UNDERWATER POOL LIGHTING

    If a pool or spa is to be used in the evening, proper lighting is essential for safety.  But lighting also creates an opportunity to add interesting accents.  Incandescent lighting must be put in during construction, but fiber optic technology has do it yourself possibilities for an existing pool.


 INCANDESCENT LIGHTING
Safety considerations may incline you toward incandescent lighting, which provides strong illumination.  To eliminate the risk of shock that results from combining electrical connections with water, these lights come completely sealed inside a protective waterproof niche.
But because the bulbs are sealed along with the fixtures, changing them when they burn out requires a little extra effort.  You literally pull the light out of the pool wall on its specially designed extension cord, bringing it to the surface, where you replace the burnt out bulb.  You then re-position  the entire apparatus in the waterproof niche.
Because of the engineering involved in constructing an underwater lighting system and the difficulty of wiring a pool, these lights need to be installed when the pool is built.  They are nearly impossible to install afterward.

FIBER-OPTIC POOL LIGHTING
With this type of lighting, a cord carries light, rather than electricity, to the pool.  A lens at the end of the cord releases the illumination, eliminating any electrical hazards.  Because the electric source lies outside the pool, fiber-optic lights are ideal for adding to an existing pool.  A knowledgeable homeowner can safely and easily do the job without a contractor.
Fiber-optic lighting tends to be far more subtle than the incandescent variety, creating many aesthetic possibilities for accent lighting, both within the pool and just beneath the coping that encircles it.  Resist the temptation to add too many fiber-optic lights: the result can be a chaotic nighttime scene.  Add lights sparingly to create a simple effect rather than a dazzling light show.
TIP:
The services of a lighting designer are often available free of charge when you purchase lighting, so take advantage of a professional’s expertise.

SOURCE:  Sunset Books:  Pools and Spas
APISCINA POOLS, LLC  Your Affordable Pool Builder
512-386-1700  www.apiscinapools.com  facebook.com/MyApiscina

Swimming pool heaters are the most complicated piece of pool equipment on you pool equipment pad. Making repairs to pool heaters should be performed by qualified personnel. Gas pool heaters using Natural Gas or LP (Liquid Propane) gas can be hazardous by combustion or exhaust of the pool heater.

Call your pool professional to schedule a skilled technician to do the job. The cost is minimal and the service will keep your heater working efficiently for many years. Keep your heater clean and as dry as possible. Investing in a winter pool heater cover is also a good idea to keep out the elements.

So don’t forget to get a maintenance checkup annually. It’s your best ounce of prevention.

Corn on the cob, peppers, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, eggplant, squash, just about any vegetable can be grilled. You can buy a very handy vegetable tray or put them directly on the grill.

You can wrap them in foil with a little butter or olive oil and some seasonings. Place them away from the hotter parts of the grill and save that room for the meat.
Check on them about 10 minutes after putting them on and it’s as simple as that. It usually takes 15-20 minutes to cook veggies.

To keep your grilled food tender, use tongs and/or a spatula not forks to turn your food. Poking holes in your grilling food lets some of those precious tenderizing juices escape.

When you are done cooking be sure to clean the grates while they are still hot. This removes the residue much easier than when the grates are cool.

You can do this shortly after your finished cooking or do it when your firing up the grill for the next grill out. Use a wire brush to do this. Be sure not to push too hard as that will wear away the porcelain or paint finish on your grates.

(post is from smart outdoor grilling tips)

LED pool lamps typically last 50,000 hours. That means a LED pool lamp operating for 12 hours every night will last for over 11 years before it needs to be replaced. Residential pool lights are not on for 12 hours a night, so in reality, the light will last a lot longer that 11 years. In comparison, incandescent bulbs typically last 2,000 hours or 6 months before they burn out. Reducing maintenance costs and the inconvenience of such maintenance is a compelling reason to switch your pool light to a LED one. (from PEP Talk: October-November 2011)

Smart Outdoor Grilling Tips

Email this article to a friend

Here you will find a few Outdoor Grilling Tips that will surely make your next grill out better than the last. These tips are intended to make your Outdoor Grilling easier, safer, more efficient, and taste better!

On to the tips.

Some Outdoor Grilling Tips before you fire it up:

Picking out what your going to grill. You want tender, moist, tasty meat and fish right? Well a lot of it has to do with the cut. Follow the general tips:

Steaks: You want them at least 1.25 inches thick and you want to trim to 1/8 inch fat to reduce flare ups later. For more steak tips see our other article: Tips on Grilling Steaks

Burgers: If you like them juicy buy ground beef with 15-20 percent fat. For more burger tips see our other article: Tips Grilling Burgers

Fish: Have your fish fillets cut from 1 – 1 ½ inch thick otherwise it will dry out.

Pork Chops: Have cuts that are 1 – 1 ½ inches thick also. (For later you’ll know pork chops are done when it is no longer pink around the bone and the juices run clear.)

Chicken: You can buy any legs or breasts and they will cook just fine. For more tips on chicken be sure to check out our other popular grilling article: Tips for Grilling Chicken.

Do you want to marinate some of the food? Many like the added tenderness and flavor. If you do you should use 1-2 cups of marinade for every 1 ½ – 2 pounds of meat. You can start marinating first thing in the morning.

Keep the grill away from your house, fence, and trees. I made this mistake with my 1st grill. It melted the new siding on my 1st house from 3 feet away! Dumb I know but I had to mention it.

If grilling with a propane tank make sure you have enough gas especially if your having people over! If it feels low it is low. I always recommend having 2 tanks full of propane. Not only will you never run out you’ll be able to pick up both and compare by the weight whether it’s almost empty or not.

Get prepared with all your utensils before you start that grill up. Nothing like wanting to turn your meat or vegetables only to find the tongs are hidden somewhere in the kitchen drawer or shed.

Now onto the Outdoor Grilling Tips for after you fire it up:

Let the grill heat up before putting your meat in. Putting the food in early prolongs the cook time and dries out the food.

Try to figure out how you, your family, and guests want their food cooked.

You can have one side of your grill hotter than the other to accommodate this. If you have a gas grill simply turn one of the dials up more on one side than the other. If you have a charcoal grill you will need to add more coals to one side to generate more heat.

Some like their steaks rarer than others. With Chicken, Pork, and burgers you don’t have to worry about this as much.

Now your cooking!

Adjust the flame as necessary when cooking. The flames will get bigger and flare up searing the food when the fat starts dripping down.

When grilling it’s best to only turn the meat once.

Here are some Outdoor Grilling Tips on the approximate cooking times of different meats:

Don’t take these too literally as they are just approximates. Depending on how hot you have the grill, what kind of grill, how thick the meat is, and to what doneness you want the food, times vary.

Meat Approx. Cooking Time

Chicken 5-10 minutes each side

Fish 3-5 minutes each side

Hamburgers 14-18 minutes

Baby Back Ribs 30-45 minutes

Pork Chops 10-12 minutes

T-Bone Steak 14-17 minutes

Ribeye Steak 8-12 minutes

Sirloin Steak 13-16 minutes

Shrimp 3-4 minutes each side