TK's Country Pools, Spas & Custom Decks

06/08/2026

🌱 NITRATES: GREAT FOR YOUR GARDEN... TERRIBLE FOR YOUR POOL! 🏊

Ever wonder why your tomatoes are thriving, but your pool keeps eating chlorine?

The answer might be NITRATES.

Nitrates are a natural form of nitrogen that plants absolutely love. They're found in fertilizers, rainwater runoff, well water, groundwater, decaying leaves, grass clippings, and even airborne dust.

In your garden, nitrates help produce lush green growth. 🌽🍅🌻

In your swimming pool? They can become algae's favorite snack.

When nitrates find their way into pool water, they create an environment where algae can thrive. This means:

❌ Higher chlorine demand
❌ More frequent shocking
❌ Algae returning faster
❌ Difficulty maintaining sanitizer levels
❌ More money spent on chemicals

Many pool owners say, "I just shocked it yesterday and my chlorine is already gone!"

Sometimes the issue isn't the chlorine—it's what's feeding the algae.

Unlike phosphates, nitrates are difficult to remove once they're in the water, which makes prevention especially important.

Tips to reduce nitrate contamination:
✅ Keep leaves and debris out of the pool
✅ Prevent lawn fertilizers from washing into the water
✅ Test well water before filling
✅ Maintain good circulation and filtration
✅ Address algae problems early

Remember:
🌱 Feed your garden nitrates.
🏊 Don't feed your pool nitrates.

Have questions about your water chemistry? Bring us a sample and let's see what's really going on beneath the surface!

06/02/2026

💧 WATER HARDNESS: WHY IT MATTERS 💧

Today brought an interesting question into the shop!

A customer stopped by with two water samples from different homes and wanted to know whether a water softener might be needed. One sample tested with virtually no hardness at all, while the other tested around 450-500 ppm, which is considered very hard water.

That sparked a great conversation about something many homeowners don't think about: water hardness matters.

In the swimming pool world, hardness refers to the amount of calcium and minerals dissolved in the water. While pools and drinking water have different requirements, hardness can tell us a lot about how water will behave.

🏊 For pools and spas, water that is too soft can become aggressive and corrosive. In vinyl liner pools, low hardness can contribute to premature fading, wrinkling, and shortened liner life.

🛠️ Water that is too hard can lead to scale buildup on equipment, heaters, plumbing, and pool surfaces.

For most vinyl liner pools and spas, we generally like to see calcium hardness somewhere around 200-400 ppm for proper balance.

If your home uses a water softener, that's something we take into consideration when filling a pool as well. Sometimes adjustments or blending water sources may be needed to achieve proper water chemistry.

The bottom line? Water balance is more than just chlorine and pH. Every piece of the puzzle works together to protect your investment and keep your water comfortable.

Got questions about your pool water? Bring us a sample! We love helping our community understand what their water is telling them.

💙 TK's Country Pools & Decks
Springtown, Texas

05/29/2026

🔥 FIRESTORM SHANNON SAYS 🔥

"Amazon, come rescue your pools!"

Every pool store owner has heard it:

💬 "I can get it cheaper online."

Maybe.

But the internet doesn't test your water.
The internet doesn't troubleshoot your equipment.
The internet doesn't help with warranties.
The internet doesn't answer the phone when your pool turns green on a holiday weekend.

Small businesses don't just sell products.

We stock inventory.
We provide expertise.
We answer questions.
We stand behind what we sell.

Thank you to all of our loyal customers who choose to support local businesses. We appreciate you more than you'll ever know. ❤️

— Shannon & TK
TK's Country Pools & Decks

05/28/2026

Friendly Reminder from Shannon at TK’s Country Pools 💙

Wednesdays are our “House Call & Field Service Day,” which means the storefront is CLOSED while the crew is out rescuing pools, handling installs, deliveries, repairs, and service calls across the community.

I know a few folks stopped by today, and we truly appreciate every single one of you — even the ones giving TK the disappointed “locked gate stare.” 😂

Please know we aren’t ignoring you. We’re usually behind the scenes catching up on scheduling, customer support, water chemistry chaos, storm damage coordination, field work, paperwork, supply runs, and all the things it takes to keep this little family business rolling.

Truthfully? Wednesdays are also my reset day so I can continue showing up for all of you the rest of the week with patience, kindness, and enough sanity left to function. 😅

Thank you for understanding and supporting small businesses like ours. We’ll be back open Thursday at 10 AM ready to help.

— Shannon & TK
TK’s Country Pools & Decks

Send a message to learn more

05/26/2026

When Is It Time to Change the Water in Your Above-Ground Pool? 💦

Freshly filled pool water behaves very differently than water that has been recycled and treated for 5–7 years. Over time, older water can lose its responsiveness to chemicals, making it harder to balance, harder to clear up, and more expensive to maintain. That’s usually a good sign it may be time for a partial or full water change.

Before draining your pool, keep local water restrictions in mind. In some areas, you may need to drain and refill gradually over time, or check with your local officials to make sure filling is currently allowed. Here in Texas, we’ve had an extremely rainy season, so many watering restrictions may ease up soon if they haven’t already.

⚠️ IMPORTANT FOR ABOVE-GROUND POOLS:
Never drain an above-ground pool during high winds, storms, or periods of saturated ground.

This is especially critical for pools that are partially buried or countersunk into the ground. When the soil becomes waterlogged, the pressure from the surrounding earth can push inward on the pool walls once the water is removed, potentially causing structural collapse.

When draining:
• Plan enough time to refill the pool immediately.
• Do not leave the liner sitting empty for long periods.
• Liners can shrink, wrinkle, dry rot, or shift when left exposed.
• We recommend leaving a few inches of water in the bottom whenever possible.

Once refilled and circulating, the remaining dirt or sediment can usually be filtered out through normal operation and vacuuming.

If you’re unsure whether your pool needs a water change or just proper chemical correction, feel free to reach out to TK’s Country Pools & Decks for guidance. 🏊‍♂️

Send a message to learn more

05/19/2026

Memorial Day is just a few steps away! Be pool & party ready! Here's our hours. Open today, Tuesday 5/19, till 5:30 pm

05/18/2026

When pool sand is worn out, silt looks like a fine, dust-like powder (often tan, gray, or brown) resting on the pool floor. Unlike regular sand, it is too small to feel gritty between your fingers. When brushed, it billows into a soft, cloudy puff and resettles later.Identifying the Symptoms: Worn-out sand has lost its jagged edges and simply cannot trap micro-debris. Watch for these specific signs:The "P**f" Test: When you brush the settled dirt, it dissipates into a cloud of smoke rather than getting sucked into the vacuum or moving across the floor.The Return Effect: You vacuum it up, but a fresh layer mysteriously appears the very next day.Cloudy Water: The pool water stays hazy or dull even though your chemical levels (chlorine, pH) are perfectly balanced.How to Fix ItChange the Sand: Pool sand typically needs to be replaced every 3 to 5 years (sometimes sooner, since PH flux & Flocculant can wear the sand down.) Over time, the constant flow of water wears the grains down into smooth, rounded pebbles that can't filter the water. Vacuum to Waste: Turn your filter valve to the "Waste" setting to vacuum the silt directly out of the pool. This stops the fine dust from bypassing your worn sand and shooting right back into the water. Use Skimmer Socks: While you are waiting to change the sand, stretch a fine-mesh Skimmer Sock inside your skimmer basket to help catch the micro-debris before it hits the filter. Check the Internals: If you find actual coarse sand—rather than fine silt—coming into the pool from your return jets, you likely have a broken lateral or standpipe at the bottom of the filter tank

05/18/2026

El Niño is Here!! According to NOAA this morning we officially reached El Niño
criteria. Typically you have a more active subtropical jetstream during El Nino and wetter than average. We’re going to see the beginning impacts for the rest of May with daily rain and storm chances coming.

El Niño is expected to become a strong, if not super El Niño by Fall when it starts showing its impacts even more. Could mean a very wet Fall and an active Fall severe
Weather season as well. Plus above average precipitation in the Winter months. El Niño would likely continue into Spring of 2027. It’s expected to be around at least 12 months, maybe 18. It will be interesting for sure.

Last strong El Niño in 2015 rained 62 inches that year and the entire state of Texas was drought free after it ended. This one is forecasted to be one of the strongest on record. I have numerous YouTube videos over the last month with El Niño coming. Go watch when you have a chance.

05/17/2026

⚠️ PUBLIC NOTICE FROM TK’S COUNTRY POOLS & DECKS, LLC ⚠️

It has come to our attention that someone may be falsely representing themselves as an agent, employee, or representative of TK’s Country Pools & Decks, LLC.

For the safety of our customers and community, please note:

• ONLY TK (Tracy Kear) and Shannon Kear handle estimates, scheduling, and appointment booking directly.
• We do NOT send random third parties to homes to quote pools or collect money.
• We do NOT authorize anyone outside of our company to represent us without direct communication from Shannon or TK.
• If you are ever unsure whether someone is legitimately affiliated with our business, please contact us directly before providing payment, personal information, or property access.

Unfortunately, scams and impersonation attempts do happen, and we want to make sure our community stays protected.

If someone contacts you claiming to represent TK’s Country Pools & Decks and something feels suspicious, please verify with us immediately through our official channels:

🌐 TK’s Country Pools & Decks Website

Thank you to everyone who continues to support our small family business and helps us keep our community informed and safe. ❤️

05/17/2026

Come on out and support our neighbors who are tornado victims at Finks today! Live music, raffles, and drinkies! 😁