Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

Running a pool service business can feel like carrying every customer’s backyard on your shoulders, especially when you’re new and you care a lot. I look back at starting in 1988 at 16 years old and the first lesson is surprisingly calming: most homeowners do not obsess over pool maintenance the way a pool technician does. That does not excuse sloppy work, but it changes your mindset. When you understand that many clients barely notice plaster mottling, light reflections, or small cosmetic issues, you stop burning mental energy on problems they may never see. This shift helps prevent burnout, improves decision-making, and keeps you focused on what truly protects water quality, equipment health, and long-term customer satisfaction. The second lesson is the flip side: do not let that reality become an excuse to cut corners. Skipping a proper vacuum, brushing debris into the main drain, under-treating algae, or assuming an automatic pool cleaner will “handle it” often comes back as a gree...

Hasa’s acquisition of Biodex matters to pool service pros because it preserves a long-standing chemical line and puts it under a larger manufacturer with broader distribution. Biodex has been making pool chemicals since the 1960s, and the big win here is consistency: you get proven formulations that many technicians have relied on for decades, plus the likelihood of better availability through suppliers. For anyone searching for “best pool chemicals for service routes,” “pool stain remover,” or “acid wash additive,” this conversation highlights a practical, field-tested approach: pick a few products that reliably solve common problems, then learn the exact handling, dosing, and water-balance conditions that make them work.   A key tool discussed is Biodex Plaster White and Bright, an acid wash additive designed to improve how the acid solution behaves on plaster. In a traditional acid wash, an acid and water mix can sheet off quickly, reducing contact time and making coverage ...

Rookie mistakes in a pool service business usually show up on the business side first, not the chemistry side. The biggest one is underbidding pool service and then getting stuck with a price that does not match the work. Pool size, heavy bather load, trees, and weekly debris all change how long a stop takes, which changes your real hourly earnings. If you quote a 14,000 gallon pool the same as a 30,000 gallon pool, your profit margin shrinks fast. Strong pool service pricing starts with noticing the hidden workload during the bid, then charging accordingly so your pool route stays sustainable and you can actually enjoy the work. Underbidding is especially painful because raising the price later feels awkward, even when it is completely justified. A clean way to handle it is to own the mistake, explain the specific reason time went up, and give the customer a choice to accept the new rate or cancel. That honesty can work better than trying to silently suffer through a bad rate. The goa...

Variable speed pool pumps are one of the best upgrades you can make for energy savings, quieter operation, and better control of water flow, but the big mistake is buying the wrong size. A practical starting point is to match the total horsepower of your current single speed pump within a reasonable range, because that usually reflects what the pool was designed to need. If you have a 1 HP single speed pump, a 1.5 HP to 1.65 HP VS pump is typically plenty. If you have a 1.5 HP single speed, stepping into the 1.65 HP to 2.2 HP class can work, while jumping straight to a 2.7 HP or 3 HP VS pump may be overkill unless the system truly demands it. With a VS pump you can always dial RPM down, but you cannot undo the upfront cost of buying more pump than the pool can use. Small pools and older pools often share the same limiting factors: 1.5 inch plumbing, simpler hydraulics, and sometimes 115V electrical supply. Those details matter because a dual voltage variable speed pump wired on 115V ca...

Pool water testing is the backbone of reliable pool service, yet most problems start with bad data, not bad chemicals. This podcast breaks down the most common pool water testing methods used by pool service pros and homeowners: test strips, reagent test kits, photometer testing, and digital water testing. The key takeaway is simple: the “best” test is the one that matches the job, your accuracy needs, and your budget. If you manage a busy pool route, you need speed and consistency. If you handle commercial pools, new plaster startups, or problem pools, you need precision and documentation. Understanding what each method does well helps you avoid chasing readings, overdosing chemicals, and wasting time.   Reagent testing remains the best value for most pool routes, especially with widely used Taylor test kits like the K-2005 and K-2006. Reagents are affordable, refills are easy to stock, and the workflow is fast. The main limitation is also obvious: your eyes become the instru...

Cheap variable speed pool pumps are everywhere right now, especially on Amazon and big box sites, and the price tag can be hard to ignore. When you see a $300 to $700 variable speed pool pump advertised as 1.5 HP or 2 HP, it feels like an easy win compared to a Pentair WhisperFlo VS, Hayward VS pump, or Jandy VS pump that can cost well over $1,300 to $2,000. The catch is that “works” and “works well for your pool” are not the same thing. A variable speed pump swap is a system decision: plumbing layout, flow needs, head pressure, automation compatibility, and long term reliability all matter if you want energy savings without constant headaches. One of the first real world issues is physical fit on the equipment pad. Pool pros think about inlet and outlet alignment because a “simple replacement” can become a replumbing project fast. If your current pump is a Pentair WhisperFlo, matching it with a WhisperFlo variable speed replacement is close to plug and play. The same is true when you ...