Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

If you are a pool Service Professional or a Do it Yourself type homeowner and are installing a Pentair Quad D.E. Filter or a Pentair Clean & Clear Plus filter, I will show you what is in the box and how to put the filter together for your install. It is pretty easy but is worth going over so that everything is clear. I like the Quad D.E. Filters and the Pentair Clean & Clear Plus filters and have many of them on my pool route. The Assembly for both the Quad D.E. And the Clean and Clear Plus are exactly the same. In fact I think it is the same filter body with just different internal configurations. In the box along with the filter is the Air Relief Valve and Pressure Gauge, Two CPVC 2” Universal Unions with O-rings and the Instruction Manual. So the first step is to take the plug out of the Air Relief Valve with a wrench and thread the Pressure Gauge into it. They put Teflon Tape on the plug to give you a hint, it is a good idea to add some Teflon Tape to the...

One of the main expenses of using a Pool Vacuum System like the Power Vac or Hammer-Head is the price of the replacement bags. The bags do wear out over time and if you use the cleaner often you will go through a lot of bags each year. That is why a company like Mako Power Vac Bags is a great resource for the pool service professional. They make great replacement bags but at half the cost of the OEM (Original Equipment manufacturer) bags. Mako Power Vac Bags makes a variety of replacement bags. Their most popular bag is their Regular All Purpose Bag. This bag does a great job picking up leaves as well as sand and fine dirt. This would be your primary bag for everyday use on your pool route. Priced at only $15.00 it is a great value and the bag you will want to order. They also make a small Spa bag (18” x 14”) which is perfect for water features, Infinity Edge Pool troughs and of course spas. They sell an Extra Large Regular bag which is 40” x 18” for those pools wit...

If you service pools in Southern California or own a pool in the area, you will experience a major Santa Ana Wind event at least every couple of years. Depending on your area these winds can fill your pool with tons of leaves and dirt and completely cover your pool. If there is a fire also in the area your pool can also be filled with ash. In this article I go over some tips for dealing with the Santa Ana Winds and the ash from the fires that often occur with the wind event. Listen to the Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/611011-episode-24-santa-ana-winds-and-ash-from-the-fires-helpful-tips-for-pool-service-professionals Subscribe to my Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pool-guy-show-podcast/id1257613192 Subscribe on Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Imhdwnal25iyl4c2yfceih2ni4y First off if you are a homeowner who has their pool serviced weekly by a pool service professional a major Santa Ana Wind ...

I've used many of these point and shoot underwater cameras and I must say the 4K video quality of the Nikon Cooolpix W300 is by far the best video quality I have filmed in yet. The Nikon W300 is 4K camera but with a standard lens. This means that the footage will not have that annoying curved edges or bubble look of other 4K cameras that use a Fisheye or Wide Angle lens. I will touch on some of the great features of the Nikon W300 and why I think this is the best in it's class. I think the main reason to purchase this camera would be for the 4K video. On land and underwater the quality of the 4K video is amazing. I tried the Olympus TG-Tracker 4K camera but after one day of filming the curved video footage was just unusable. So I decided to go with a standard lens 4K camera instead and if you don't need the camera for jumping out of an airplane or strapped to your motorcycle helmet you may want to pass on the GoPro, TG-Tracker or Sony because of the video distorti...

I often get asked by new pool owners what they need as far as equipment to maintain their swimming pool each week. The straight answer is that you really don't need that much. All you really need is a pool pole, pool brush, a leaf rake, a vacuum hose and a vacuum head. As part of your basic pool equipment you will need a test kit also to keep your pool water balanced. The equipment you need to clean your pool is actually very basic. Listen to the Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/607418-basic-equipment-final-wav Subscribe to my Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pool-guy-show-podcast/id1257613192 Subscribe on Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Imhdwnal25iyl4c2yfceih2ni4y This is basically all you need to clean and maintain your pool each week: A Pool Pole A Pool Brush A Leaf Rake A Vacuum Hose A Vacuum Head A Test Kit You don't really need anything else and you can get all of thi...

The Blue Diamond Robotic Pool Cleaner by Water Tech is an underrated and often overlooked cleaner. It comes with a lot of premium features and is priced just under $1,000. The Blue Diamond also comes with an industry leading 4 year warranty (or 500 cleaning cycles) so you can rest assured that you will get years of use out of this cleaner. Here are some of the specifications and features of the cleaner. I will touch on a few of these later in this article. Caddy cart with every unit Can clean most pools in 60 minutes, up to 90 minutes on larger pools Can maneuver and will turn in the pool without pistons The safest operating robotic cleaner, running on 24 volts Approved for use by ETL, CSA, TUV, CE, GS Oil-Free drive motor “Hex Wheels”- Heavy Duty Stainless Steel supported wheel tubes Swivel on cord- No more cord tangling Equipped with PVA brushes that will operate in ANY type of pool surface NO FLOATS are needed as with other robots Cycle Counter- Warranty testing All mo...

Retail pool stores are still a great place to find hands on one on one help with all of your pool care needs. In 1988 when I started in the business I worked for a local pool store and learned the ropes of pool service. I spend some time talking to Bob Slaughter from Pinch A Penny and we discuss some aspects of their franchise pool stores. Listen to the Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/602772-episode-22-all-about-pinch-a-penny-pool-stores-interview-with-bob-slaughter Subscribe to my Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pool-guy-show-podcast/id1257613192 Subscribe on Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Imhdwnal25iyl4c2yfceih2ni4y Although I am a big proponent of getting help online for your pool care needs, there is still a definite place for the brick and mortar pool stores. Not only are you supporting your local business by shopping in a pool retail store, but you are keeping a vital link between the pool manufa...

The Polaris 7240 Sport is a new Robotic Pool Cleaner by Zodiac designed for a small to medium pool. This is an entry level Robotic Pool Cleaner and part of Zodiac's Trade Series line which means it is not sold online and it is only available at your local brick and mortar pool store or from your pool service professional. The Polaris 7240 Sport has a lot of the same features found in their larger robotic cleaners but for an entry level price. Here are some of the features of the Polaris 7240 Sport: Cyclonic Vacuum Technology- Captures debris without losing suction Navigates Floors and Climbs Walls - For full pool coverage and a thorough clean Lightweight Handling - Compact design is easy to carry Easy Clean Filter Canister with Transparent Lid - Simply remove, unlatch, shake and spray And here are some of the cleaners Specs: Vacuum Technology: Cyclonic Easy Clean Filter Canister: Yes Surface Cleaning Ability: Floors and walls Drive: Tr...

Taylor Technologies is the leading manufacturer of Pool Test Kits and they make a variety of different kits. I discuss some of the products that Taylor makes with Wayne Ivusich who is the Director of Education at Taylor Technologies. We go over some of Taylor's more common test kits as well as their advanced testers. For most pool service professionals the Taylor K-2006 or K-2005 are the go to test kits. The test factors in each kit are extensive and will be pretty much all you will need for your day to day testing. Taylor also makes a K-1000 series of test kits for the homeowner. Whichever test kit you select for your pool route or home, you can rest assured that a Taylor product will give you the most accurate test results. Listen to the Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/599361-episode-21-taylor-test-kits-interview-with-wayne-ivusich-director-of-education Subscribe to my Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pool-guy-show-pod...

There are two kinds of bugs that can infest your swimming pool, Water Boatman bugs and Backswimmers. ( Notonectidae ). The Boatman bugs are harmless but they can take over your pool very quickly. The Backswimmers have a nasty bite and I have been stung by one myself and it is not fun. But they don't tend to swarm like the Boatman bugs. On a recent visit to my Dad's house in Indio California, I witnessed the Boatman Bug invasion of Biblical proportions. The Coachella Valley is a desert region in California that has been recently overrun by the Boatman bugs. No one know exactly where they are coming from but they are falling from the sky like snow. They usually run their course in a body of water, but in this case with more and more falling from the sky a pool just gets re-infested day after day. Boatman bugs will fly and then land on your pool surface. They then gather air in their wings and go under the surface to search for food and a place to lay their egg...