Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

 You need to be a hard worker. This job is not for everyone. There is weather to deal with, wind, rain, heat, humidity, and snow. You are doing physical labor all day long. So, if you don't like hard work or working in 100-degree weather, this job might not be for you. A book I read years ago helped me and it might help you also is called The Go-Getter: A Story That Tells You How to Be One by Peter B. Kyne. It was first published in 1921. This book will give you a good lesson on what it takes to be successful. You can learn the trade by watching my YouTube videos and by taking courses in your local area if they are offered. A fantastic way to make sure you are qualified and ready is to get CPO certified or Residential Certified through Bob Lowry’s course. People skills are essential because you are running a service business and are providing specific “work” in return for payment. You are not selling a product; the product is you and the service you provide. So, you will make mista...

Testing a pool or spa's salinity (salt) level is a must if you service saltwater pools. If you are a homeowner there is nothing better than owning a good digital salinity meter to get an accurate salt reading. Yes, some systems do display the pool’s salt level but they can be inaccurate.  Inaccurate system readings can be caused by a dirty salt cell. A salt cell is near the end of its lifespan. Water temperature. Communication error between the cell and the control unit or automated system. Or just inaccurate readings by the built-in salinity sensor.  That is why an independent digital tester is important. LaMotte is the leader in the industry of digital water testers. From their Spintouch to their ColorQ Pro photometers they have a solid track record in the industry. Their Tracer PockeTester series recently received a makeover with a new red hard case. Same great testers with a fresh new look.  Order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LIlTAw The 1749-KIT-01 includes the Salt, T...

Educating the clients on your pool service route before a major wind event is critical. You must lower their expectations or assumptions that their pool will be cleaned up in one visit. Many clients will assume that since they pay you to maintain and clean their pool you will spend 2 hours at their account to get things cleaned up. That is just an impossible expectation and with a service, agreement spelling out what they should expect in a major wind event you are off the hook. A strategy that I implement is letting the customer know that if they can skim the surface and empty the skimmer basket I will vacuum up the pool bottom, thus speeding up the cleanup. Having a pole and leaf rake at every one of your service accounts is essential. That way the client can pitch in during a major wind event. About 80% of my current clients will skim the pool surface the day after a wind storm. This makes it easy for me to get the pool back in shape with my vacuum system. It is a good idea again to...

 pH TRACER PockeTester™ Kit with Total Chlorine Order Code 1741-KIT-01 is one of LaMottes newest Combo kit. There are a number of Tracer PockeTester Kits available for purchase and you can find them all listed here: https://lamotte.com/products/pool-and-spa/pool-and-spa-professional-products/on-site-digital-test-kits/tracer-waterproof-pocketesters/ It measures the Total Chlorine test measures from 0 to 9.99 ppm with an accuracy of 10% and resolution of 0.01 ppm. I found it to be accurate with 2-3% in my testing so this is a very accurate digital tester when used correctly. You will need to do 3 steps to get a correct reading.  Use one of the included Chlorine Test Tablets (100 pack) #7044A-J and crush it up well. Then shake the sample cup for 30 seconds. Last insert the probe and twist it around for 10 seconds.  All of this will give you the best results. Is it a bit time-consuming? Yes and no. It should take about 1 minute to do the test so it is not terrible. It’s actua...

I sat down with Terry Arko at HASA to talk about how the drought affects a swimming pool, mainly the rise in TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), and what you can do as a pool pro and a pool owner about this issue.   Terry Arko has over 40 years of experience in the pool, spa, and hot tub industry, working in service, repair, retail sales, chemical manufacturing, and product development. He is a CPO instructor through the National Swimming Pool Foundation. He also serves as an instructor for the Pool Chemistry Training Institute to certify residential pool techs. Terry is an active member of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals Recreational Water Quality Committee.  I think it is best to start with a definition of TDS. TDS: Total Dissolved Solids are basically everything in the water besides the water itself. The “junk” includes chlorides, metals, ions like bicarbonate and carbonate alkalinity, nitrogen compounds, and organics that are left in the water after it evapora...

The Riptide SL cart is designed to take the Riptide Pool Vacuum System and Battery back to your service stop. There is a bin in front and one in the back where you can store chemicals and such. I wouldn’t say it is lacking space for the average pool pro. But if you are like me and you like to take everything possible back in one trip to each stop, it can get overloaded.  Riptide has the solution to this with their New!  Handlebar Organizer and their Quart Bottle/Tab Holder. HANDLEBAR ORGANIZER $ 80.00 https://www.riptidevac.com/collections/accessories/products/handlebar-organizer The Handlebar Organizer can hold a leaf rake, brush, Taylor test kit, test strips, tools, and whatever else you wish to add to it. This will leave the bins open for chemicals and other pool tools. Basically, the organizer has really opened up the possibilities with the Riptide SL cart and you can bring some much need supplies back with you now to every stop.    QUART BOTTLE/TAB HOLDER $30.00...

 I wouldn’t be dismissive of a Recession as it affects every area of most people's lives. I wouldn’t panic though. And that is my stance on any economic downturn. I have been through this before with the worst downturn coming in 2008-2010, some even calling that period a Depression.   For the pool industry, a Recession can affect some sectors worse than others. For instance, a pool builder is likely to lose leads and can see that business contract dramatically. If money is not available to pull out of your home or cash is scarce, investments are losing value, and most potential clients will simply defer the pool building project until another year or longer.  Pool stores will of course suffer with sales of the more expensive products and most high-end consumers will be pulling back as a natural reaction to a down market. Anything unnecessary will be put on hold until a future date as money may be tight for a lot of consumers.  As far as the pool service sector y...

Cleaning cartridge pool filters can be a real chore and a real pain. If you do pool service cleaning 4-5 of these during the filter cleaning season can really take a toll on your back and your time out on your pool route. The Cyclone Filter Cleaning System solves both of these problems for you. It will make cleaning the cartridges faster and since the cartridge is now off of the ground it will also help with the back pain created from bending over them as you clean them. The current list price is $299.00 Includes: Collapsible stand Top filter retainer Bottom filter retainer with stainless steel ball bearing Furniture grade PVC extension wand with brass fan-tip spray nozzle and shut-off valve Satisfaction Guarantee If you are looking for a way to make cartridge filter cleaning easier and faster this is the tool for you. Especially if you clean a lot of the Quad Type (4 Cartridge) filters on your pool route. For a homeowner, this would be the perfect tool to make your cartridge cleaning ...

The AquaStar Pipeline Filters are the newest pool filters to hit the market. They are in fact the first redesigned filter in several years from any manufacturer. I interviewed Todd Pieri the COO of AquaStar and he goes over these filters in detail for you.  The build quality is great and these filters are made here in the USA. The plastic reminds me a lot of the Sta-Rite System 3 filters which in my opinion are the most durable filters on the market today. The AquaStar Pipeline filters have that same build quality to them. The super compact size will be a game-changer for builders, at least in Southern California where they like to put in the tightest equipment pads.  The actual dimensions of the PLF27000 are 19 ½” wide by 36 ½” tall. The PLF35000 is 19 ½” wide and 46 ½” tall making them amazingly compact.  Here is more about the filters from AquaStar: Model # PLF27000 200 sq ft cartridge Commercial: 27,000 gallons 6-Hour Turnover Capacity Residential: 108,000 gallons 12-...