Talking Pools Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Mondays Down Under – Featuring Lee Salisbury, Shane & Nick Something is happening in the pool industry right now… and if you’re not paying attention, it’s going to cost you. Quietly…  Gradually…  Then all at once. PVC prices jump 30%.  Salt cell materials skyrocket.  Fuel costs ripple through everything. And suddenly the quote you sent two weeks ago? 👉 It’s already wrong. In...

Send us Fan Mail This episode starts where most pool problems actually begin—not in the chemistry… but in the math. Rudy breaks down why inconsistent dosing is quietly wrecking pools everywhere, how “close enough” turns into repeat problems, and why scooping chemicals like you’re baking cookies is one of the biggest operational failures in the industry. From there, the conversation escalates into...

Send us Fan Mail When It Rains, It Pours: Real Problems Pool Pros Actually Deal With In this episode, hosts Wayne & Steve pull back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes of running a pool service company—because it’s not all crystal-clear water and perfectly balanced chemistry. Fresh off a wedding weekend (and still recovering), Wayne passes the mic to Steve, who walks us throug...

Send us Fan Mail In this myth-busting, industry-deep-dive episode, host Natalie Hood sits down with two absolute heavyweights of the pool industry: George Williams – 50+ years shaping pool equipment innovation  Ken Rogner – 50+ years in distribution, sales, and training  Together, they break down long-standing myths, challenge misconceptions, and pull back the curtain on how the industry actually...

Send us Fan Mail Andrea is back. Alone. Unsupervised. And apparently powered by battery backups and unresolved rage toward misinformation. In this episode of Andrea Unfiltered , she dives headfirst into pool chemistry fundamentals—except instead of reading you a boring textbook, she drags bad pool advice into the street and fights it like it owes her money. This is Part One of her “Cool Chemicals”...

Send us Fan Mail In this timely and globally relevant episode of Mondays Down Under , hosts Lee (Australia) and Shane (New Zealand) are joined by special guest Nick—a seasoned pool industry veteran with over two decades of experience managing a high-volume retail and service operation. Against the backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, the conversation p...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ The Chemical Illusion: What’s Really Behind Your Pool That chlorine tablet in your feeder?  It likely came from one of only a handful of chemical plants in the world—and when one goes down, the entire industry feels it. This episode pulls back the curtain on a truth most pool pros never think about: The pool industry doesn’t control its chemical supply chain… it depends on a gl...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh off a European honeymoon and rocking a brand-new, beard-free look, Steve returns to the mic alongside Wayne for a Thursday episode that’s equal parts heartfelt, hilarious, and unexpectedly real. The episode opens with a moment of humility as Wayne issues a public correction—giving overdue credit to industry innovators Que Hales and Kim Skinner for their groundbreaking work o...

Send us Fan Mail Myth, Memory, and the Real Story Behind the Water A Conversation with Eric Herman | Talking Pools Podcast Some voices in an industry don’t simply report the story — they shape how the story is told. In this episode of Talking Pools , host Natalie Hood , Director of Education and Network Development for The Grit Game, sits down with one of the most influential storytellers the aqua...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Andrea discusses the importance of pool filtration, different types of filters, and best practices for maintenance. She shares insights on how filters impact water clarity, safety tips, and common mistakes to avoid. Keywords pool filtration, pool maintenance, DE filters, sand filters, cartridge filters, pool chemistry, water clarity, pool safety Key Topics Pool fi...

Send us Fan Mail This episode covers essential winter preparation tips for pool service professionals, including equipment maintenance, marketing strategies, and safety regulations. Learn how to turn winter into a profitable season and ensure safety compliance. Keywords pool service, winter preparation, pool maintenance, safety regulations, marketing strategies, pool covers, leaf skimmers, pool cl...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Flock It Friday , Rudy Stankowitz revisits the topic of borates in swimming pools , exploring the chemistry behind them, the regulatory history, and why recent geopolitical tensions have brought boron compounds back into the conversation. Recent instability in key shipping corridors such as the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal has raised concern...

Send us Fan Mail Insurance Interlude: 1099 vs W-2, Water Balance, and Pool Industry Realities In this episode of Thursdays with Wayne & Steve , the show opens with a quick look at the winter weather hitting the Northeast before diving into two important conversations affecting pool professionals: employee classification in the service industry and the importance of water balance and documentat...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Natalie Hood interviews Sean McDermott from H2 Flow to bust common myths about pool water circulation, flow measurement, and system efficiency. They explore how proper understanding and technology can improve water quality, safety, and energy use in pools. keywords pool water circulation, flow measurement, VFD, pool system efficiency, water quality, pool safety, f...

Send us Fan Mail FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Talking Pools Podcast has officially opened nominations for the 2026 Talking Pools Podcast Mentor of the Year Award , an industry recognition created to celebrate the individuals who go beyond their daily work to teach, guide, and elevate others in the swimming pool and spa profession.  Nominations will be accepted from March 15 through May 15, 2026 , inv...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mondays Down Under , Lee and Shane discuss a frustrating service case involving an ionizer sanitation system with an integrated salt cell that isn’t producing enough chlorine to maintain a residential pool. The system is rated for pools up to 150,000 liters , yet the pool in question is only 60,000 liters and repeatedly turns green. Despite increasing runtime to...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rudy tackles something the “state of the industry” reports don’t always capture: First: How the War on Iran is likely to impact the U.S. Boric Acid/Borax Market Next, the emotional strain underneath the numbers. From Florida techs charging $70–$100 per month (including chemicals) and still feeling squeezed…  To competitors undercutting bids out of fear…  To Amazon under...

Send us Fan Mail pool management, insurance, pool measurements, chemical calculations, warranty issues, pricing strategies, pool service, pool industry, commercial pools, residential pools Summary In this episode of the Talking Pools podcast, the hosts discuss various challenges faced in pool management, including accurate pool measurements, navigating insurance and liability, chemical calculation...

Send us Fan Mail pool industry, innovation, entrepreneurship, customer service, vacuum bags, COVID-19, cleaning efficiency, myths, hidden costs, technology Summary In this episode of the Talking Pools podcast, host Natalie Hood interviews Gary Richards, the CEO of VacBags, about his journey from the restaurant industry to the pool industry. They discuss the importance of customer service, the impa...

Send us Fan Mail pool safety, maintenance, leaking pools, commercial pools, health and safety, pool inspections, pool repairs, pool technician, safety standards, pool equipment Summary In this episode of the Talking Pools podcast, hosts Lee and Shane discuss various safety concerns related to pool maintenance and inspections. They share real-life experiences with leaking pools, unsafe structures,...

Send us Fan Mail This Friday episode digs into one of the most argued topics in pool care: range chemistry and the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI). Rudy takes us back to 1936 and the work of Wilfred F. Langelier, who developed a model to prevent municipal water pipes from dissolving or scaling shut. LSI was never designed for swimmers. It was built to answer one simple question: Will this water d...

Send us Fan Mail Wayne goes full soapbox after watching an HGTV/Magnolia renovation show that builds a commercial-style pool using “biofilters” as a chemical-free solution—without ever addressing sanitation, oxidation, or code-required disinfectant residuals. Steve backs him up with real-world field logic: filtration doesn’t equal disinfection, and “natural” systems can turn into expensive science...

Send us Fan Mail keywords Aquatics, Program Directors, Leadership, Communication, Emergency Preparedness, Delegation, Myths, Burnout, Learning Opportunities, Professional Development summary In this episode, Natalie Hood engages with Cara Green, the Aquatics Program Director at the University of Houston, to discuss the often misunderstood role of aquatics directors. They explore the journey into a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mondays Down Under , Lee and Shane take us behind the scenes of a massive Australian water theme park — and the conversation quickly turns from wave pools and plant rooms on steroids to something much more serious: Safety. From razor blades hidden in slide seams (yes, that actually happened) to real-world design flaws causing injuries, this episode dives deep in...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Rudy Stankowitz discusses significant developments in the pool service industry, including a major acquisition that consolidates market power. He also delves into the importance of understanding water chemistry, specifically focusing on silica and sulfates, which are often overlooked in pool maintenance. The conversation highlights the implications of these elemen...