Knowledge Base
Information for you and your pool.
Guides on water chemistry, the swim season, equipment, safety, and what happens on a Tidewater Care visit. Written so you can understand your pool.
22 guides
Water chemistry
Pool Chemistry Made Simple
You need a short list of chemistry readings, including calcium hardness, to keep the water clear.
Common Problems and Quick Fixes
Cloudy water, algae, strange noises — what to check first before you call.
After the Storm — Recovery Without Guessing
Rain, debris, and a night without circulation. What to check the next morning so you do not shock blindly.
Well and Irrigation Water, and Hardness
City water is not well water. Irrigation water is not the same as properly balanced pool water. Find out about the water you add to better understand how it can affect your pool.
Swim season
Freeze Protection That Is More Than a Cover
A cover thrown on in November is not the same thing as closing the pool. Equipment and water level will all be affected by a freeze that still arrives in Virginia every year.
Closing Your Pool for Winter in Virginia
How to close a Virginia pool properly — or keep it open longer when the weather allows.
Dealing with Pollen, Leaves, and Virginia Humidity
Local conditions that stress pool water — and the simple habits that keep up.
Seasonal Care Guide for Virginia Pools
Spring open, summer rhythm, fall close, and winter — a practical calendar for Virginia pools.
How to Open Your Pool in Spring
A practical Virginia spring opening sequence — cover off, water circulating, chemistry balanced, equipment checked.
Equipment
Equipment Pad Inspection — What We Look at Every Stop
The pad is part of the visit. Pump, filter, heater, salt cell, valves, leaks, and noise — photographed before we leave.
Understanding Your Pool Equipment Pad
Pump, filter, heater, and valves — a plain-language tour of the equipment that keeps your water moving.
A Leak Concern — The First Honest Steps
Evaporation is real. So are leaks. Isolate equipment-side from structure-side before anyone talks about opening a deck.
Salt Systems in Coastal Virginia
Salt cells still need testing, inspection, and a climate that is not a desert. Humidity, scale, and output in Hampton Roads and along the rivers.
Filter Pressure — When to Clean, When to Look Further
The gauge is telling you something. A rising number is normal work. A number that never moves is a different problem.
Heat Pumps and Virginia Shoulder Seasons
Warm weeks in March. Cold nights in November. Heat pumps earn their place when the calendar is not a Sun Belt sticker.
Safety
How Care works
Notes and Photos After the Visit
You should see the stop. Chemistry, the pad, and a sentence about what happens next — not a mystery route.
What a Tidewater Care Visit Actually Includes
Test first. Then the pad. Then the water. The visit order we use on every stop — not a mystery route.
What CPO Certification Means on a Care Route
Every Tidewater Care technician is CPO certified. That is the standard for the person on your pad.
When to Call for Service vs. What You Can Handle
A practical line between homeowner maintenance and jobs that need a technician.
Weekly and Monthly Maintenance Checklist
A simple checklist Virginia homeowners can actually stick to — weekly, monthly, and after a storm.
Seasonal Houses and Holiday Weekends
Equipment that sat still still needs a real open. The Neck, and any yard that is quiet all week and crowded on Saturday.