavy bather and organic load. Full-sun pools on the barrier island can lose most of their free chlorine in a single day without stabilizer.

Yes, on every balancing visit. Phosphates above 300 ppb make algae control far more expensive.

Most pools clear in 5–7 days. Heavy black-algae or post-storm swamp pools can take 10–14 days and may need a partial drain.

Rarely. In Brevard County the water table is high, and draining an in-ground pool can pop the shell out of the ground. We only drain partially, and only when chemistry demands it.

Yes — storm debris removal, water recovery, and equipment inspection are our busiest work every hurricane season.

Deep clean cartridge filters every 4–6 months, DE grids twice a year, and change sand media every 4–6 years. Clean immediately whenever pressure rises 8–10 PSI above clean-start.

Cartridge filters trap finer particles and waste no water backwashing, which matters on the barrier island. Sand is cheaper to maintain but lets more fine debris through.

Typically 8–12 years inland and 6–10 years within a mile of the ocean, where salt air accelerates motor corrosion.

Yes. Most Brevard homeowners cut pool pump power use 60–80%, saving roughly $40–$70 a month at current Florida Power & Light rates.

Nearly always an air leak on the suction side — a dry pump lid o-ring, a loose union, or a low water level from evaporation.

Most residential conversions in Brevard County run $1,150–$2,200 installed, depending on pool volume and whether the electrical panel needs work.

Three to five years in Florida. Cells wear faster when they run at high output percentages to compensate for low stabilizer.

Barely — about one tenth the salinity of the Atlantic, roughly the salt level of a human tear.

About 1/4 inch per day in summer from evaporation. Losing more than 1/2 inch a day usually indicates a leak.

Skimmer throat cracks, return fitting threads, light niche conduit, and the pump-side plumbing are the most common in our area.

High calcium hardness combined with high pH causes calcium to fall out of solution at the waterline, where evaporation concentrates it.

No. Glass bead media at correct pressure removes scale without etching glazed tile, and it is safe on pebble and quartz finishes.

Every 5–7 years at most. Each wash removes plaster, and a typical shell tolerates only three to five over its life.

Yes if done carelessly. The high coastal water table can lift an empty shell. We always relieve hydrostatic pressure first.

Yes. Modern automation controls pump speed, heater set-point, lighting scenes, and salt output from a single app.

Yes, including converting old incandescent niches to color LED, which typically cuts lighting power use by 80%.

Yes. Most general home inspectors expressly exclude pool equipment and shell condition from their scope.

Usually within 48 hours anywhere in our 15-mile radius, and next-day for urgent inspection periods.

Twice weekly during peak season. Guest load in a short-term rental burns sanitizer far faster than a family pool.

Yes, including drain-and-refill sanitation between guest stays.