Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

It is always good to know what is in the chemical you are adding to your pool or spa. The ingredients are usually displayed on the side of and if you are curious about the exact makeup and possible hazards you can always Google the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet). The MSDS will let you know the safety issues presented by the chemical and list the ingredients.  Once in a while, you will see an ingredient marked as a “Trade Secret” or as a “Proprietary blend" and then things can become a head-scratcher. Take Clorox Xtra Blue 3” Tablets for example. Here is the chemical make up according to the MSDS: Hazardous components Component / CAS-No. Weight percent  Trichloro-s-triazinetrione 87-90-1: 94.05 %  Trade secret 002: 3 - 8 %  Boron salt < 2 % From the name Clorox Blue you kinda get the idea that the little blue specs in the tablets are the 3-8% “Trade Secret” ingredient. If you do a little research you will find that the little blue specs are some form of copper t...

 Picking the right turf and turf company can be tough. It took us over one year of researching and getting bids before we settled on the right company. I suggest getting at least 3 bids so you know that you are being quoted correctly. We decided to go with a local family-owned company, All Season Turf. Since having our turf installed 6 of our neighbors have also had All Season Turf install Turf at their houses.  https://www.myallseasonturf.com/ Watch the video to learn more: This is a smaller family-owned and operated company, but you can see from the video that they definitely know what they are doing. They also install Tiger Turf which is made here in the USA and comes with a 15-year warranty (100% lead-free). I think if you get three bids you will have some idea of the cost involved and of the different turfs available. There are so many to choose from and it is also important to visit job sites of completed lawns to see the actual turf. To me, this is a pretty critical par...

  After July 19 th, 2021 you will be hard-pressed to find a single-speed 1hp pump or motor. The Department of Energy has mandated new energy rules and almost all of the single-speed pumps will no longer be sold. That leaves only Variable Speed Pumps as an option going forward after July 19 th .   Below are some of the pumps I recommend. Listen to the video below for some sales tips on VS pumps: The first option would be to replace the motor with a Century V-Green stands alone VS motor. They are compatible with most pumps and come with a round or square flange. It is the most affordable option and if the existing pump is less than 5 years old I would suggest going that route. But if you need to replace the entire pump here are some brands to look at.  Pentair was the first with their IntelliFlo VS pump and it is still the benchmark pump because there are just so many of them installed in backyards. When they first came out much thought they would never catch on and th...

The Hayward TriVac 500 is a really underrated pressure side cleaner and it is pretty trouble-free also. But if you find that it is moving very slowly in your there could be a few things wrong with it, including a bad Timer Valve. It is an easy part to replace and they sell a complete kit – the Hayward TriVac 500 Timer Valve Kit #TVX7500TV For $135.00. Check System First: Because of the nature of how a pressure side cleaner works, check to make sure both the system pump (main pool pump) and the booster pump (cleaner pump) are set to come on at the same time. The main pump if it is a VS pump should be running at a higher speed, around 2200 RPM or greater is acceptable. If the system pump and booster pump are not set to turn on at the same time the TriVac 500 will not move. Check the Quick Disconnect: Make sure the TriVac 500 has enough water going to it. Sometimes the pressure relief valve is open or cracked. Typically, it should be closed if you have a ¾ hp booster pump connected to the...

The Sutro is the most advanced floating smart pool and spa water monitor on the market today. Unlike the other devices currently on the market that use ORP sensors, the Sutro uses LaMotte reagents to test Free Chlorine, pH, Alkalinity and there is a sensor for the water temperature. It’s a lot like having a test kit floating in your pool that will give you these three reading 3 times a day.  Listen to more about the Sutor with the founder Ravi in this video Basic Lease: $199 Down $29 per month Subscription (includes a reagent cartridge each month shipped to you) Premium Lease: $199 Down $39 per Month (includes a reagent cartridge each month shipped to you) Own: $699 Once – One free year subscription then $19 per month after that All plans include a free reagent cartridge on-demand  Affordability has been the biggest stumbling block with these devices so Sutro has come up with a novel way to buy or lease the devices. The monthly subscription includes the reagent cartridge and i...

 The Hayward Phoenix is a Leslie’s Retail only cleaner and is available at your local Leslie’s store. It is in the same Hayward family of cleaners as the Poolcleaner and Aquanaut and note that these parts are the same ones for all three cleaners. The Hayward Phoenix is a solid cleaner but it will wear out over time just like any other product. The one part you will need to change more often than any other is the rubber tires. Depending on how long you run your pool and the pool surface type will determine the tire lifespan. Generally speaking, you should get at least 15 months to 18 months out of each set of tires. For best performance, once the wear mark is reached I suggest changing the tires. For the four-wheel version, I like taking the front tires when worn and just cutting the hump off. Then I put them on the back tires, thus saving $50.00. I then put a new set of tires on the front. The best thing about this cleaner is that Hayward sells what they call the Lower Body Convers...

Leslie’s Pool Supplies is best known for selling pool products to retail consumers but did you know that they also sell Wholesale to the Pool Service Pro. And opening an account is simple and easy and also free! How to open an account: Simply go into a local Leslie’s store – there are over 900 of them and ask the manager about opening a wholesale account. All you need is a business card basically and you are all set. If you want to be part of Leslie’s Pool Service Provider Program you would need at least $1 million dollars in General Liability Insurance. You can also open an account online by going to this link and entering your email address: https://lesliespool.com/commercial-services.html/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=spll&utm_campaign=spll Wholesale Pricing: Of course, the number one benefit of opening a Leslie’s Wholesale account is the fact that you get wholesale pricing. With over 900 locations purchasing your pool service equipment and chemicals couldn’t be simpler. T...

 If you are looking for an inexpensive battery-operated vacuum for your above-ground spa the Water Tech Pool Blaster Spa Vac Plus would be an affordable choice. If you compare it to the manual spa wand in price and performance the Pool Blaster Spa Vac comes out on top. Not only is it compact breaking down about 1 ft for storage vs the Spa Wand, it picks up dirt and leaves faster and more effectively. For around $55.00 and a pack of 4-C batteries, the Spa Vac Plus is not a huge investment.  It works well for small amounts of dirt, sand, and leaf debris and will keep your spa clean and ready for use each time you get in. It has a power rating of 50 from Water Tech so it is not going to blow you away with the suction power but it does work well. The Spa Vac Plus is the direct replacement for their Spa Vac Ultra. They look about the same except the front has small brushes instead of the wheels. I am pretty sure they will be available very soon from your local pool supply store and...

Skimmer is the Premiere Pool Routing and Invoicing Software with over 2K customers & 7K app users including pool service owners, technicians, and admins. In October 2020, our customers serviced 135,000 pools and completed 44,000 work orders. Skimmer’s customers to date have recorded almost 35 million readings and dosages to date. Skimmer is also very affordable starting at $29.99 a month or .50 cents per service account whichever is greater. So a route of 100 accounts will cost you just $50 per month. You get a lot for your money with Skimmer and below are some of the many things this routing app will do for you. To learn more or to sign up: https://getskimmer.com/?via=david Everything You Need to Run Your Pool Service Business: Skimmer is pool service software that makes it easier to run your pool business. Now, you can finally ditch that old paper-based system and run your business the modern way. Customers Track all your customers, each with the ability to have multiple location...