"Expectations of a pool buyer"

Many times homeowners researching different pool companies, have a difficult time determining which one is best. More often than not the criteria they use in their.....

Gas fired heaters vs. Heat Pumps

Gas Heaters;
 
The most popular way to heat swimming pools historically has been with gas fired heaters. These heaters can be purchased to run on natural gas or propane. Due to changes in heat.....

Outdoor kitchens, what do you need or want?

The popularity of outdoor kitchens has steadily increased over the last five years. Many of our clients are asking for outdoor kitchen designs with their pool plans. Some are as simple as......

Why your pool builder says "In-floor cleaners don't work"

We have installed somewhere around 600 pools that have in-floor cleaning systems out of  the 900 or so pools we have built. If they were not effective we would not sell them period. We are not going to rehash all the benefits of the in-floor systems here. You can read our previous blog about them posted on this blog.
http://bestpoolguys.blogspot.com/2010/09/ordinary-circulation-vs-in-floor.html

Swimming pool contractors that say in-floor cleaners don't work are.....

5 Things that are often over looked when buying a pool!

Actually there are many things that go into the buying decision when purchasing a swimming pool. These five things are.......

Why pool service people's opinion on equipment is wrong!

Many home owners ask people that service pools what they recommend for pool equipment. Usually you get the same response from all of them. If asked what type filter is best they mistakenly......

Renovation of South Tulsa Pool.

We are in the process of renovating a swimming pool in South Tulsa. Many people have viewed the progress on our web site. For those of you who would like to see it here is the link.  http://atlantispoolsandspasinc.com/currentprojectPhotos.asp?categoryid=41

Hopefully you can get a few good ideas for your pool renovation by checking this one out. This project was a 30 year old + pool that was in need of a face lift. The clients decided they.....

How many gallons of water are in your pool?

To figure the gallons of water in your pool you need to know what the surface area of you pool is. To determine this you need to know the length and width of the pool. Then you need to know the average depth. Then lastly you need to know.......

What type of pool design is best?

The answer to this depends on a few factors. First you need to think about your personal tastes. What style is your home? Where is your house? What is the.......

How to backwash your swimming pool filter.

Water in swimming pools is kept clean by filtration. As we have addressed in other articles on this blog. There are three different types of pool filters. They are Sand, Cartridge, and D.E. Two of these filters.....

Why use a CBP Certified Building Professional to build my pool?

Around ten years ago, the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) developed a professional certification and training program to identify the very best in the pool industry. It also identifies those that make the effort......

All pool pumps are not created equal.

                                                                          
When purchasing a new pool or replacing a pump on an existing pool. There are a few things you need to be aware of. First there are three major manufactures of swimming pool pumps. They are Pentair/Sta-rite, Hayward and Jandy. These manufactures only produce.......

What type of pool is best? Gunite? Fiberglass? Vinyl Liner?

If you ask three pool companies that each build a different one of these types of pools. You will get three answers that are all the same. Their pool is the best! How can that be you may ask? Well maybe their pool is the best in their mind. The truth is they all have......

What you should know about swimming pool filtration.

                                                                             
There are three different types of swimming pool filters. They are the Sand, Cartridge and Diatomaceous Earth commonly known as D.E. They all will clean your pool water but they are not all......

Choosing a pool builder? What you need to know!

In this article I have put together a few things you may want to think about as you search for a pool builder. The information contained should help you get a more accurate comparison of different builders. So lets look at some of the aspects of pool "bids".

First are you actually looking at similar pools? Many people ask for a certain size pool, lets say a 17' wide x 34' long pool that is 3.5' to 6' deep. The actual numbers that builders use are not generally.......

Things to think about before you buy a pool.

We have designed and built a lot of swimming pools and often people we talk with have not thought about how they will use their pool. We will address some of the things we have discovered in our 30 years in business.

Often clients we talk with are not sure of the size of pool they want or need. As a general rule.......

Pool plumbing and how it works!

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Swimming pool plumbing is probably the most important aspect of building a pool. Many builders want to satisfy customers who mistakenly believe more horsepower in a pump is always better than less. Also, smaller plumbing pipe and fittings cuts upfront costs. An example of this is go to a home improvement store and check the price.......

Fourth Pool for the Martins is complete!

Here is a picture of the most recent pool we built for the Martins. It is the fourth pool we have built for them over our 30 years in business! We want to thank the Martins for choosing Atlantis Pools again as their pool builder.

Click on the link below to receive your free pool buyers guide. http://atlantispoolsandspasinc.com/freedvd.html
If you would like to have a designer contact you click on this link.
http://atlantispoolsandspasinc.com/contactus.html
If you require service on your pool click this link.
http://atlantispoolsandspasinc.com/servicerequest.html

To winterize or to not winterize?

Winterizing a swimming pool varies greatly depending on what part of the country in which you live. As you go north, say Kansas City and further, most pools are winterized. As you go south towards Dallas and further, most pools are not winterized. In Tulsa, our history shows......

The different types of swimming pool construction

 First let's look at the different types of pools. There are in-ground pools and above ground pools.

Above ground pools are all very similar. You level out an area in your yard, then spread some sand for a base. Install a track that holds the pool wall, which is usually a type of metal. Put the walls up and install the vinyl liner. As the pool fills with water, you work out the wrinkles in the liner to the edge where they are less noticeable.

In ground pools vary quite a bit more, as does the installation. There are basically three types.......

Ordinary circulation vs. In-Floor circulation

What we are addressing today is ordinary circulation of pool water, which is what most standard pools use. The body of water in the vessel is drawn to the equipment via suction pipes that draw water from the surface through surface skimmers, and from the bottom via the main drain(s). The water runs through the filter and is returned to the pool by returns in the side wall of the pool. These returns are usually 18" below the surface, and a pool will normally have 3-6 returns. By filtering water.......

Filtration vs. Sanitation

New pool owners sometimes are confused as to what a filter actually does. A swimming pool filter removes dirt and other suspended particles in the water, but does not sanitize the pool. A filter does nothing without a pump to move the water from the pool through the filter and back to the pool. The pump is connected to the filter with PVC pipe that.......

Repeat Customer.....

We started a new project for a former client today (8/19/10). Not that unusual you may think. Well if you have a company that has been in business 29 years you are bound to have a repeat customer, right? Well these people have now put their trust in Atlantis Pools for.......