The more pools your technician has on his service schedule, the more likely they are to skip your pool. Yes, pool technicians (not the good ones) will skip an account here and there to make up for lost time. Cambridge Consulting Group Bob Anderson Pdf Viewer.

When swimming pool companies are in the growing stage of their business, they often have too many pools and not enough employees to accommodate them. Don’t just assume a technician skipped your pool; always give the service company the benefit of the doubt. However, if you think your weekly pool-cleaning service may have been overlooked, ask the service technician for a drop ticket. Any reputable company should have tickets they can leave on your door that detail the time they were there, chemicals used, condition of pool and services rendered. One huge downfall to large national swimming pool service companies are high turnover rates.

Additionally, many of these pool companies hire inexperienced employees and provide minimal training. Pool technicians are chemists, engineers, plumbers and more, especially when repairs are necessary. Monthly pool service rates are relatively low compared to many other home services; therefore, the pay they offer new employees is often low as well. This results in unqualified employees. It takes time to build a relationship, so look for an experienced professional that’s willing to do your pool service for a long period of time. I've been astonished to hear a few friends complaining that their swimming pool company was charging a high flat rate and charging them for additional chemicals on their monthly bill. The majority of pool service companies charge one flat rate regardless of the amount of chemicals used.

Vac Builder Serial. Serial and Parallel Battery Configurations and Information. Vac Builder Seriale. There are many different types of swimming pool companies. From the mom and pop provider to the multimillion dollar pinch-a-penny, it can be hard to determine which is best for you. Just make sure you know the five secrets most pool service companies won't tell you.

Service charges may increase due to seasonal changes or gas prices, but you should still be paying one flat rate that you have approved beforehand. In other words, you shouldn't be paying extra for acid or chlorine. However, it’s standard to charge more if a special chemical was purchased specifically for your pool. One of the biggest income providers for pool service companies is repairs. Just like an automobile shop, pool companies receive their parts for less than it would cost you to purchase them. They mark them up slightly and charge you for their time spent doing the pool repair.

Beware of dishonest repair technicians who may opt for used parts instead of new ones to do your repair. These parts could be from a customer who just put in new equipment or even from a dumpster dive. Don’t sweat the small stuff, but if you're undergoing a $500 repair, I suggest you view the equipment before it’s installed.

Licensing in the swimming pool industry can be a confusing concept, and depends highly on the state in which you reside. In Tampa, Fla., for example, in order to provide pool cleaning services to residential swimming pools, you simply need to register with your tax collector and establish an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for tax purposes. Here’s where it gets tricky. Major repairs to your pool equipment or to a commercial property may require a contractor’s license. Many smaller pool companies will sub out their repairs to companies that specialize in your type of repair. If you have any questions, talk to your pool technician to make sure he or she is properly licensed for the types of services or repairs requested.

Editor's note: This is an updated version of an article that was originally published on May 9, 2013. About this Experts Contributor:, a Tampa-based swimming pool cleaning and repair company established in 2011.

He has more than ten years of experience servicing residential and commercial swimming pools. As a small business owner he seeks to provide honest, competitive, reliable and surrounding areas.

Follow this #ALExpert on Twitter As of June 08, 2016, this service provider was highly rated on Angie's List. Ratings are subject to change based on consumer feedback, so check Angie's List for the most up-to-date reviews. The views expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect those of Angie's List. The filter pump burned out for the second time in four years. At the end of last year the Pool Maintenance Company resurfaced the bottom of the pool.

This year, after running only three days, the bulkhead motor literally blew and blew a hole in the ceiling of the pump house. The next day the filter motor burned out. The PMC wants to charge us $ 6,800.00 to replace. I suspect the filter was not properly cleaned of debris after they resurface the pool bottom and this led to the blockage which caused the buldhead to blow and the pump motor to burn out.

I am an electrical engineer with experience working on LA - 688 class nuke subs and radar systems in Arctic Circle.but I know very little about pools other than being a certified Lifeguard and certified diver. Many thanks for your expertise •.

Our Pool Maintenance company resurfaced the bottom of our pool at the end of last season. This week, after being open only three days, the pump motor burned out and the PMC told us it will cost $7,000.00 to replace. The same motor was replace four years ago with what we were told was a new motor. I suspect they did not clean the (sand) filter properly (they did do a backwash) after they resurfaced the pool and filled it, turned on the filter pump.

I think what happened was the filter sucked in several pounds of debris from the resurfacing and they never cleaned it.this caused the pump motor to overheat and then burn out. The day before the pump burned out the bulkhead fittinng literally blew out and blew a hole in the ceiling of our pump house. Thank you for any expert advice you can give us.

Experienced Pool Guy sounds like a respectable Pool professional. I too am an experienced pool guy with over 100,000 service calls under my belt. Over 100,000 seems impossibly but I will explain later.

The writer Justin Pullara is Right. I use to be a service tech for a Mom & Pop Co. And I am now an Executive for a Corporate pool Co. Skipped Service.What Young Inexperienced employee in any field is not taking short cuts? When it comes to pool service that means skipping tasks or skipping service completely thinking no one will ever know.

I have witnessed personally in one year at a Corporately owned co. The same amount of employee turn over that I saw in over 5 years at a Mom & Pop. Young and Inexperienced means they are paid little and care little about their work. Experienced pool guy also sounds like he is employed by a respectable co but there are crappy Pool companies out there. I like to think that any successful co. In any field is for the most part honest but with the collapse of the economy many out of work people thought it would be easy to start a pool cleaning business. This can be the downside of the Mom & Pop Co.

Unfortunately everything Justin wrote about happens in our business. Back to my Over 100,000 service calls. I have cleaned Pools, & filters and been a helping hand on installing Equipment.

I have serviced over 90 pools in one day. Let me explain. The company I worked for offered No Cleaning. Just Chemicals so I spent an average of 3 minutes in a back yard testing the water turning on the equipment and adding the necessary chemicals. 50 pools a day was the norm. I worked for the company for over 9 years.

Pool companies in different regions do things different. Where I am it is normal to charge Flat rates. The owner of the Mom & Pop co I worked for was very honest with his customers even letting them know that he profited more in the winter months due to the minimal amount of chemicals used. He runs a very successful pool company started in his garage in the early 80s. The going rate for a filter clean in my region is $80-$150. I'm just trying to say that in my over 9 years as a service tech and 5 years behind a desk I have personally come across and worked with some horrible technicians and companies.

I have worked for some Awesome pool companies and worked with some Super techs. Unfortunately Pool Service is one of those things where the customer might have to do some trial and error with different companies but like Justin said give them a chance to correct any issues. Wow i just got from a day of cleaning 18 pools, i work as a pool technician in South Florida, the title of the article caught my eye and i have been laughing and facepalming reading all comments i could for the last hour. I will help a bit here. CHEMISTRY I understand that not everybody knows about pools but i notice most people really don't know anything about their pools.

And i include the couple people i read that say they've been maintaining their pools with only chlorine and tablets, i would like to visit them and point out all the problems that they have and may have. Yes it is quite complicated to understand all the chemistry in your pool (i bare with the guy that said he cleaned pools for 40 years and would never own one, its a real pain in the ass but its not that bad) its not just chlorine and PH, the water must also have a correct level of alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid and TDS (total disolved solids, this must be removed each 2 years maybe). I invite you all to go to pinchi-a-penny or wherever and buy a Pool Test-Kit it comes with a detailed instruction on how to measure all the chemistry in your pool and also all the chemicals you need to do so.

Some of the chemistry problems that your pool may have may not be visible but can be very bad for your health and the people that dives in it. Note: If you have a pool cleaning service and the chemistry is not balanced you have a bad pool guy Note 2: the balance of the chemistry above should NOT be extra charged on your monthly bill There are circumstances where special chemicals may be needed and extra charged such as TDS removers, phosphates removers, stabilizer, algae remover, metals remover, etc. To put it in perspective and in the simplest form chlorine only kills the bacteria and the PH is balanced so that the water doesn't burn you, but what happens with your creams, make up, hair gel, sunscreen, saliva, sweat and in some cases kids piss, soda, beer, ashes. My pool is slightly larger than small, about 8800 gallons.

10 by 30 (approx). Perfect for floating.

I bought the house 15 years ago and kept a pool man for about 5 years. And he was honest and smart and very reliable. Unfortunately I fell on hard times and had to cut expenses. So, I taught myself how to vacuum and maintain the water. Because it is a smaller pool, the maintenance is rather simple. I do let the pump run 2 days on and then 1 day off. Word is that this is healthier for the pump, longer life span as opposed to shutting on and off ever day.

Two tablets a week in the skimmer and liquid bleach broadcast into the water twice a month. Water has been perfectly blue for a decade now.

The pool has been such a reward to me. Even in the off season, I find it to be such a gift to sit out next to it with a nice pit fire in the evenings. The thing is, I love being near a body of water. And i do what I can to make it work. And, for those of you who have smaller pools, do know that, as best as I can tell, its just that much easier to maintain either on your own or through a professional. I consider myself a lucky one, I guess.

I enjoy maintaining my pool and, therefore, truly enjoy owning it! I’m a new home/pool owner. My pool guy has been cleaning this pool for 8 yrs. And I am happy with him.

My question is how to get around the mess cleaning the filter leaves. My guy (and the one next door) sprays the filter off while it’s sitting on the ground, so all that gunk is all over. I tried cleaning up the soot when it was wet, that wasn’t working.

So I let it dry, the dust from it chocked me. Is this how everyone does it? Or is there something I can buy that will catch the debris so I can throw it away in the trash? Lastly, is that debris from the filters dangerous??

I’m willing to do my part. My pool service provider told me I needed a new filter. They installed a Haywood cylinder cartridge and replaced two rubber gaskets (o-rings?).

I looked up the cost of the filter- $50 and the gaskets - another few dollars. My pool service charged me $175 for this service. That is a 300% mark-up.

I understand about labor cost- but it literally took the guy five minutes to make the change and he did not make any special trip to my house as he did it when he came to do the weekly pool service. I feel I have been seriously ripped off. Why if it is so cheap and easy do you even pay someone to do it. They have to order it,pay shipping and send someone on a minimum of a half hour labor(which is about $80-$100/hr.). A fair mark up on $65 would be $100. A half hour or more labor(the tech has to spend time to get there),even if hes only there ten minutes,would be very fair. So with the $100 and $50 labor charge,they are slightly expensive.

After paying the tech,tax,shipping,gas,insurance and the product,the company may make $50 profit on that. Would you think and hour of your time is worth $50? What would you expect them to make? It sounds like $20 is what you want. No one could sustain a business,especially seasonal,with that kind of profit. And what if there is a problem with the product?

They dont get paid the second time they replace it,this is what you have not considered in the price. You can always do it yourself and have no complaints. I have been a licensed swimming pool builder and maintenance professional for over 40 years -- now semi-retired. After reading these posted comments I am glad I am not doing pools anymore.

Wow but there is a lot of confusion out there and most all of you are just guessing, at best -- me included. Swimming pools have so many variables and quirks that it is almost impossible to keep a pool. I would not own one. I would rather play in the sprinklers on a hot day.

But, unfortunately, many of you are stuck with houses that came with a pool and it's a millstone around your necks. Some of you get lucky and get a pool that is well built (a longshot), and somehow you manage it into a pretty nice little deal, but most of you rue the day you got a pool.

I can be of no help except that if you own a house that has a pool, I recommend you sell your house. I have been in the pool Industry since I was a 12 year old, working for the family business. That's over 40 years as well.

I am a licensed pool contractor in the State of FL and can do anything to any pool in FL I choose to do. Since 1952, when our business began, we have made over 10 million back yard pool visits in Florida and Texas. If you are confused about your pool please find a qualified pool professional to help you. I admit there have been one or two head scratchers in the 40 years I have been doing this, but I am not worried about taking care of any residential pool with proper circulation and functioning equipment. In my experience the toughest problems come from pools with initial design flaws, poorly functioning equipment and or odd outside factors (like the one homeowner who wouldn't fix his pool leak and was filling his pool daily with reclaimed water-yikes that was a mess).

Pools should be a source of family fun, activity and exercise, as well as a beautiful centerpiece to your backyard for family gatherings, simple piece of mind and relaxation. We provide this freedom to over 11,000 clients currently. Feel free to email me if you would like a specific blog topic discussed or check out our website for past blog topics that may answer your questions- there seems to be a lot of them on this page. Enjoy your pool - Gary •. Scaling of swimming pool usually indicates that you have had a pH problem for some time (too high). In some areas around the country your water will naturally; especially in South Texas.

Your pool service company should be able to manage this and should have prevented that from happening. I would request your log records to see what your pH, Alkalinity and Calcium readings were during that period of time.

If your pH has been high for extended periods of time with no adjustments or they used calcium based shocks and chemicals, that is the problem. Bad water chemistry management. Hi my name is Dustin, owner of Taylor Made Pool Service in Benton La. The scale is probably die to what the other person said in his reply, either lack of the calcium being checked or the saturation index being off. If you are having your water check or are doing it you self I would recommend a Taylor test kit. It has test in it to Check calcium hardness and the saturation index.

It's fairly simple to check. Index is off and you have a salt system specifically a pentair ic40 or ic20 then you will experience small flakes of calcium in the pool due to the cell cleaning itself and releasing the flakes. They will resemble instant potatoes flakes. Back to chemicals, also make sure you pH is checked pretty regular, hi pH will cause build up especially because of new plaster. THIS IS WONDERFUL!! Although it involved much more PRINTING than I expected, it's fantastic information for my Homeowners' Assoc.

And it's pool, and also for my brother-in-law for HIS private pool. For the HOA pool, I am recently retired from the [very abusive] HOA Board and this info will provide me w/much leverage and information-sharing with the Board, manager, pool crew, etc. With my brother-in-law, I was JUST at the point where I was hoping for some method of 'damage control.' Again, THANK YOU!

If you're recirculation pump is out and its not filtering the water don't swim in it until its back on. Your pool filtration and circulation is critical for sanitation. Once your pump is working again, shock the pool and bring your chlorine level up to 10ppm for 12 hours or so or more. After you shock it and clean your filters after 6 turn overs or so, test your chemicals and see where you stand with ph, chlorine, alkalinity, etc. You may need to dump acid to lower your ph, and bi carb for total alkalinity. Got a test kit?

Use regular unscented Clorox. How much depends on the size of your pool, but to start with I would add six gallons. Ideally if you have a small pump of any type, you would fill a bucket with the bleach, then put the pump in the bucket, then attach a long hose to the discharge side of the pump with a long piece of PVC pipe on the end of the hose. Then turn on the pump and use the pipe to distribute the bleach all around the pool, front to back and top to bottom. The put pump hose and all in the pool and let it run, occasionally repositioning the pump so you are circulating SOME water. Be careful with electricity around water.

Follow pump manufacturers directions. OR, by pouring it while walking around the edge of the pool. I am having an inground pool put in.

I have a well which feeds into a cistern. Right now my cistern is leaking and I have no water supply for a week or so until itis fixed. The pool company needs water for the mix used at the bottom of the pool. THey are saying they can not finish my pool until I have a water supply for them to use for the mix. I will be getting water brought in to fill the pool once it is finished but it seems to me water for the mix is a supply they shoud be able and willing to supply since it is part of the pool constuction.

Does anyone have any comment, experience or advise on this. I work for a large pool company in the state of NJ. Any reputable company will leave you a ticket at every service including cleanings. So it's doubtful they're going to drive there just to write a ticket and leave, because if they're spotted they're fired. If you get skipped it's most likely because it got overlooked, which isn't great, but it happens. Every company charges for pool chemicals.

It's absurd you think they wouldn't. All companies give you the option of buying your own chemicals. You pay an hourly rate for maintenance which includes vac time and servicing your system. Name one service field that doesn't charge you for materials? This is Kiel from Angie’s List.

We talked to Bill Lambert of Perma Pools in Indianapolis. Here’s what he had to say: 'To close a pool, the water in the lines is blown out so there is no water in the lines, or a line could be filled with antifreeze.

This is done to avoid the line freezing, expanding and cracking. If the pool contractor did not do one of those, and a line cracked because of that failure, then he would probably be liable. Some breaks from freezing are identifiable (long cracks in the pipe) but many others are not. Pipes can also crack, and glue joints come undone, from the heaving of the ground when frozen which would not be the contractors fault. You say the line burst at the opening—I presume this just means the break was discovered at the opening.'

In January when we bought our house (Phoenix), we hired the pool guy who had been maintaining the pool for the three months while the house was on the market. He agreed to do it each month for a fixed rate, chemicals included. It was a verbal-handshake deal in which we promised to keep him year round and pay the same monthly rate year-round.

And we got a small discount for referring my sister, who lives in the same community. He was supposed to be 'off' on the week in which there are five Mondays in the month. A week ago I received a call from him, saying my pool and my sister's were not profitable enough to for him to 'travel' to and was therefore quitting us. I paid for the entire month, but he was not returning on the 24th because it was a 'five Monday month' (NOT!). My sister and I feel cheated. (No notice, swindled out of a week, breaking our contract, etc.) Anyone's thoughts on this?

No one has discussed cement or plaster problems. I watched as the steel rebar was installed in my pool. The job looked good, and everything was ready for the cement (gunite.) That day came, and it was like a three ring circus, everything and everyone jumping around on the steel, pumping gunite into the rebar. Some of these people looked like they took a break from their moonshine business to do summer pools. Well, at the end of the day, with a few minor disasters, all seemed well. After completion of the pool, it was a few months when orange spots sprang up in one small area. It was rust of the rebar seeping through the shallow gunite and plaster.

I'll refer to them as 'blooms.' I paid to have the one bloom repaired. Cost was under a hundred dollars.

I watched carefully and thought I could do the job. I did, and removed three other blooms like a dentist chipping away at a tooth. I even covered them with an epoxy before using plaster to fill up the holes. Oh, by they way the original spot that I was charged for came back. Fixed that one too. No problems years later. Sometimes you just have to learn and do the job yourself if it is to be done right.

Here's the God's honest truth about pools and prices. I own a pool company and I charge a flat one price covers the cleaning and chemicals.

I charge according to if there are trees, a spa connected or if the equipment is old. I charge very low prices. Now here is the untold so called truth. I DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY IN THE SUMMER TIME!!! I spend all the extra money I make on chemicals because of bather load.suntan oils, kids peeing in the pools, trees shedding and all the extra rain we get in the summer time. I make good money in the winter time because I don't have to do as much. But then I have super cheap customers that expect me to 'cut back' cleanings in the winter or lower their rates.

I flat out tell them.no way. I'd rather lose a cheap customer than put up with being broke all year round with them. The best customer I have is one that knows how much things cost and just understands the price of doing business. I will go to the ends of the earth to keep these customers. I sometimes even pay for things out of my own pocket to keep them. The best way to have a great pool guy is to never complain.pay on time and offer him a glass of cold water when it's 100 degrees out. Pretty simple.but nobody ever does it.

In 10 years I've only been offered maybe 10 times a glass of cold water. Because I do such good work my customers reward me by paying later and later and I'm poorer and poorer now than I've ever been.

I need to look into another line of work because apparently pool 'boy's' are on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to making money. TELL IT, BROTHER DAVE, TELL IT! I too have a pool company. About once a week or so I throw my hands up and say That Is Enough! Find a mirror and say, I QUIT! I also repair spas and last week I had three jobs that were spread out all over hell's half acre. 1 was North and 65 miles away, no.2 was an other 75 miles Northwest of that one, and no.

3 was around 70 or 75 miles Northeast of no.2. Total driving time would be around 7 hours. That's driving only. I called customer no.1 with price estimate but they could not afford it. Dropped the price 10%.

Still couldn't. 2 had just started a new job and couldn't afford it. Reduced price 8% still no-go. (They did call and ask if I could maybe talk them through the repair.) I asked no. 3 for the mileage in advance, ($1.50/mi) but they refused. What do people think when they call and ask you, 'Do you come this far?' I'm gonna start telling them, YEAH!

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY! MY VAN RUNS ON AIR AND I'M A TRUST FUND BABY, SO I JUST DO THIS FOR FUN! I mostly only repair one brand of spa and I'm the ONLY person who repairs them.

The manufacturer will repair it, but it takes them on average 6 - 7 months to get to the customer, and I charge 1/3 of what they charge. They would charge customer no. 3 around $1200.00 IF they show up next Oct.

That's if cust. 3 got REAL lucky. And let's not forget the wintertime pool customer who signed a yearly contract but says,' nobody's been swimming. The pool don't need cleaning this week.' I'll start telling THEM, 'GREAT! Pay me and I'll be on my way.' I'm really not one to bitch Dave, but you hit a nerve with me.

And I thank you for it. I needed to vent. But you know what makes it worthwhile? Those customers you mentioned.

They always offer you something to drink, give you a Christmas bonus, not a lot, but something to show you are appreciated. For those customers, if they have a small mechanical issue, I'll try my damndest to repair it for free. I've changed pump seals for the price of the parts, gone to people's houses 3 times in one week for nothing extra because their grandchild is having a graduation party and they want everything perfect. I enjoy doing those things for those people.

But those people are few and far between. Maybe a few will read our bitch session and snap. Your not supposed to treat them like they're the help.' Or a shadow in the dark. And your right about the bottom of the totem pole, but if you get lonely just let a pool or two turn green, your phone will start ringing of the hook. God Bless you and good luck to you. May all your pools stay crystal clear, all your customers be billionaire philanthropists with gorgeous nymphomaniac twin daughters and gas drop to fifty cents per gallon.

I had a pool built in 2006 with rotating jets installed thru out the pool as recommend by the contractor. His comments about maintenance actua lily work! The pool needs to run everyday long enough to cycle the water twice, clean your pump filter every two to three weeks and replace at least every year.

Then then most important part - 1 gal of liquid chlorine weekly (two if the temp is over 80) and add more if you see any green build up between dosages, this works great, only had a problem when I failed to do a visual inspection after rainy period or missed prompt chlorine dosage needs. Pssst, pool stores and companies don't want you to know this but you can totally take care of your pool all by yourself. Learn what kind of filter you have, then google how to maintain it. Unscented household bleach. Buy it in bulk. Don't believe them when they say you need lots of chems to keep your pool healthy. All you need is chlorine and that's what bleach is.

They will yell at you, cuss you out but they're not making any money off of household bleach so do the math. You're not stupid.

Don't be shy with it either. It won't hurt you and it just gasses out anyway (rather quickly unfortunately). NEVER USE PUCKS and fire anyone who puts them in your pool immediately.

They are clueless and are harming your pool. Buy a good test kit (Taylor, etc.). Not the kind with the color strips. Test at least once a week. If you're regularly putting in bleach you won't really need to fuss with anything but it's good to know your levels. Buy a pool cover. Warms the pool, keeps debris out (mostly) and helps keep the chlorine from gassing out as quickly.

My last pool guy made the mistake of thinking I wasn't paying attention until I showed him the footage of him doing essentially nothing. He didn't even bother looking in the skimmer most of the time. Literally spent 4 mins every Tuesday at my pool. Got sick of paying him to dump expensive and unneeded chems in the pool and occasionally cleaning the filter so now I do it myself and my pool has never been cleaner.

I admit I'm hard to please but I demand a clean pool! It's amazing how much money you can save when you do a little homework and pay attention (daily) to the condition of your water. I'm a pool service tech (owner/operator). I'll disagree with a few items. Never use pucks.clueless?

Thats just not true. Pucks have their place in pool maintenance and theres nothing harmful so long as other chemistry is in balance. All types of chlorine alter other chemical balances such as pH, which brings us to.2. Portamento The Drums Rar Extractor. Bleach/liquid chlorine is very high in pH so one will need to add acid to keep pH in check. Test strips are fine for checking water chemistry because pool chemistry is fine within ranges such as pH is fine within 7.2 - 7.8 etc. Bought my home in 1984.

A swimming pool was the first major addition and it has provided many hours of pleasure for family and friends. The kids are out of the nest now so I have a qualified and licensed swim teacher who uses the pool every summer for pre-school and up classes. Remarkable program. I also have good, reliable, licensed 'small' company which has kept my pool clean, safe and up-to-date for many years. Would be willing to share info on both of the above ( 33406 area) if interested.

Bigcatwpb can be found at the 'big A'. Happy summer to all. I spent almost 30 years in the swimming pool industry from retail, to cleaning, to service, wholesale and have acted as a mfg.

Rep for safety covers, pool chemicals & liners, etc. I'm now retired but pools (chemicals) are still in my blood. I can't believe all the BS that people have written.

It just shows what I've been preaching those 30 years. Pool people don't know as much as they think they do. Most companies (in the NE region) have employee problems because there is no work in the winter to keep good help. Each spring they hire who they can & hope for the best. It can't be helped.

So no you're probably not getting experienced help. What the homeowner should be doing if they have weekly service is buy the basic chemicals from your service company (he's getting the same chemicals that are sold to your local pool retail store) and have your pool man check and add the chemicals needed that week. People, It's a no brainer - add the right amount of sanitizer (slow dissolving is better) for your size of pool every 7 days - shock your pool once a week (or more if a lot of water has been added, after a heavy rain, extreme heat or a heavier than normal bather load) with a quick dissolving sanitizer to boost up your free chlorine level - once a week check your Total Alkalinity and the PH level (kids usually get 'burning eyes' not from too much chlorine but because the PH has dropped below 7.2, turning the water into an acid bath). One more note: To raise the PH, use Sodium Carbonate (this is NOT baking soda). To raise the Total Alkalinity, use Sodium Bicarbonate (yes, it's baking soda but the supermarket or container it's in won't tell you how much to use). With pool chemicals, using too much is just as bad as not using enough. An acid pool will look mighty crystal clear.

If you're not sure your pool is being tested correctly, buy yourself a kit or stop in at the local pool store a few times a year. So, we are renting from friends, due to the prior renter stiffing them for thousands in rent and damages. I took over the pool maintenance, having never owned a pool before, but with determination to do a good job. The pool maintenance company paid for by the landlord was totally ripped off by their pool company; the tools had been stolen when I got the key (landlords live out of state); the pool was green with algae in January, the dry season, which should not see algae unless severely neglected.

The pins had been removed from the timer, so the tenants had not been running the pump. We scrubbed, shocked, chlorinated, and tested constantly for a couple of months, until the pool was clear and the tests were all at healthy levels. I use a local pool supply store to do my testing, and purchase some things from them, to be fair. But I keep my chlorine a tad on the lower end of safe, use algaecide, and regularly shock. I have the most beautiful pool in the neighborhood, and don't invest a lot of time in it. It's all about motivation and diligence.

Got a robotic pool cleaner, so I hit the spots that our 'Wally' doesn't do well - brush steps, corners, and around the underwater light and hose fitting for the vac. Love having a pool, don't do the chemicals calculating, support the local store, and get to enjoy the pool. It's a win-win situation.

With salt, yes, you do save on not buying chlorine, but you're having to add in muriatic acid every week, the salt water is much more corrosive on any furniture around your pools, temperature changes cause the salt water to dissolve flagstone/moss rock around the pool. Oh, and that nice lil $500 salt cell? Yeah, it goes bad every 3-5 years. The constantly higher pH and TA also increases the rate calcium scales out of the water at, dirtying up your tile line, waterfalls, and salt cell itself. Don't get me wrong, salt pools are absolutely wonderful to swim in, and are much better for you as a swimmer, but I wouldn't say they are 'less maintenance' or 'cheaper' than a chlorine pool -- it's a common industry misconception.

Unwanted pool came with good house. Hard to maintain. Solution: (1) Cut down all upwind trees. You can't fight flotsam every day. (2) Drain, scrub, repair, repaint, retile. If you start from scratch, start well.

(3) Replace underpowered pump, filter, robovac. Don't skimp here. (4) Maintain strict testing and treatment schedule. Disclipline matters. (5) Use at least once a year (6) When ducks arrive, stop using chemicals (7) When Green Pool Notice arrives, install mosquito fish and water lilies to pacify the Vector Control helicopter. (8) Enjoy your pond, fish, ducks, and eggs. On the hottest day of the year, dive in just once, like you used to do at the swimming hole where you grew up.

(9) With the maintenance money you save, buy a new boat for a bigger lake. (10) If you have kids, buy them an above-ground pool that you can throw away when summer's over. This is a great story to get people thinking about maintaining a pool both efficiently and effectively. I'm aware that if you have an existing pool, there's not many options at this point regarding the design. For those of you considering the idea of building a pool.it's IMPORTANT that you have someone who knows what they're doing to design your pool for you!

I'm talking about a gunite pool.it would be difficult to change the shape of a fiberglass pool and you're options are limited to sections with a liner pool. Anyway, there are MANY factors that can make a HUGE difference in the cost of pool ownership.

Consider this. Many people think, 'the deeper, the better!' *You're using more electricity to turn your pool water twice daily, not to mention more chemicals with a deeper pool.

Plus, most people aren't 8' tall so they tend to hang out in the 6' or less area of the pool. It's also really important to consider having a 'tanning ledge', also known as a 'kids step'.

This is a shallow section, 18' or less, that gives people a place to relax and get some sun without having to worry about staying on top of a float. Also, if you own a pool, your children should be able to swim.but what about the kids that live up the street? You don't want to be in the news because a neighbor's kid couldn't swim.its a terrible thought, but it happens. I'm telling you, after many years of designing and selling pools (.and winning 2 national awards in the process), I've always gotten great feedback from people who weren't sure but took my advice on this. There are many other important factors, such as equipment set-up, options with plastering and so on. I'm not trying to write a novel here, but if there's a pool builder in need of a good designer/salesman.DanPoole09 is how to find me, and that's at yahoo.

I'm in the Atlanta area but would consider some new scenery. By the way, look at my last name. Now wouldn't you rather have a Poole guy designing your pool for you? It only makes sense! And the biggest secret is that maintaining a pool is SIMPLE. I built and maintain our 20X40 in ground. It takes very little time, and very little chemicals.

Chemicals are cheap! If you buy the chemicals, not the 'pool supplies'.

Liquid Chlorine? That is Sodium Hypochlorite - which is bleach. Total Alkalinity Increaser? That is Sodium Bicarbonate - yep, baking soda. For algae, first off, if you maintain the proper chlorine levels, you will not have any. But as a standby, have 60% polyquat.

Now this IS expensive. But, it contains zero copper - the worst thing you can put into your pool - like most cheap algaecides have.

And parts for pumps, etc are cheap and easy to replace too. I replace my main seal on my pump every year or two. It is a $5 part. For all the o-rings, I found an o-ring maker, and ordered some - again, not 'pool' labeled, so they were cheap. Pools are very much like boats.

95% of the items can be commonly sourced. But if you put the 'pool' or for boats 'marine' label on the item, it becomes 10 times as expensive. Know what you are actually getting, and you can save a ton. As a swimming pool contractor for over 30 years, I have seen my share of good, bad, and some downright terrible service and construction companies that represent our industry.

However, swimming pool companies are no different from any other industry that services the consumer - you just need to find one that is reputable and one that fits your particular needs. As for the owner with the negative view of swimming pools in general, I say 'Hogwash!' You get out of a pool exactly what you put into it, whether it be enjoyment, prestige, or just plain fun for the kids. It's kind of like buying a car - some people buy the base model Chevy while others buy the fully loaded Cadillac. Again, you get out of something exactly what you put into it!

So enjoy your pool, and if you don't like one - then don't live in a house that has one. I Disagree also on one flat fee. We've been doing pools for 17 years and we would lose are ass if we did not charge for chemicals. A service fee is to pay the pool man for HIS WORK, vac pool.

Clean tile ck. Chemicals,netting Ck baskets and salt mech. Also for gas in truck and pool net ect.

So if you had lots of people in your pool u think the pool man should pay for that.? Cause that what we be doing if we paid for all the chemicals. And I'm not the dirtying one swimming or pee init or my dogs in your pool.

So no people should pay. People pay for there chemicals and. They don't bitch about. So I say no on flat fee. I sure know you would not work for free in100 deg.

Weather for free so why you want the pool man to???? I was a pool man for many many years - maintaining a large number of accounts weekly. The cost of pool chemicals has skyrocketed like gasoline has and needs to reflect into a reasonable and customary fee charge. I used to charge a flat fee. Once I had a customer who decided that she was going to have a licensed swim instructor to give lessons in her pool. Guidelines had to be followed with regard to a standard temp increase to meet, and the possibility for health dept visits to insure water quality and sanitary measures.

She complained about the chemical surcharge, quit my service and eventually got what she deserved for being greedy when the health dept shut her down, and the cut-rate pool man she hired lost out because he undercut the professional. Hire a good pool man. It is a biosphere that needs to be maintained like the human body does, being chemically perfect, filters cleaned to insure the health of the pool - much as the kidneys should stay healthy to keep the blood filtered and clean. It is a very sensitive environment and needs to be monitored closely by a professional who understands water chemistry - not an idiot who can dump a gallon of chlorine once a week and call himself a poolman. Plenty of those.just like Personal Trainers - too many idiots out there too, certified thru fly-by-nite unaccredited agencies certifying 'trainers' who have no idea what they are doing either. I am now a physician and specialized trainer, so I can stake claim to call it on the less than mediocre goons who claim to be professionals in both professions.

They're out there. Pay the money for the real professionals people.

You get what you pay for. We have a flat rate for chemicals on winterizing and closing, not weekly. You have a flat rate for checking water and cleaning. Pools don't need the same chemicals every week. Having a flat rate for chemicals is stock piling your customer with chemicals they don't need.

BTW do more research, you must be an upgraded General Contractor to sub out to other company's. We're a small company, a contractor and focus on larger work not service. That being said we install purification systems to drastically cut chemical use. Buying a new pool without the new systems is like buying a new car with a distributer and a carburetor! As a business owner, I would disagree with that tactic. I run an honest business who charges very reasonable prices for what I do. I would be offended if one of my employees was asked to do the job on the side instead of paying the business rate.

This would also put the employees job in jeapordy. When a person does a job on the side, you risk poor workmanship and property damage and most people don't carry insurance for that sort of thing. Small business provide a lot of benefits for their local economy and sidestepping them isn't the best idea. You think you are saving money LOL you are hiring people that don't have liability insurance so when they do damage to your property you our screwed, they have no required workmans comp insurance so when they get hurt on your property you will be paying their medical expenses and more. They have no State license so they are working illegally, As a homeowner you can be charged with hiring an unlicensed contractor and be fined. Yes those of us that are state licensed charge more, we have to, we must pay for the insurance for all the above, we must take required classes to keep up with changes to the industry and state law, however if we fail to provide the services we contract for,we are held accountable by the state. Lastly I will point our that most manufactures of pool equipment will not provide a warranty for the equipment unless installed by a licensed contractor.

As a pool 'Mechanic' I and the company I work for recommend comparison shopping! Check the internet! Parts and chemicals are expensive, If we buy them locally, they cost us more as well.

A fair company will give you a decent price for labor, and unless they are a retail store as well, only charge what they have to pay for the items requested or needed. I believe 'all inclusive' is the better way to go. As an all inclusive customer, no matter what grade of chemical is used (IE: lowest cost or top line) you will get what you need of that chemical to make sure it does not cost your cleaners company excess money to correct under or over treating.

Yes a lot of companies allow for the occasional 'dip and skip' but when this happens, your pool should still look beautiful from the last visit. Have your water tested by a local pool retail store. But beware of the salesman.

He will always try to make money and sell you something whether you need it or not. Better Yet, pick up some test strips from Ace or Lowes and test occasionally. And Never be afraid to call your company with issues. It's not the chemical companies that require that all public and residential swimming pools and spas be treated with chemicals, it's the EPA. While it may be possible to maintain a 'natural pool' (see BioNova web site) the cost and complexities of construction and maintenance make it an unviable choice for the average person wanting to enjoy the cool water of a pool.

The EPA requires that, in all commercial pools, an EPA registered sanitizer (Chlorine, Bromine, or Biguanide) be maintained at an acceptable level (1-3 ppm Cl, 3-5ppm Br, 30-50ppm Biguanide). You can do whatever you want in your residential pool, but don't get suckered into believing that a non-EPA chemical or program is some panacea. Over 90% of all recreational water is treated with some form of Chlorine. Yes, that includes your 'salt' pool. As a pool industry and water chemistry veteran of over 40 years I understand the nuances of chemistries related to pool type, bather personality, weather conditions, and water treatment chemistries. There is NO 'one size fits all' method of pool care.

The average pool owner MUST build a relation ship with a trusted and reliable source of support and information. Visit APSP.org for guidance on selecting a reputable company in your area. Don't take pool maintenance advise from another pool owner. What they are doing for pool care does not insure it'll work for you.

Pool care is NOT difficult, but it does require a rare mix of talent and experience to full understand all the intricacies of maintenance. Once your reputable pool company gets you on an effective program of care for YOUR pool, all you need do is perform a few minutes (maybe a half hour) of weekly pool chores and enjoy your pool. Or, as this blog started out, hire someone to do it. And for the record, I am TOTALLY in support of an additional charge for chemicals and chemical maintenance for pool service companies. There are 2 to 4 seasons of pool care depending on where you live and each season has its own challenges.

A reputable service company will discuss this with you to determine the exact type of service that you need. The way for a pool owner to cut pool care cost is to take on some of the responsibility themselves. Like, brushing the walls and bottom, removing leaves and debris from the water and skimmer baskets. Chemically cleaning the filter is THE most important aspect of water care and THE most neglected.

When done twice a year it'll prevent many late season problems. The chemical application mantra of a reputable pool retail or service company SHOULD be 'Right product, in the Right amount, at the Right time. Most pool motors are made in China. Warranties are 1-2 years depending on brand.

Average lifespan is 2-3 years. If your motor is dying faster than that, you have a problem. First check the level of salt in your pool. (If you take a sample into the local pool store, they will often check it for you.) If it's excessively high, it may be causing corrosion. Check and double check. (The only way to reduce salt in the pool is to drain water.) If the salt is in operating range, check your sprinkler heads and drainage around the pump during heavy rain. If water from either of these sources makes direct contact with your motor it can cause premature death.

Check to make sure your electrical conduit is watertight. (It runs from the timer to the motor). Make sure your pool tech is using new orings and seals when he does the repair.

These both help keep water in the pump and out of the motor. Your tech may also need to use fine sandpaper to clean up the corrosion, esp important in the area where the seal is seated. You may have a warped seal plate -- this part is normally reused. If your slab is not wet or damp, it's probably ok. Note: If you have a stand-alone chlorine generation cell and salt is kept within the operating range, it's fine to use an existing pool pump and motor.

In most any modern pool pump, the salt water only contacts one metal part of the pump -- the mechanical shaft seal. Other than that, every other part of the wet end of the pump should be made of chemical-resistant plastic. Replace the seal, should cost anywhere from 10-20 dollars once a year and water will never touch the motor itself. Many pool stores in my area are willing to change the seal for no charge (other than the seal) if you bring the pump into the store.

(simpler than you might think) •. As a Certified Pool Contractor (FL CPC-057355), I can offer some insight: The motor can generally only corrode when the salt water (essentially an electrolyte solution) seeps past the seal. Either the worn original seal is reused, a new one is installed improperly, or an incorrect seal is used.

If any of these is the case, the leak usually manifests itself within moments of pump turning on. US Seal makes seals specifically for salt pools. The common ones are the 3867 to replace the 200, and 3868 to replace the 201.

This means something to the repairman, and the pool store owner, who should also be able to cross-reference the original seal style for your pump with the new design for salt pools. Also, look for common-sense areas of leaking, like the threaded pressure fitting on the top of the pump, or even a cracked pump housing. There should never be any dripping from any components of your circulation system. Also, letting the pump run dry or overheat even once can ruin a brand new seal, which will start leaking in short order. Hope this helps •. My guess is that they installed a pump designed for fresh water and not the 'salt'.

What I would recommend to do is get the pump id-serial numbers, model numbers, and any other identifying information about the pump. With this information do some research to verify that this is the correct pump designed for 'salt' water. Also make sure you have read the service manuals that came with pump to verify that you are not using something that is corrosive to these pumps. DO NOT JUST TAKE THE SERVICE PERSONS WORD FOR IT. They may have used the incorrect stuff to begin with as most homes uses the fresh water pumps. Another thing I would recommend is contacting other swimming pool companies with your info to verify this is design for salt. I highly disagree with not charging a flat rate fee plus chemicals.

I find that companies that include chemicals tend to add not only the cheapest chemicals but also the bare minimal and often times not add certain things at all. There are times when a customer needs nothing at all should i still charge them that rate and as anyone whos tried to do there own pool knows pool chemicals are expensive. Should I work for free when a salt generator stops working and all of a sudden a pool requires a good amount of chemicals. Charging all out flat rates might be great for joe working from his garage but not for a company with workers comp insurance paying taxes and actually offering decent wages, not to mention not trying to rip off there customers with repairs because they dont make money off servicing your pool. If you include chemicals, then you (the service company) are paying the price for the customer not maintaining their yard such as tree trimming, etc.

Organic waste such as tree droppings in the pool eat up chlorine like crazy and cause the need for other treatment chemicals. You are also paying for their pool parties (unless they invite you) by having to add extra chemicals.

Also, if I pull three dead rabbits out of the pool, have dispose of them, then have to eat the cost of two gallons of liquid chlorine plus acid, to sanitize the pool after that; I'm not going to keep doing that pool for very long.

This show is great for kids. It's unique and has great lessons for kids to learn. It's not like Bob the Builder nor should it be compared to it. This is totally different and effects a completely different age group and possibly generation. The mix of English to Spanish is good because it's not trying to teach kids Spanish but keeps them understanding that some kids might talk in broken English.

Therefore it teaches them tolerance. Lately I believe that kids shows have been striking out for age groups 5 to 10 but this is a great one and the producers did a fantastic job on this one.

I love to sit and watch it myself with my niece. She learns about fears, expectations, and that you can do and be anything you want. This show is great for both boys and girls. It's worth the watch and it's worth the time to set your kids in front the the television (which normally I would not condone). I love that the voice of Manny is a former 'That 70's Show' Character. Way to go 'Fez'.

How wonderful for you to break the mold of mainstream TV stars and break into children's television. You have earned my respect as an actor. Back to the show though, this show was worth the wait to see and continues to surprise me with the great episodes they put out. This show has earned my respect as a children's show. The voices and the people behind the show are wonderful creators and deserve so much credit.