Fiberglass pools are not new, in fact these types of pools have been around for nearly 50 years. Fiberglass pools are one piece, factory built shells made with fiberglass, resins, and finished with a gel coating, a non porous surface similar to modern day boats and pool slides.
Fiberglass pools are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes with various tile patterns, fiber optic lighting, and in-floor cleaning systems, possible. Some forms of maintenance like acid washing, resurfacing, and liner replacements don't exist with with fiberglass pools, but proper weekly chemical and cleaning maintenance are still needed to protect the gelcoat finish.
Your fiberglass pool is designed to remain full of water at all times. If the pool is drained without proper directions, hydrostatic or ground pressure outside the pool could cause the structure to buckle or crack. All damage to the pool shell resulting from improper pool drainage is the owners responsibility.
If it becomes necessary to drain the pool, contact your fiberglass pool installer or the the fiberglass pool manufacturer.
For best operation, keep the water level in the center of the rectangular skimmer plate on the pool wall. Low water level may cause the circulating pump to loose prime resulting in pump damage, high water level reduces or eliminates the skimmer effectiveness.
The "bathtub" ring which forms on the pool wall or tile caused by body oils, suntan lotions and air borne contaminants can easily be removed with swimming pool tile cleaner or other non abrasive commercial tile or vinyl cleaners. Do not use abrasive cleaners, steel wool, metal scrapers, brushes or tools as these may cause permanent damage to the gel coat finish. Dulled gel coat above the water line may be restored with a heavy cut automotive polishing compound either power or hand applied followed by a coat of wax. The gel-coat finish of your fiberglass pool can be scratched like any other gloss surface. The gelcoat is seven to eight times thicker than a normal coat of paint so it is not likely that scratches will be more than superficial.
Hair line cracks which may develop over a period of time are not uncommon. They only penetrate the gel coat and do not effect the pool's structure or result in leakage. Scratches and hair-line cracks are repairable. Contact your fiberglass pool dealer for more information. Most of the dirt and debris that sinks to the bottom of your pool can be brushed toward and into the main drain and will be trapped in the filter. Heavy amounts of dirt and debris should be vacuumed out.
It is very important to consult the owners manual and manufacturer of the fiberglass pool. Installation of a fiberglass pool normally should be done by professional installers, but many people have done the installation them selves.
