FAQ’s

Regular pool maintenance in Port Saint Lucie costs are about 1/2 the national average! For CHEMICAL-ONLY service, prices are $89/mo + chemicals, and for Full Service "Signature" Pool Maintenance, prices are $130/mo and up depending on pool size, location, whether the pool is screened in or not, and if there is an attached spa. If your pool is currently in good condtion, we can usually give you a price based on your address. For more information, give Tiki Nui Pool Care a call at (772) 828-2281

Prepare your pool for a hurricane by securing loose items, lowering water level by 6-12" , and adding extra chlorine and enzymes. Do not throw furniture and loose items into your pool, these can cause metallic staining that can be difficult or impossible to remove later. 

Maintain the water level in your pool to prevent damage to the pump. The water level should be between 1/3 and 1/2 of the way up the skimmer opening for your pool to function properly. Allowing the water level to drop below this can cause a situation where your pump may draw in too much air and overheat, causing a costly repair. To have Tiki Nui Pool Care Inc. inspect your equipment give us a call at (772) 828-2281 

Proper pool circulation is one of the 3 C's of Poolcare, and is essential to keep your equipment, and your family safe. Ensure proper pool circulation by running your pump and filter everyday for 8-24 hrs/day and managing your filter correctly. Clean your filter when the psi has risen 10psi from “clean” reading, and replace the filter around 12-18months or when the psi after cleaning the filter is 8-10 psi above where it was when it was new. To have your filter inspected and/or changed, call Tiki Nui Pool Care Inc. at (772) 828-2281 

To safeguard your family's health, you should test your pool water at least once per week to ensure proper sanitation. The Free Chlorine, Alkilinity, and pH should be tested and adjusted weekly. Monthly checks on CYA and Periodic checks on Calcium Hardness and other minerals/metals should be done at least seasonally. Keeping on top of the chemistry will prolong the life of your pool surface, pool equipment, and make for a more enjoyable swimming experience.
For a complete, professional DIGITAL chemical check of your pool using the industry leading LaMotte WaterLink Spin Touch, give Tiki Nui Pool Care Inc a call at (772) 828-2281 

Clean your pool at least once a week to maintain water clarity and hygiene. If your pool gets significant organic material such as leaves or bugs, you may want to clean your pool in between major cleanings or pool professional visits. The quicker you get it out, the better it is for the health and quality of your pool water. A properly functioning pool skimmer, a robotic pool cleaner, and properly calibrated pool equipment are all factors in the overall quality of your pool water. To have these checked and adjusted, contact Tiki Nui Pool Care Inc today at (772) 828-2281 

Yes. We offer pump replacements from Pentair, Jandy (Fluidra), Hayward, and Waterway. New, high efficiency pool pumps are the best way to reduce your eco footprint (and electric bill). In fact, a comparably sized, Variable Speed pump can be run 24 hours per day for less than you're paying for your old Single Speed on a 8 hour rotation.... When it comes to moving water, you are actually not paying for hours per day, you're paying for pressure. Reduce the pressure, and your bill goes down.

Call today (772) 828-2281 for more information and to find out how you can save upto 80% on your electricity usage.

Yes we are a GulfStream Heat Pump dealer and can help you with your heater replacement. We believe Gulfstream has the most efficient, best warranty heater on the market - and best of all, they are made, sold and serviced right here in the great state of Florida! 

If you need a gas (LNG or Propane) heater replaced, we will refer you to one of our appropriately licensed friends in Port Saint Lucie to help you.

For a new high efficiency electric pool heater in Port Saint Lucie and the Treasure Coast, call us today (772) 828-2281 

We can help diagnose pool heater problems. If you have a gas (LNG or Propane) we will refer you to one of our appropriately licensed friends in Port Saint Lucie that can help you with this. Give us a call today (772) 828-2281

At this time, no. We are not building/renovating pools. We have some excellent pool contractor friends in Port Saint Lucie that do surface pools, and we will be happy to pass along their info. Give Tiki Nui Pool Care a call (772) 828-2281 

Yes we can identify many pool leaks. If the leak is determined to be underground plumbing, then we need to call in the specialists. For more information, call Tiki Nui Pool Care at (772) 828-2281 

Determining IF a Pool is Leaking is the easy part. Do a "Bucket Test". 

There are many variations of this, many videos online showing how to perform this simple, free test. Basically, we put a bucket on a step in the pool, such that the top of the bucket is above the level of the pool water. A rock or brick will be needed to keep the bucket in place. Next, fill the bucket with water until the levels inside and outside the bucket are the same. Now leave the bucket for a few days. If the level inside the bucket is higher that the level of the pool, you are losing pool water to more than just evaporation - in other words, you have a leak. A variation on this is to perform the test for a day or two, with the pump turned off. If you seem to be losing water when the pools runs, but you do not lose water when the pool is off, then this may indicate a leak above the pool level (ie. above ground plumbing or pool equipment).  

For a more detailed leak detection, call Tiki Nui Pool Care at (772) 828-2281 

The first thing to check is if there is power going to the pump. Is there any sign of life? Noises/lights/whirring/buzzing? if not, check your circuit breaker(s). There may be a breaker panel outside near the pool equipment, and most definitely a breaker inside at the main breaker panel. You may also have an automation panel, make sure this is powered on and pump is on or in 'Automatic' mode.... If these are on, is their a mechanical time clock? if so, is the switch in the "ON" position? If so, can you see the tiny gear wheels inside the inspection window turning? If so, this is where you will need to call in the Pros. Do not attempt to open up your pump/motor yourself unless you are an electrician or an expert with electrical devices....many pumps run at 230v/20amps - this is serious life endangering territory for untrained people. If your pump is not working in Port Saint Lucie or the Treasure Coast, give Tiki Nui Pool Care a call today (772) 828-2281 

When it comes to water clarity, think of the 3 C's of Pool Cleaning: Circulation, Cleaning, and Chemicals.

Cloudy water can be caused by a number of things:

• inadequate run times ie. not running your pump long enough to get 2 or more turn-overs each day (the number of times that the entire volume of the pool flows through the filter) Essentially, more filtration (more circulation) are better;
• dirty, damaged, or worn out filter - cartridge filters should be cleaned when the Filter Pressure has risen 10psi since cleaned... and they should be replaced when a 'clean' filter is still 8-10psi above where it was when new - or annually, at the beginning of the swim season - whichever comes firstl;
• mismanaged pool chemistry can cause cloudiness. If uncertain, hire a Pool Professional to test and advise, or take one or more samples to a Pool Shop for testing;
• high levels of TDS (dissolved solids) and/or micro Algae (algae that's looking for a home).

Treating Cloudy Water: 

first determine if your chemistry is in need of adjustment, then (Hire a Pro if you're uncertain) inspect your filter...Replace, Clean or backwash as required. Then, if it's determined that chemistry is okay, filter is good, use a clarifier (slow) or a flocculent (fast) to clear up the pool. Understand the difference between Clarifiers and Floccs.... the former causes all that gunk to end up in your filter and requires cleaning properly... the latter causes all that gunk to drop to the bottom of the pool and require a special operation called a vacuum to waste (or a service vacuum by a Pool Professional)

If you live in Port Saint Lucie, Stuart, Fort Pierce or the Treasure Coast, and you have a pool that's green, grey or murky, call Tiki Nui Pool Care today (772) 828-2281 

Remove stains with a pool stain remover(or tile soap) and brushing with a tile brush…for more stubborn stains, an acid wash may be needed…CAREFUL! this should only be done by a trained professional, it’s very dangerous. 

Prevent stains by ensuring that your pool water level is correct, your skimmer is functioning correctly (flow and weir door operates correctly), and that your pool chemistry is as balanced as possible. If you are in a high dirt/dust/pollen area or time of year, running your pump longer (up to 24 hrs/day) will make a HUGE difference, as will investing in an automatic Skimmer Robot. 

Here’s a great Skimmer Bot on Amazon that will grab most or all of the foreign material that gets in your pool, BEFORE it can stain walls/tiles/floors.

The industry has taught for decades that a ‘good’ pH range is 7.2 – 7.8, and ‘ideal’ range is 7.4 – 7.6

The new direction and understanding in pool chemistry, is that the LSI (Langelier Saturation Index) is far more important of a factor to balance. This index takes into account several important factors that are all intertwined, and adjusting one and can and does make another move up or down, while maintaining a perfect LSI of 0.0

What does this mean? Your pH is less important perhaps, than previously thought. Of course, we still want the pH between 7 and 8ish, but trying to nail pH down to a specific number is impossible without automated chemical feeders, as every factor, from water temperature to bather-use affects the pH.  

With all that being said, if you could snap your fingers and have a ‘perfect’ pH, while the LSI remains 0? That would be 7.5 Why? Because that’s the pH of most of the Human body, so theoretically, the most comfortable. But, drinking that 9.0 pH sports drink doesn’t cause any discomfert, so, maybe we are overly obsessed with hitting a certain pH target? 

For more on the subject of Residential Swimming Pool Chemistry, buy our book RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOL MAINTENANCE FOR BEGINNERS on AMAZON (in non-USA countries, search Amazon for Ross Andrew Pool Books).

If you want to read the Code yourself, you can get yourself a copy of the 2-Part CDC Model Aquatic Health Code, only on Amazon by Ross Andrew:

2023 Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) 4th Edition

https://www.amazon.com/2023-Model-Aquatic-Health-ANNEX/dp/9695592651

2023 Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) 4th Edition: Code Language

https://www.amazon.com/2023-Model-Aquatic-Health-Code/dp/9695592643 

Water chemistry is complicated. It’s important to understand that the most important chemical in your pool is WATER. Water is the universal solvent…almost anything you put in water will eventually dissolve into a solution of water and the constituent parts of the other material. pH is a very important factor that is misunderstood, and often much effort (and money) is spent trying to get ‘perfect’ pH. Most pool professionals think in terms of Water Chemistry Ranges. The industry has taught chemistry this way for decades. It is accepted that for any of the important factors: pH, Chlorine, Alkilinity, Conditioner, Calcium.. there is an acceptable Range, measured in parts per million (PPM). The problem with this old way of thinking is Three-fold: 

1. This old approach does not address the LSI (langelier saturation index) of the water – how saturated is the water with calcium, and therefore how agressive is it? 
2. This old approach doesn’t always work: one could have a pool with all factors within their designated “Ranges” and the water could still be highly Aggressive (Corrosive) or Scaling. 
3. Some of the factors mentioned above are inter-related….change one and the others move – especially true for pH. For this reason, many Pool Professionals struggle keeping some pools balanced, even though they are following the “Rules”

So what should you do? Become a pool chemistry expert AND hire a Pool Professional. Step one, buy our book RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOL MAINTENANCE FOR BEGINNERS on AMAZON (in non-USA countries, search Amazon for Ross Andrew Pool Books). Step two, hire a company that at least appears to be paying attention to the developments in Pool Care knowledge and technology.

If you want to read the Code yourself, you can get yourself a copy of the 2-Part CDC Model Aquatic Health Code, only on Amazon by Ross Andrew:

2023 Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) 4th Edition

https://www.amazon.com/2023-Model-Aquatic-Health-ANNEX/dp/9695592651

2023 Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) 4th Edition: Code Language

https://www.amazon.com/2023-Model-Aquatic-Health-Code/dp/9695592643 

Well, if you're in Port Saint Lucie, the Treasure Coast or surrounding areas in South East Florida, then you probably know that algae is a problem in swimming pools...much more so than in other parts of the country. We just have the right - or wrong - environmental factors to deal with, depending on how you look at it. Algae is an aquatic plant, and plants need two things to thrive: 1. Sunlight, and 2. Food. Well, we have no shortage of sunlight, and the food that algae thrives on is phosphates and nitrates. Unfortunately, these are both present in our source water, and many, many products that we use everyday. Many household/personal products including: makeup, skin creams/lotions, deodorants, soaps, detergents, cleaners and especially fertilisers are high in phosphates and sometimes nitrates. In fact, phophates are even added to some drinking water systems! 

So, how do we manage and prevent algae? Well, first thing we can do preemptively is to reduce/remove the food source. 

Second, we can use a product called an Enzyme, that will help break down large organic materials into smaller, bite-sized pieces. This helps out our primary sanitizing agent, chlorine, to do its job more effectively. 

Third, we can use an Algaecide that contains some or all of the following: ZINC, SiLVER, COPPER. STAY AWAY FROM THE PRODUCTS WITH "YELLOW" IN THE NAME!! These are highly effective at killing algae AND TURNING YOUR POOL INTO A BROMINE POOL = NEGATING ALL THE FUTURE CHLORINE YOU PUT IN!

Last, but certainly not least, we can and SHOULD use a mineral treatment called BORATE in our pools. Borates are compatible with chlorine, bromine and salt pools. Borates are an Algaestat. This means that in the presence of Borates, algae has an extremely difficult time metabolizing/replicating itself. As an added bonus, Borates not only soften the water, making it look, feel and smell better, but Borates act as a pH buffer on the high side, slowing the tendency for pH to drift upwards, especially in pools with water features and salt cells.

To buy Pool Borates direct, check out www.alohapoolsupply.com or give us a call at (772) 828-2281 to get a Borate Treatment for your Port Saint Lucie pool.