Swimming Pool Tips and Reviews

Residential pool care often gets treated like the “informal” side of the industry, even though most pool service pros spend their days in backyards, not at commercial facilities. That gap shows up in training: commercial operators can earn the CPO certification, but residential technicians frequently learn chemistry through trial, error, and scattered advice. In this podcast conversation, we dig into why that is a problem and why Bob Lowry’s approach to pool chemistry training became so influential. His material was built for the backyard professional, with clear explanations and poolside decisions you can actually apply on route, not just theory for the classroom. We also talk about how the Pool Chemistry Training Institute (PCTI) evolved after Bob Lowry and Greg Garrett passed away, and how HASA stepped in to keep the education alive. A key part of the story is access: the original training was a longer paid course, but the goal now is broad availability for residential pool service....

Summer is when pool maintenance stops being predictable and starts moving fast, especially for pool service professionals managing large weekly routes. As water temperature climbs, everything accelerates: sanitizer demand rises, algae prevention gets harder, and balance problems show up quickly between visits. Terry Arco from HASA frames it as a shift from “walking to running,” and it’s a useful mindset for seasonal planning. Weather swings, early heat, and surprise cool spells can scramble the old calendar that once centered on Memorial Day. The best defense is preparation and smarter timing so you are not reacting to problems after they explode on day five or day seven of a service cycle.   Warm water changes water balance in measurable ways, and understanding that helps you prevent surface damage and customer complaints. A key concept is the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI): temperature alone can move LSI, nudging water toward scale-forming conditions as it heats up. Calciu...

Pool Blaster MAX Li Generation 2: A Cordless Pool Vacuum Built for Convenience Keeping a pool or spa clean can feel like a constant chore, especially when dealing with hoses, cords, and bulky equipment. The new Pool Blaster MAX Li Generation 2 is designed to simplify that process with cordless convenience, improved ergonomics, and upgraded cleaning performance. The next-generation MAX Li builds on the reputation of the original model while adding several practical improvements aimed at making routine pool maintenance easier and more efficient. What’s New in the MAX Li Generation 2? The updated design includes several enhancements that improve both usability and cleaning power: Modernized body design with improved ergonomics Comfortable grooved grip handle for easier handheld operation Improved rear charging port for simpler recharging Enhanced rear exhaust thrust for better cleaning coverage Lightweight cordless operation for easy maneuverability These upgrades are intended to make spo...

Pool filter cleaning is one of those pool service tasks that looks simple until you are standing there with a lid that will not reseat, a clamp that will not start, and a customer who wants the system running right now. This episode digs into real-world pool filter problems that rarely show up in manuals, especially on D.E. filters and quad cartridge filters. A big takeaway for pool technicians is that the “mystery” of a lid that will not close is often an O-ring issue, even when the O-ring looks fine. Brand-specific O-rings matter, and having the correct replacement on hand can turn a frustrating call into a smooth, professional repair while protecting your schedule and your reputation.   A practical fix we discuss is lubrication done the right way. Using silicone spray on filter O-rings can help them seat easier and may extend service life, while Magic Lube can provide extra slip when you need that final bit of compression. When the metal clamp and spring barrel nut fight yo...

Customer cancellations are one of the most expensive problems in a pool service business because they hit your monthly revenue, your route density, and your schedule all at once. When a pool service customer cancels, you do not just lose the check, you also create a gap that adds windshield time and makes your pool route less efficient. The episode digs into a surprising truth: many homeowners have a high tolerance for bad pool maintenance. They may ignore mustard algae, a broken pool cleaner, or even missed visits for weeks, especially if they are not using the backyard daily. That “grace period” is a warning and an opportunity, because a pool pro can often fix service issues and rebuild trust before the customer starts collecting bids from another pool company. A major cancellation trigger has nothing to do with your water chemistry or your weekly pool service quality: the customer sells the home. If you cannot connect with the buyer, the account can vanish even when you did everythi...

Cloudy pool water, visible algae, and that dull “off” look are almost never solved by dumping in more chlorine and walking away. A reliable pool water quality fix starts with understanding how circulation, filtration, and sanitizer demand work together. When a pool party spikes bather load, when a homeowner leaves the system in spa mode, or when a new service account has been neglected, the water can turn fast because contaminants rise while flow drops. The key mindset for pool service pros and DIY owners is simple: treat the pool as a system. Clear water depends on moving water through a working filter, then oxidizing and killing what’s in the water, then keeping that process going long enough to finish the job. The first lever to pull is filtration because poor water quality quickly clogs the filter and creates a vicious cycle. With a sand filter or DE filter, rising filter pressure (PSI) often signals restricted flow; you need to know the clean starting PSI so you can spot when the ...

Shopping for an automatic pool cleaner looks simple until you price out the long game. Suction side pool cleaners, pressure side pool cleaners, and robotic pool cleaners all remove dirt, but they behave very differently once you factor in ownership cost, downtime, and repairs. A suction cleaner is usually the most affordable upfront and often the easiest to keep running for years with basic replacement parts. A high-end cordless robotic pool cleaner can feel like the premium choice, but the real question is what it costs per season and what happens when it needs service. Thinking like a pool service pro means valuing reliability, repairability, and the day-to-day reality of how the pool gets used. The biggest blind spot with cordless robotic pool cleaners is service. After a few seasons, problems show up: water intrusion, drive issues, or battery decline. Because lithium-ion batteries must stay water sealed, most designs do not let you swap a battery like a power tool. The battery and ...

Pool water chemistry is where a profitable pool service route either stays smooth or turns into nonstop call backs. One of the biggest hidden mistakes is “eyeballing” test readings and relying on rules of thumb like always adding a quart of muriatic acid or half a gallon of liquid chlorine. That approach might have felt harmless when chemicals were cheap, but today it burns margins fast and can push water chemistry in the wrong direction. Using a dosing app or the dosage tables from a quality test kit turns guesswork into repeatable results. With basic inputs like pool volume, current pH, target pH, alkalinity, and acid strength, you can calculate an accurate dose in under a minute and avoid both waste and damage. Balanced water is more than clear water. True balance also means avoiding corrosive conditions that etch plaster, pit heaters, and trigger metal staining, while also avoiding scale forming water that crusts tile lines and clogs equipment. That is where the Langelier Saturatio...

 The Future of Pool Pump Technology: How Adaptive Flow Control Is Changing Pool Efficiency For decades, pool owners and service professionals have relied on variable speed pumps to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. While these pumps represented a significant advancement over traditional single-speed models, they still required users to estimate the correct operating speed based on pool size, plumbing configuration, and equipment demands. A new generation of technology is aiming to eliminate that guesswork altogether. The Nautis™ Variable Speed + Flow (VSF) Pump from H2flow Controls introduces adaptive flow control, a technology designed to automatically adjust pump performance based on real-time flow measurements. By continuously monitoring water flow and adapting motor speed as conditions change, the system seeks to deliver optimal circulation while maximizing energy savings. Moving Beyond Fixed-Speed Programming Traditional variable speed pumps are often progr...

Pool service safety is not just a “be careful” reminder, it’s a set of repeatable habits that protect pool technicians, homeowners, and your business. On a pool route, risk shows up in obvious places and in surprising ones, especially when you are onboarding a new employee who did not choose the accounts. A smart safety culture starts with awareness, training, and the right protection, including thinking seriously about liability insurance. Even when you do everything right, accidents can happen in the field, and a single incident can turn into property damage, medical costs, missed work, and a lawsuit. The goal is to reduce exposure by spotting hazards early and building simple rules that are easy to follow every stop.   One of the most underestimated hazards for pool pros is backyard pets, including dogs that seem calm until the day they are not. A new dog can appear at a property with no warning, and a bite can be debilitating, disrupt a weekly service schedule, and trigger...

Training and onboarding a pool service employee is not a one-day task, because your route, your customer trust, and the long-term value of your pool business are on the line. A new pool technician will forget details, miss small steps, and run into situations they have never seen, even after weeks of ride-alongs. Planning for that reality is the first management skill: expect calls, expect small mistakes, and build a system that prevents problems from reaching the customer. For many pool service pros, three to four weeks of field training is a practical baseline, with clear standards for what “good service” looks like at every stop. Before you teach testing or brushing, you have to define culture, because culture sets the service level your employee will copy. Some companies run a numbers-first model where speed and volume win, while others protect premium customer service and spotless results. If you want consistency, say it out loud during onboarding and then back it up with training...

Phosphates are one of the biggest “hidden” drivers of recurring pool algae, even when the water looks balanced on paper. In pool water chemistry, phosphates are compounds made from phosphorus and oxygen, and they act as a primary nutrient for algae growth. That matters because algae doesn’t need much to take off: phosphate levels are measured in parts per billion, and small numbers can still keep blooms alive. Unlike chlorine, phosphates do not dissipate on their own. They do not evaporate with water, and they do not naturally break down in a way that reliably solves the problem. Over time, phosphates can build, and once algae appears you can get a nasty cycle where more algae activity leads to more measurable phosphate pressure and a faster slide into cloudy water and heavy chlorine demand. Understanding where phosphates come from helps you prevent the next outbreak. Fertilizer drifting in on the wind, landscape runoff, and organic debris like leaves can all contribute, but a major mo...

Pool service owners often think they’re “just cleaning pools,” but a pool service business is a real asset with measurable value. A stable pool route with documented service history, reliable billing, and consistent customer communication can be bought, sold, or used as an exit plan when you no longer want to be on the pole every day. The big shift is mindset: you are not only a technician, you are building a company with transferable systems. When you treat the business like something another operator could step into, you reduce risk, increase profit, and raise the valuation buyers are willing to pay. That’s why pool service management software matters so much during a sale. In acquisition due diligence, buyers are effectively purchasing your people, your customers, and your data. Clean, exportable records show that each account is real, long-term, and properly serviced, rather than a loose list that can’t be verified. Data security also becomes part of the deal, especially when a buy...

Pool service businesses don’t usually lose work because they lack skill in the field. They lose work because the phone rings while the tech is knee-deep in a backyard, driving to the next stop, or trying to finish routes before sunset. That gap creates missed calls, missed estimates, and missed new pool service customers who simply move on to the next company. On the Pool Grey Podcast Show, the conversation centers on practical AI for pool businesses: using artificial intelligence to reduce real labor, protect focus, and keep revenue from slipping away. The key idea is simple: if AI doesn’t save time and eliminate busywork, it’s probably just hype. That lens leads to a concrete example: Skimmer’s AI Phone, an AI receptionist built for pool industry workflows. Instead of a generic answering service, it’s designed to handle pool-related questions, qualify leads, and capture the details that normally require a human to stop what they’re doing. The system can create a customer record autom...