The Pool Guy Podcast Show

Your route does not get easier because you “work harder” it gets easier when the small friction points disappear. We walk through a hand-picked list of underrated pool service products for 2026 that do exactly that, from quick mechanical fixes to cleanup tools that keep your day moving. I’m bringing a field-tested perspective from decades in the pool industry, with a focus on what actually saves t...

Some pool accounts pay you twice: once with money, and again by giving you your time back. Others look fine on a bid, then slowly chew up your schedule with extra debris cleanup, finicky equipment, and constant “can you adjust the valves?” texts. We break down how we think about fine-tuning a pool route so your pool service business gets simpler, faster, and more profitable as you grow.  We start...

Your pool can look perfect while the spa tells a different story: cloudy water, gritty steps, and that fine “dust” that shows up again an hour after you leave. We walk through how we vacuum a spa the smart way, whether it’s an attached spa that gets neglected by automatic cleaners or a standalone fiberglass spa where every speck of sand is instantly noticeable. We start with the basics of spa clea...

DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart aren’t just side hustles anymore, they’re a direct competitor for pool industry hiring. I’m breaking down how the gig economy pulls from the same talent pool pool service businesses need: dependable people in their 20s and 30s who want steady work but also want control over their time. When millions of drivers can tap an app and work whenever they want, a traditional...

Bad pool chemistry rarely starts with “bad chemicals.” It usually starts with bad testing, rushed testing, or the wrong tool for the job. We break down the most common pool water testing options and explain how to choose a pool test kit that fits your reality, whether you’re a homeowner checking water once a week or a pool service pro trying to move fast on a packed route. We compare reagent test...

A pool filter can look “small” and still be the reason a system runs smoother, cleaner, and with less hassle on the equipment pad. I’m sharing my real-world take on the Aquastar Pipeline cartridge filter, including where it shines, where it takes a little mindset shift, and why it keeps getting compared to the wrong products online.  I break down how the Pipeline PLF 35,000 stacks up against a com...

Weather can wreck a perfectly planned pool route in minutes. One moment the backyard is calm, the next you’re in a wind event where every pass with the net brings in more leaves, the power is out in nearby hills, and the safest move is to pack up and go home. That’s real pool service life, and we want you ready for it, not surprised by it. We break down the extreme weather situations pool technici...

A windstorm can turn a clean backyard pool into a debris-filled mess in a single afternoon and if you service pools for a living, that mess multiplies across your entire route. We talk through what windy weather really means for a pool service business during Santa Ana wind events and other regional wind patterns, including why the first major storm of the season is often the most brutal. The goal...

You don’t have to be a full-time mechanic to run a real pool service business. We hear the same fear from new and growing pool pros all the time: “I can do weekly pool cleaning, but I don’t know repairs.” Here’s the surprise. Plenty of successful pool service companies build strong routes by focusing on weekly pool maintenance and outsourcing the heavy repair work, as long as they understand equip...

Your pool route might be profitable, but it also comes with a deadline most people ignore until their knees, hands, or shoulders force the conversation. We get real about the physical wear of pool service and why “I’ll figure it out later” can turn into working longer than you ever planned, especially when inflation keeps raising the cost of everything from gas to groceries.  We walk through clear...

Your customer says they’re “pretty handy” and offers to handle the filter cleanings to save money. Sounds reasonable until the filter doesn’t get cleaned for weeks, the water starts sliding toward algae, and you discover the clamp was reinstalled wrong. Now it’s not just a service problem, it’s a safety and liability problem. That DIY crossover is getting more common, and we’re breaking down where...

That “simple stain” on the pool floor might be permanent, and that fresh coat of pool paint might be a countdown to peeling, cloudy water, and filters packed with chalky dust. We walk through the surface issues we see most often across plaster pools, Pebble Tec finishes, fiberglass pools, and vinyl liner pools, with real-world examples that help you diagnose what you’re looking at before you promi...

That bright white crust on the waterline and spa spillway can make a pool look old overnight, especially on darker tile. We walk through what’s really happening when water evaporates and leaves minerals behind, why hard water makes it worse, and how to identify the kind of scale you’re dealing with before you waste time scrubbing. If you’ve ever wondered why one pool cleans up fast while another s...

Draining a pool sounds simple until the plaster starts chipping, the customer expects miracles, or someone asks the one question that never goes away: “Will my pool pop out?” We break down the real-world judgment calls behind pool drains, acid washes, and chlorine washes, with a focus on timing, surface risk, and clear customer communication. We talk about why the off-season is the sweet spot for...

You can save serious money by upgrading to a variable speed pool pump without cutting pipes, but only if you understand what you’re trading off. We put two popular retrofit options side by side: the Century V-Green Evo and the NIDEC variable speed replacement motor. Both let you keep your existing wet end and swap only the motor and drive, but they feel very different to live with day to day. We w...

Gas at $6 a gallon can make any pool service pro start eyeing a hybrid truck, but the decision is rarely as simple as “better MPG equals savings.” We walk through the real-world math of keeping a paid-off truck versus taking on a new payment, plus the added costs people forget to count like insurance and registration. If you want a clear way to sanity-check your own numbers, you’ll hear the same f...

Your variable speed pool pump is saving electricity, so why does the pool suddenly feel “different”? That’s the gap we tackle head-on, using real service-world examples that homeowners and even experienced pool pros run into right after a VS pump install. When you drop from a single speed pump at roughly 3450 RPM to lower speeds like 1800 to 2400 RPM, the pool’s surface velocity changes, skimming...

That old DE filter on the pad is doing more than collecting dirt, it is quietly adding hours to your workload and choking your pool’s circulation every time the PSI creeps up. We break down what really happens when a DE grid filter ages out, why the “quickest” replacement can be the most expensive choice over time, and what upgrades actually make a difference for water clarity, flow, and weekly ma...

They didn’t just discontinue a few random SKUs. They retired products that pool pros actually relied on, and that raises a bigger question: what makes a manufacturer walk away from a cleaner or filter that still works? We unpack the real-world reasons behind “dead” pool products, starting with Pentair’s decision to discontinue a long list of suction side pool cleaners, including the famous Creepy...

A backyard pool is supposed to be fun, but it can also become dangerous in the span of a few minutes. We talk through the safety layers that actually prevent child drowning when distraction, routine, and “we’ll be right back” moments collide with open water. If you’re a pool owner, a parent or grandparent, or a pool service pro who advises customers, this is a practical guide to building real prot...

Brand new plaster looks perfect for about five minutes, then reality hits: dust, rising pH, builder timelines, and a homeowner who expects the finish to stay flawless forever. We walk through how we approach a new plaster pool startup using a traditional startup method that is easier to execute, easier to explain, and far easier to defend if anyone tries to pin plaster defects on the startup tech...

The fastest way to create friction in a pool service business is to make good people wait for money they already earned. I sit down with Flavia de la Fuente, creator of Field Pay, and pool pro Brett Murdoch to talk about the messy reality most of us live with: checks piling up in a glovebox, subcontractors billing months late, and “quick” payments through Zelle or Venmo that turn into a recordkeep...

Most pool service bids aren’t lost because you’re bad at cleaning pools, they’re lost because you were slower, less clear, or less confident than the next company. We walk through a practical, field-tested approach to bidding that helps you win the right accounts without blowing up your schedule or training customers to expect bargain pricing.  We talk about when a photo is enough and when you nee...

A single pool can hijack your entire day if you don’t have a line you won’t cross. We’re sharing the kind of “only learned in the field” pool service knowledge that saves hours on a route and keeps you from chasing problems that refuse to cooperate. First, we get practical about one of the most common time traps: a pump that won’t prime after running dry. We talk through quick checks that actually...

A pool cleaner that devours acorns can get stopped by something the size of a couple grains of rice, and once you know why, you start diagnosing faster and wasting less time on the deck. I’m digging into the most common YouTube questions I get from pool owners and pool service pros and expanding them into practical, real-world troubleshooting you can use on your next stop. We start with the Polari...