SAND FILTER:

 A filter tank that is filled with sand and gravel. Usually made from fiberglass or ABS plastic. Water is diffused on top of the sand bed and forces it through the sand and into laterals on the bottom of the tank.

 

SANITIZER: 

Chemical which removes unwanted contaminants such as chlorine, bromine, special minerals, and ozone.

 

SCALE: 

When mineral salts are forced out of a solution it forms a white substance on pool surfaces and equipment. When calcium hardness, pH, or alkalinity levels have an imbalance it causes a scaling condition.

 

SEQUESTERING AGENT: 

A sequestering agent helps prevent and remove stains from metals in a pool. It is usually phosphorus based. Synonymous to chelators, these are commonly called stain & scale chemicals.

 

SKIMMER: 

A skimmer is a portion of the suction side of a swimming pool's circulation system. This is a plumbing fitting set at water level which contains a weir mechanism and debris basket.

 

SKIMMER BASKET: 

This basket is found beneath the skimmer lid and is used to strain debris. This is the first portion of filtering pool water.

 

SKIMMER NET: 

Leaf rakes are attached to a telescopic pole and are a very handy tool for keeping swimming pools clean. There are flat versions of this known as "dip and flip" nets but they are not as common.

 

SHOCK: 

A pool shock is a product that brings pool sanitizer levels up so high that "break-point" chlorination is reached. Once this break-point is reached the pool experiences a "shock". This tears apart molecules and slashes through cell walls. This process is known as shocking the pool.

 

SHOTCRETE: 

In the pool construction trade shotcrete refers to wet-mix. It undergoes placement and compaction in unison due to the force with which it is projected from the nozzle. This can be impacted onto any type or shape of surface.

 

SNOWBELT:

The northern portion of the United States where snow, ice, and freezing temperatures are common.

 

SODA ASH: 

A base which raises the pH level of a pool to counteract an acidic condition.

 

SODIUM BICARBONATE (baking soda): 

A base used to raise Alkalinity levels in a pool.

 

SODIUM BISULFATE: 

Used to counteract scaling conditions in a pool by lowering pH and/or alkalinity levels. This is a granular form of acid.

 

SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE: 

Liquid Chlorine. Very similar to Clorox bleach but stronger.

 

SODIUM TETRABORATE: 

Helps prevent and remove algae by making them unable to process carbon dioxide.

 

SODIUM DICHLOR: 

Pool sanitizer that is used for shocking or super-chlorination. This is a granular form of chlorine.

 

SOFT WATER: 

Water with low calcium or magnesium content is known as soft water. Soap can easily lather in these conditions.

 

SOLAR SYSTEM: 

A pool heating method where black mats with miniature plastic tubes are placed on a roof with up/down plumbing. Water is pumped through these tubes and absorb the heat.

 

SOURCE: 

This is where the origin of electrical power for a piece of pool equipment is located.

 

SPA: 

Usually a small tub filled with filtered, hot water. Hydrotherapy jets and air induction are used to massage and relax users. Can be portable but are generally installed permanently. Also known as a "Jacuzzi" but that is a specific brand of spa hot tub.

 

STABILIZER: 

See Cyanuric Acid. Stabilizers, also called conditioners, can be added directly to your pool to extend your chlorine efficacy. This will help prevent your chlorine from disappearing on a particularly sunny day. They slow down the chlorine reaction in your pool water and reduce the conversion rate of chlorine. Cyanuric acid is already added to certain "stabilized" products such as Trichlor tablets and Sodium Dichlor.

 

STANDPIPE:

This is a vertical pipe that's purpose is to carry water the lateral assembly and hub to or from the multiport valve on a top mount sand filter system.

 

STRAINER BASKET: 

A basket for your pool pump that has smaller holes than those found in a skimmer basket and help prevent the pump impeller from clogging.

 

STRATOSPHERE:

This is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere, which is directly above the troposphere and just below the mesophere. The warmer layers are at the top of the stratosphere and the cooler temperatures further down.

 

SUCTION SIDE: 

The side of the pool pump which is under vacuum pressure. This is the plumbing that carries water to the pump.

 

SUNBELT:

The southern portion of the United States where cold weather is very rare and typically having very high temperatures.

 

SUPER-CHLORINATION: 

When you apply seven to ten times the usual amount of chlorine to the pool water to assist in contaminant removal. This is sometimes referred to as "shocking" the pool but is actually slightly less than the amount of chlorine used to normally shock a swimming pool.