Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

Salt water generators are also referred to as saltwater systems or chlorine generators have only one true benefit and that is they generate and add chlorine to your pool for you. You no longer need to buy 3” Tri-Chlor Tablets, liquid chlorine, or Cal-Hypo shock. If you are looking for other benefits to justify the price there really isn’t one.   You really don't save any money when you convert to a salt pool. In fact, it cost a lot more than using Chlorine or Bleach in your pool. Factor in the cost of the unit plus install, say $1,500 and then a new salt cell every 3-5 years at $500 and the salt to start $150 and you’re looking at over $2,000 for the first 5 years. And this is a low estimate in some regards.   You would have to spend over $400 a year on chlorine to match that number. Typically, you are not spending over $100-$200 a season for your chlorine.   The other drawbacks are constantly rising pH. Calcium flakes in the pool. Corrosive water to metal components ...

There are many benefits of going with a 1.85 THP VS pump. One of the biggest is that if you currently are running your equipment on 115V you can upgrade to this pump and have a really powerful pump at your disposal. Most 115V pads have just a 1 hp or less pump and with a 1.85 THP pump, this gives you a lot more flow and potential. The Jacuzzi JVS 185S is a dual voltage VS pump which means it works with either 115V or 230V without any rewiring.  Moving from a 1.5 hp or even a 2 hp to a 1.85 THP pump is a great option for you as well. It will give you the same head power up to a standard 2 hp pump without the added cost of a 2.7 or 3.0 THP VS pump which might be overkill in a lot of setups.  Another benefit of the Jacuzzi JVS 185S is the very large wet end or pump pot area. It is the same size as the JVS270S VS pump and rivals the wet end of most larger 3.0 THP VS pumps on the market today.  If you are looking for an affordable and reliable VS pump and of course looking for...

 Not only are we dealing with 5.9% inflation but there is an extreme shortage of everything in the Pool Industry this season. Looking for chlorine, yeah everyone is. How about a heater? Or a particular VS pump. You are out of luck. What is causing the issue? It all started with the Bio Lab fire last year in which the largest Tri-Chlor factory went up in smoke. This factory-produced an amazing 2 million pounds of Tri-Chlor each year. Of course with 3” tablets in the short supply pool pros started grabbing liquid chlorine, cal hypo, and dichlor to sanitize their pools. And the supply chain could not keep up. Why there is also a shortage of Muriatic Acid is anyone’s guess. In this “Not Enough” economy it could be as simple as there are no boxes to put them in. Some of the solutions are obvious. Switch chlorine types to the one that is readily available even though it will be inconvenient. For example, liquid chlorine might be available in your area and 3” tablets may be in short suppl...

Ariel by Solar-Breeze is their newest solar-powered surface cleaner. Their first one was the Solar-Breeze back in 2007 and they updated that cleaner with the NX in 2015 and the NX2 in 2018. The Skimbot was their latest cleaner until the Ariel was released in 2021.  To order the Ariel: https://solar-breeze.com/product/preorder-ariel-by-solar-breeze/ The Ariel to me is a combination of the Skimbot and the Solar Breeze NX2. I like the overall design and look of the cleaner although I am not a fan of the color scheme. Aesthetics aside this cleaner is simple and effective. Here is more about Ariel from the manufacturer and I will give you my likes and dislikes afterward. “How does Ariel navigate? Ariel is propelled through the water by two paddle wheels located at the rear of the unit. In addition to propelling the unit forward, these paddle wheels can rotate at different speeds or in opposite directions, allowing Ariel to steer around obstructions that she may encounter in the pool, or...

If you are just getting started in the pool industry or just bought a home with a pool, there are a few common chemistry misconceptions that you should know about. I go over a few of these in this podcast with chemistry expert Bob Lowry. Bob Lowry is the author of over 23 books but this has to be one of his most relevant and shortest books coming in at just 19 pages thick. But it is packed with so many essentials on residential pool chemistry that you will want a copy to carry in your service truck. Bob Lowry has been in the industry for over 47 years and is the Lead Consultant at Lowry Consulting Group, leads the Pool Chemistry Training Institute, and has created the Certified Residential Pool & Spa Certification Program. Learn more at  https://pcti.online/ If you are struggling with algae in a pool and the chlorine level appears to be fine at 3 or 4 ppm and you are scratching your head, the answer may be something you never considered. Maybe 3 ppm is not enough to prevent and...

  Vacuuming a pool from a suction side cleaner is something that is very easy to do. All you really need is a good vacuum head and a standard swimming pool pole. You would just use the hoses that are attached to the skimmer or the side port of the swimming pool. There's no need to use a standard vacuum hose with a suction side cleaner because the hoses are already in the pool. You may need to adjust the section of the cleaner in some cases, and this can be done either at a valve by the pool equipment that controls the side port or at the skimmer with the skimmer regulator for the cleaner. Most of the time I don't bother to adjust the suction and just use whatever suction the cleaner had before with the manual vacuum head. Besides that, if you do have it connected to the side port you really can't open up the suction completely because that would cause too much cavitation in the pool pump. It's also a hassle to adjust the skimmer regulator valve and then adjust it back...

 There are 6 main types of chlorine products on the market today. There is Liquid Chlorine, Cal-Hypo, Tri-Chlor, Dichlor, Gas Chlorine, and Lithium Hypochlorite. The first 4 listed are of course the more common types and you may be familiar with them. So, what exactly is chlorine, and which is the best type of chlorine for your pool? Chemistry expert Bob Lowry goes over each type of chlorine for you and its pros and cons.  Bob Lowry is the author of over 23 books but this has to be one of his most relevant and shortest books coming in at just 19 pages thick. But it is packed with so many essentials on residential pool chemistry that you will want a copy to carry in your service truck. Bob Lowry has been in the industry for over 47 years and is the Lead Consultant at Lowry Consulting Group, leads the Pool Chemistry Training Institute, and has created the Certified Residential Pool & Spa Certification Program. Learn more at  https://pcti.online/ Liquid Chlorine or Bleac...

 The Pool Blaster® CX-1 is a cordless, rechargeable residential pool robot loaded with innovative features. There are no cords. No power units. It is truly a cordless robotic pool cleaner that will leave your pool spotless after each use. The CX-1 has been on the market now for a little over 3 years and recently it has been updated by Water Tech to make it that much better. Plug it in and charge it up and the CX-1 is ready to drive itself into your pool. Yes, you read that correctly, the CX-1 will enter the pool on its own power. Simply set it by the pool edge, point the front towards the pool, and turn the power on. It will start up and drive into the pool and then begin it's cleaning cycle. This is a really cool feature! You can set the CX-1 for two different cleaning cycles. The one-time cleaning cycle has been updated so that there are now two 2 hour cycles instead of the previous one 4.5 hour cycle. This means the cleaner is good for two one-time cleanings per charge. A weekly...

One way to break into the swimming pool industry is to purchase a pool route. This is not like buying a business such as a fast-food restaurant or market per se and you are basically buying the income the route generates and not a physical business. I spend a week with Scott Roberts of National Pool Route Sales (NPRS) and he goes deep into what buying or selling a pool route is really all about.  The Ins and Outs of Purchasing a Pool Route with Scott Roberts of NPRS (Episode 655) https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/8752413 What Exactly is a Pool Route and What am I buying? With Scott Roberts of NPRS (Episode 656) https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/8752675 How Do I Get Trained When I Buy a Pool Route? With Scott Roberts of NPRS (Episode 657) https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/8752775 Is the Pool Industry a Good Industry to Get into? With Scott Roberts of NPRS (Episode 658) https://www.buzzsprout.com/110832/8707839 Keys to Success in Owning a Pool Route with Scott Roberts of NPRS (Episod...