The Pool Guy Podcast Show

DE filters take some getting used and in this podcast, I go over some common issues you may run into when dealing with a DE Filter. I cover high filter PSI, damaged filter parts, and the like and offer tips on how to identify and deal with DE filter issues.  Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1963, providing quality products and ser...

Communicating with your pool service customers in key on many levels. Whether you are the quiet type or the more extroverted type, knowing what to say to the customer comes with experience and of course with the attitude that the customer is always right. I go over some basic communication skills in this podcast Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted...

There are two parts to running a successful pool service business and part one of course is the cleaning and maintaining the pools each week. The second part and just as essential is the business end of things. You can be the best pool service tech out there but if you lack basic business skills your business will suffer and possibly collapse. I touch on skill number one here and that is understan...

Swimming pool stains are tough to deal with on many levels from identifying them to of course getting rid of them. I go over some of the common staining found in your pool and offer tips on how to get rid of them.  Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1963, providing quality products and services to make pool care easy and solutions a...

One of the things that can ruin your day is when the gardener/landscaper treats a pool on your route like a giant trash can. Not only does it irk you but it is bad for the pool and a big-time consumer for you on your route. I offer some tips to solve this issue and help with gardener relations.  Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 19...

Demoing a cleaner in a customer’s pool is akin to a test drive of a new vehicle at a dealer. Unless they see it in operation and see the benefits of having one in their pool, they may never purchase one. That is where these two cleaners which are perfect for demos come in. Listen to learn more and some tips on selling cleaners to your clients. Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and...

A dedicated vacuum port for your suction side cleaner is known in the industry as a side port and unless you deal with this day in and day out they can seem a little daunting and confusing. I go over the basic operation and set up of a pool side port for you in the podcast and also cover some troubleshooting tips as well.  Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade profession...

If you service pools you may start to think about getting into the Commercial Pool end of things with an apartment complex, hotel, or HOA community pool. I would almost classify Commercial Pool Service as its own separate industry. I go over some basics on Commercial service accounts from my personal experience and introduce you to some of the pitfalls of these types of accounts.  Leslie’s Pool Su...

When it comes to pool product claims you may feel you are being sold on something based on hype rather than real-world experience. I have done extensive testing with many of the products that I use out on my pool route and in this Podcast I share some of those results. I cover a few common pool products and share my personal experience with them. Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers a...

So what is the best surface color choice for your pool? Whether you have a plaster or Pebble Tec pool choosing the right color is critical. Once the pool is in and filled you are pretty much stuck with the color choice. Changing it at that point is not an option so picking the right surface color is crucial when you have a pool built or remodeled. I go over my preferred color choices and some that...

In this podcast, I go over the most common reasons to drain your pool and I also give you some cautions when draining certain pool types. There are some good reasons to drain your pool and if you are looking at a strictly cost basis, water is still the cheapest part of your pool in most areas. Meaning the cost of draining and refilling your pool is most of the time cheaper than trying to correct t...

I am asked often which 2-wheel cleaner is better? The Pentair Rebel or the Hayward PoolCleaner/AquaNaut/Phoenix – which are all the same with different schemes. So which do I like better, the Rebel or the PoolCleaner? I go over the pros and cons of each cleaner for you in this podcast. Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1963, provid...

Many salt systems display the pool’s salinity level (salt level) while others indicate low or high salt levels with flashing lights. But either way, the salt system relies on that level to activate the salt cell and to produce chlorine. Many times the reading on the system does not seem right and will not match up with the reading from a digital salinity meter or pool store results. So which readi...

The formula is pretty simple but of course, there are lots of factors that can make it difficult. But to save time on your pool care or on the pools you take care of on your route you will need to ensure that a pool has proper filtration, runtime, and sanitizer (chlorine). It sounds simple and it is. But to get there you may need to iron out a few things that I cover in this podcast.  Leslie’s Poo...

It is a tricky thing, doing a green pool clean up or installing equipment and making sure you get paid for the work. In most cases that is never an issue. But sometimes it is wise to get some of the payment upfront and I go over this from both ends of the table. When as a homeowner you should give a deposit and when as a pool company you should collect some or all of your money for the job.  Lesli...

As a DIY homeowner or a pool service tech, we tend to spend way to much time on a problem before we throw in the towel and refer the job out. I go over some basic guidelines of when to give up and call in a specialist or pro.  Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1963, providing quality products and services to make pool care easy and...

It may not seem like a big deal but there is a lot that is involved in backwashing a D.E. filter. From how much D.E. to add back into troubleshooting, simply backwashing a D.E. filter is not actually that simple.  Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1963, providing quality products and services to make pool care easy and solutions an...

One of the things that I think is important in anything you do in your pool service business and especially important when doing a green pool clean up is to explain the process to the customer. Let them know why it is a $350-$400 service call and what you will be doing to turn their pool around.  Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1...

I spend the first 5 minutes re-introducing myself as this is podcast 400 and a milestone as podcasts go. Then I focus on the most important aspect of swimming pool care which is making sure a pool is actually safe to swim in and use. Thanks for listening and helping me reach podcast #400! Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1963, pro...

I recently put a Hayward pHin in my pool and in this podcast I go over some of the things I like about the pHin. I was able to verify the reading with my other testers and monitors and I will share the results of that testing here also. Overall I was impressed with this little device and think that a certain segment will really like having the pHin in their pool.  Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been d...

When you are starting out in the business you will struggle in many areas as you are learning the ropes. I go over some common issues you may experience as a new pool guy or gal. I start with the common one of, “why is it taking me so long to clean a pool?” and cover a few more in this podcast. Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 196...

If you have a pool route one thing that is often overlooked is a Service Agreement. This is not a legal and binding contract but a simple form that lets the customer know what you will be doing each week at their pool and what they are responsible for on their end. I go over my simple service agreement template in this podcast Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade profes...

I go over why most charts set the ideal pH at 7.4-7.8 and why this may be something that is not set in stone with new evidence and also when you apply the LSI to your test results. A lower pH may actually be bad for your pool in some cases and I go over my reasoning here. Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1963, providing quality pr...

There are a number of reasons why your pool may be struggling to hold chlorine each day and I touch on the more common issues. These range from not running your pool long enough to having high levels of Phosphates in the water. If your pool is struggling to hold chlorine one or many of these factors may be present in your pool. Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade profe...

In this podcast, I go over the time-honored Free Chlorine chart that you see everywhere online. The old 1 ppm to 3pmm recommendation and I touch on what I think is the ideal level and how you should approach your pool when it comes to setting your chlorine/sanitizer level. Leslie’s Pool Supplies has been do-it-yourselfers and pool trade professionals trusted partner since 1963, providing quality p...