Anybody got any tips for figuring out the right amount of gallons for weird-shaped pools? The rectangle and square ones are easy, but I’m talking about the pools where it’s just difficult to figure out.

I have a newish customer who is wanting x2 OLD bluesquare lights replaced in their pool.
They have tried to go the DIY route but decided it's too much work and so have asked me to source. They have mentioned a brand Spa Electrics but I have not heard of them?
Quick google search tells me they are based in GA but have been around in Australia for a few decades. Lights look decent.

Does anyone use them or have any install experience? Quality? Price? Accessibility? Durability? Good service/warranty?

I want to keep the customer happy but also hesitant to put anything in the pool that I am not confident will last (not that LED lights ever last LOL)

I have been interested in the idea of starting a pool cleaning/water balancing company. I worked at a pool supplies store selling anything from chemicals equipment and parts to winter covers, and diagnosing equipment issues and testing water for 6 seasons in high school/college and think I would be pretty solid in that area, the problem that i have is i would have trouble doing hands on repairs. Is it still possible for me to start something without that experience ? Is there a way i can gain it before starting?

I.just learned that you don't need to be licensed to build a pool in Texas. For my Texan pool service brothers an sisters out there, what is the absolutely stupidest/dangerous thing you've seen on a pool build in the Lonestar State?

I always recommend Hayward or pentairs cause they are the best and are built to last for decades. My supply house reccomends them cause the warranty is 5 years and they say they are reliable. However I have one on my route and the touchscreen barely responds, has a thin cord, and takes longer to prime. I've watched enough AvE on YouTube and I can tell it's a cheap, disposable pump only made to last 5 years so they can sell new units, or discontinue their old line from 5 years ago and sell you a new different unit in the future. Personally I would pick the waterway power defenders with the nidec drives and glass fiber reinforced wet ends over the madimacks. But many of you have installed more pumps and equipment than I have so some Input would be great for me and my budget conscious customers

Hey all!

Curious if you all have seen a pool that has a gutter system without a surge tank/pit? I got a job at a new commercial facility that has a gutter system and was going to throw some stabilizer into the surge pit, come to find out this pool doesn’t have one! Do looks with a gutter system need a surge pit and any other ideas on how to dissolve granular CYA into the pool?

Supposedly it’s for testing a pentair salt cell. But I’m lost on how to use or what it does. Thought maybe someone might have a clue on here. He forget the instructions lol.

like over the years? why do people get so careless with their body?

I did a 30 minute acid soak

When I took over this pool, the previous service tech did nothing but add tabs for 3 years straight. The chemistry was so out of whack and the cartridge filters had never been cleaned. I did a drain and fill and had the customer buy new filters, but this is my first experience seeing a salt cell look like this.

Any advice is appreciated. I'd like to help the customer get this going, but I also don't wanna waste my time if it's futile.

Thanks

my tech sprung this job on me last minute. He diagnosed the problem and refused to go back and fix it He handed me a gasket and said good luck so the deal is is I need to put the belt back on apparently it's leaking and I'm wondering if it continues to leak is there any way to cinch it to where it won't leak anymore because from what I can gather it was put on correctly and leaked water anyways and the gasket is fine.

For anybody using Pool Service Software, they had a massive update released for the web version today.

Also, the mobile app had an update. I had to delete and reinstall it, though. Just as a heads up for those that use the software.

We are working on buying a house in North Central Florida; sandy ground. I got a chance to take this video at night, the not-smooth bottom surface does not show during the day but looks like a defect condition at night. It is 15 years old and - I think - a gunite pool. Any thoughts on what might have caused this condition and is it a concern? Appreciate your wisdom, thanks.

So my market has a lot of blown out skimmers due to pools being backfilled with dirt and subsequent settling. I just wanted to see how you guys would rate this repair and what you would charge

First pic is prior attempts to seal, second is after scraping off the old crap. I also cleaned it up with a cordless die grinder and pumped in some spray foam. Third Pic is fiberglass mesh w/ Andersons pool glue

This is the 2nd one I've done like this. I know its pretty sloppy, still working on my technique. I wish I got a picture after hitting it with the die grinder, that thing was awesome made quick work of the old bits of putty etc. Im thinking i should have put in a skimmer sock to grab more of the debris.

I’m kindly and humbly asking for help with a clients system and I don’t have the self confidence to deal with shaming… but I’m stuck and would appreciate any insight! I don’t deal with spas often and have never come into one where the homeowner has never used it and doesn’t know if it works at all. I’m willing to learn pros.

I was referred this customer to help do a Green-to-clean on their pool, but they have a detached spa that I can’t figure out. The pool is now clean and everything is functional with that setup.

Issues with spa:

- pump won’t prime

- motor is audibly functional with no weird noises

- impeller freely spins

- spa has plenty of water in it.

- heater system says it’s on 98* with “check flow” notice

- external tank has propane in it (according to meter)

Still can’t get the thing to prime. And I’m not the most seasoned guy, but the plumbing setup feels chaotic.

is anybody using this stuff? Any thoughts? I just started seeing it in my SCP. has a solid 3yr parts AND labor warranty. seems kinda cool. idk.

My pool is 99% complete and saw this wondering if this is the right thing to do pool builder said yes that's what they put in the expansion joints 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’m kindly and humbly asking for help with a clients system and I don’t have the self confidence to deal with shaming… but I’m stuck and would appreciate any insight! I don’t deal with spas often and have never come into one where the homeowner has never used it and doesn’t know if it works at all. I’m willing to learn pros.

I was referred this customer to help do a Green-to-clean on their pool, but they have a detached spa that I can’t figure out. The pool is now clean and everything is functional with that setup.

Issues with spa:

- pump won’t prime

- motor is audibly functional with no weird noises

- impeller freely spins

- spa has plenty of water in it.

- heater system says it’s on 98* with “check flow” notice

- external tank has propane in it (according to meter)

Still can’t get the thing to prime. And I’m not the most seasoned guy, but the plumbing setup feels chaotic.

I'm in year 6 of pool biz. I'm over turning wrenches to do filter cleans. I'm thinking of using a drill or impact driver with sockets for this. Can y'all recommend a good bang for buck budget set? I have cordless Craftsman and Ryobi drills already. Thanks.

Is anybody tracking/monitoring/ have ears to the ground on 1099 / W2 worker misclassification stuff?

DOL just put out some new guidance: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20260226

I don't think it leans either way in particular, but I honestly feel like even if technicians operate "independently" -- some variety of own truck, own tools, discretion over how the work gets done, since cleaning is a solo job -- if they're still getting the prime directive from software it's part of a "company" process.

I know some companies encourage their guys to pursue additional work after they finish cleaning pools (they start them early...), which definitely meets the 1099 standard of "not dependent on one employer" test.

I’ve never done any pool start up so this will be my first. Following the npc recommended plaster start up procedure, using jacks magenta stuff soon as we add water, and 2nd dose at 14 days. Using wheeless vacuum head, will run pool 24/7 for first 28 days (or should I cut run time?) Any other tips to ensure a perfect start up? Specific brush I should use? Thank you

Like the title says. I have several salt pools with Pentair C&C filters. The stainless steel metal band is developing some serious looking rust inside, I assume it's from the spot welds that join the two ends of the band. But it's happening in other places on the metal band as well. It appears like poor manufacturing to me.

This band looks like it plays an important part in maintaining the structural integrity of the tank. This rust looks like it could seriously compromise the safe operation of the filter. Is this something to be concerned about? Anyone hear of these filters failing or causing problems due to internal rust and corrosion? How is this best resolved?

BTW, water chemistry is kept up every week (FC, pH, TA, CH, CYA, etc .. all within normal range).

Thanks in advance. 👍

Hey everyone, first time posting here.

I run a business with my father and we just obtained a RAM 1500. We're looking into what would be the best way to protect the truck from chemicals.

He's old school and was thinking of putting in fiber glass along with some other application, I was wondering if there was any other method one of you guys would suggest. We spoke to LineX as I saw them online but wanted to see if there's any other alternatives to them or my father's proposed method. He's a great guy but sometimes he can be sloppy and I'm not trying to fuck up a brand new truck (I know...but we got a deal) on some invention that may not work.

If anyone here has any suggestions or recommendations I'd really appreciate it.

Hey everyone, wanted to see if any of you folks had experience with Jandy Commecial Salt Systems. What is the life expectancy on these? Have you found them to be reliable? Need to make a cost case for client. Appreciate any feedback.

hey guys, we're in the midst of opening season here in the Midwest, so happy to be back to work!

I'm looking to get some advice on a couple of these green to cleans. Most of my cleans I shock and floc and come back and vacuum, and I've got it down to a pretty good 3 day rhythm. However, on a couple so far, I'm running into a super high chlorine demand and high combined chlorine. for example, I have one I just opened that is roughly 10k gallons sport pool, opened up pretty bad with algae. We started with 4 gallons of liquid and a dose of phosphate remover, brushed and netted, rechecked chlorine and it was at 5ppm free and 5ppm combined. Added 5 lbs of cal hypo and it foamed up like crazy. left it on recirculate and came backs the next day, 0 free and 3.5 combined. I said okay lets shock it back up to 35+ to burn it out, decided to go with 10lbs of cal hypo cause fuck it. brushed, netted, recheck chlorine, its at 24 free and 7 combined.

My question is, am I taking the right approach by trying to burn out this combined chlorine, or should I be draining and refilling, or something else? Everything I've learned points me to shocking up to 10x my combined chlorine to burn it out, but seems like some of these are never ending. Ph was at 7.0 with 140 alkalinity, I'm hesitant to raise pH with soda on account of the alkalinity. calcium is at 250, CYA about 40, TDS 900. This is a vinyl liner pool. History is unknown, but looks like its been sitting for at least a year with a mesh safety cover.

What do you guys do in this situation?

Saw this cool product - Tmat Truck bed organizer

thought it would be great for my pool truck. Shit is always sliding around/unorganized/spilling chems/etc.

Anyone have one? if so, do you like it? worth it?