The Pool Guy Podcast Show

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 technicians run into most: sudden windstorms like the Santa Ana winds, wildfire conditions that dump fine ash into the water, and...

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 is not perfection in one stop. The goal is a repeatable process that keeps circulation going, protects your schedule, and keeps you from wrecking your body trying to leaf...

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 equipment well enough to diagnose symptoms, explain the issue clearly, and take smart next steps.

We walk through what “enough knowledge” actually looks like in the field. You...

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, practical retirement planning ideas for self-employed pool service pros: why cash sitting in the bank can lose value, how compound interest works over decades, and what a Roth IRA can...

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 it helps and where it can seriously hurt your route.

We talk through why DIY pool maintenance has always been a major part of the industry, and how modern poo...

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 promise a miracle fix. 

We get honest about painting plaster pools: why it became popular as a cosmetic solution, what proper epoxy pool paint prep actually takes, and why the second...

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 seems permanently “chalked,” the chemistry and the deposit type are the missing pieces.

We get practical about removal options, from acid-based tile soap and consistent weekly brushing t...

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 a drain and clean, and why high air temps and direct sun can turn a routine job into cracked plaster, flaking steps, and permanent damage. You’ll hear how we think about...

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 walk through the details that actually change the outcome: available total horsepower options, dual voltage behavior, and why a 115V setup can quietly limit wh...

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 framework we use on route. 

From there, we go after the bigger wins: route optimization that actually cuts miles. That can mean letting go of outlyin...

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 can feel weaker, and debris may not funnel to the skimmer the way you expect. Nothing is necessarily broken, but the behavior is different and it catches people off guard.

I walk thr...

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 maintenance.

We use a familiar setup like a Pentair FNS Plus as the reference point and compare realistic replacement paths: swapping to another DE filter, moving to a s...

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 Crawly, and whether variable speed pumps are truly to blame or just a convenient narrative.

From there, we do a practical teardown of the Pentair 4000 series DE filter. We talk about what it...

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 protection instead of relying on hope. 
 
We start with the first line of defense: a pool fence. We compare removable mesh fencing and more permanent options, t...

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 later.

We point you to practical resources from the National Plasterers Council, including the NPC startup card and the option to take a startup technician certification course. Then we...

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 recordkeeping nightmare.

Try it for FREE at the Growth and Pro with Promo Code: BRETT

We break down what Field Pay is built to do...

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 need boots on the ground, why “first contact” matters so much on platforms like Thumbtack, and how to set up your day so you can actually fit estimates into a work...

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 matter, like lubing or replacing the pump lid o-ring, using an attached spa to help establish suction, and knowing when to stop repe...

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 Polaris Max and Polaris Atlas suction pool cleaners and the big design tradeoff behind the newer Halo engine. It’s far better with long string-like debris than...

The fastest way to burn out in pool service is chasing a number that doesn’t fit your reality. We get a constant question from pool pros and new pool technicians alike: how many pools can one person clean in a day, and what’s a “good” pool route size if you want steady income without living in panic mode?

I break down the variables that actually control your capacity, starting with the one most people ignore: temperament. Some techs move fast and stay in motion, others work methodically and take longer on each stop, and your business...

Trichlor tablets keep pools clear with slow, steady chlorination, so why do they get blamed for “ruining” pool water? We dig into the real chemistry behind the complaints and separate hard facts from pool-store folklore. If you’ve ever heard that cyanuric acid somehow sticks around after a full drain, or that topping off after evaporation fixes high stabilizer, we walk through why those ideas don’t hold up and where the confusing test results actually come from.

We also get blunt about what many people are never told at the point of sale: trichlor tablets are trichlor...

Dichlor has a reputation problem, and it is mostly because people expect it to behave like trichlor tablets or like a routine weekly sanitizer. We walk through what dichlor pool chlorine actually is, why it dissolves fast, and why its biggest “hidden feature” is cyanuric acid built into every dose. If you have ever fought rising CYA, stubborn algae, or confusing chlorine readings, this conversation gives you a clean mental model: every chlorine type leaves a byproduct, and dichlor’s byproduct is stabilizer.

We get specific about when sodium dichlor makes sense for real-world pool maintenance. We talk p...

A solar pool cover can feel like magic when your water stays warmer overnight, your chlorine level holds longer, and you stop refilling as often from evaporation. It can also feel like a nightmare when the “bargain” bubble cover starts shedding blue particles into the skimmer, or when a heavy, wet cover turns a normal service visit into a messy wrestling match. I break down what actually matters when you buy a solar pool cover or pool blanket, including why quality beats price and what normal wear looks like after a few seasons. 

We also get practical about...

One wrong product can turn a beautiful vinyl liner into a permanent “before and after” photo, and most of the damage is totally avoidable. We walk through vinyl pool care with the mindset every pool service pro needs: protect the liner first, then make the water easy to maintain.

We start with above-ground vinyl pool service and the two headaches that show up fast on a route: bargain-kit equipment that is too small for the water volume, and awkward access that makes basic cleaning harder than it should be. I explain what typically comes in those big-box setu...

A rule change can sound abstract until it hits the product you were about to buy. We dig into a developing regulatory threat that could limit or block new robotic pool cleaners from being released in the United States, and why the most “modern” features may be the biggest liability. If your favorite cordless pool robot depends on mapping, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth control, or over-the-air firmware updates, this conversation will help you understand what could change and how fast the market can shift once approvals tighten.

We connect the dots using a real-world parallel from the drone and came...

Perfect pool service is not “blue water” and a quick goodbye. Harold Evans joins us to argue for something bigger: water that genuinely feels good, smells clean, and makes people want to be in their pool with their family. We get into why balanced water chemistry matters beyond test results, how LSI affects surfaces and equipment, and why “good-looking” water can still be aggressive if the balance is off.

We also talk about the business side that separates an average route from a great pool service company. Harold makes the case for using enzymes to reduce the oils and...

A prostate cancer diagnosis can either freeze you in place or push you to act, and Harold Evans chooses action. Harold opens up about learning he has prostate cancer at 71 and why he’s determined to turn it into a loud reminder for other men: stop postponing your health. We get specific about prostate cancer screening, what a PSA test is, why tracking the number matters, and how early detection can be the difference between a manageable plan and a much harder road.

We also talk about what happens after the lab work. Harold walks through the fo...

A $600 variable speed pump on Amazon can make any pool pro feel like they’re losing a pricing argument before they even open their mouth. But the real question is not what the pump costs. It’s what happens when it fails, who pays for the diagnosis, and whether anyone shows up to make it right. We dig into how cheap pool equipment, overseas manufacturing, and online marketplaces are reshaping customer expectations and putting pressure on distributors and service companies.

Harold Evans joins me to talk about consolidation and pool service roll-ups, and why the “second bite” promise...

He sold his pool company from the middle of a world cruise, then came home with a sharper take on where pool service is headed. Harold Evans returns to the Poohway Podcast Show to share the wild logistics of closing a deal while traveling, why Hasa felt like the right long-term partner for his brand, and what he’s learned after years of building tools and training for working pool pros.

From there, we get practical and opinionated about what actually creates value in a backyard. We talk Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) and why balanced water is ab...

One small lapse on a pool route can turn into a flooded yard, an angry phone call, or a liability nightmare. We get brutally practical about the most common pool service mistakes we’ve made ourselves, why they happen, and how to prevent them with simple policies and repeatable checks that hold up when you’re tired and the day is hot.

We start with the big one: filling a pool for the customer. Turning on a hose feels like good pool maintenance when water is low and equipment is at risk, but it’s also one of the...

One day a pool product feels like the future. The next day the app is gone, support is gone, and what you paid for becomes a paperweight floating in the deep end. We dig into the real-world side of pool industry acquisitions and “disappearing” brands, including what happens when big companies buy promising pool technology and the execution doesn’t match the hype.

We walk through Hayward’s Fin smart pool monitor and why the marketing and user experience created problems for homeowners and pool service professionals alike. ORP and pH readings can be useful, but confusing “unsafe wat...

The “single-speed pool pump ban” gets repeated so often it starts to sound like settled law, but the real story is more interesting and a lot more useful if you own a pool or service them. We break down what the Department of Energy (DOE) pool pump regulations actually do, how the Weighted Energy Factor (WEF) works, and why the rule feels like a ban even when it isn’t written as a simple prohibition. The biggest shift is product availability: most manufacturers stopped making higher-horsepower single-speed pumps because they can’t hit the required energy efficiency levels.

We a...

Vacuuming shouldn’t be the task that wrecks your whole pool service route, but for a lot of pool pros it’s the biggest hidden time sink. We walk through the fastest way to vacuum a pool based on real-world service conditions, from dusty pools that demand deeper cleanup to neighborhoods where suction side cleaners handle most of the daily dirt. We also talk about a simple but powerful move for your service agreement: “vacuum when necessary,” and how that one line can change expectations, protect your time, and still deliver a clean, professional result.

We get specific...

Episode 2000 is a milestone, so we keep it personal and practical: a new coaching member sends a long list of questions, and we answer them straight from decades in the pool service industry. If you’re starting a pool service business or trying to scale your pool route, this is the kind of nuts-and-bolts guidance that saves you months of trial and error.

We start with the mistake that quietly drains more money than any broken pump: pricing too low. Then we sort profitable work from schedule killers, including why weekly service accounts win and why one-time cl...

A pool pole looks like a simple tool, until you’re hauling it across tight side yards, squeezing it into a mid-size truck bed, and holding it for most of your workday. We get specific about what to buy and why, based on real pool service conditions: how short it collapses, how far it truly reaches, how fast it extends, and whether it’s quiet enough for early-morning stops without waking neighbors or setting off every dog in the yard. 

We walk through the practical differences between three-piece and two-piece telescopic pool poles, including why a three-piece can b...

Your suction cleaner keeps getting jammed, stopping mid-week, and leaving the pool floor dirty? We dig into a tool that rarely gets the spotlight but can be the perfect fix for the right backyard: the Polaris 360 return-side pool cleaner. It behaves a lot like a pressure-side cleaner with a debris bag and a wider pickup path, but it runs off an existing return line, so you can get strong debris handling without adding a booster pump.

We walk through the practical differences between a dedicated booster pump pressure cleaner and a return-side cleaner, then get specific about...

Pool service business growth doesn’t require fancy spreadsheets or complicated “business math.” It requires seeing the few numbers that matter and pulling the right levers on purpose. We walk through simple, real-world pool route math using an easy baseline monthly service price, then show how tiny changes compound into big annual gains. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working hard but the profit isn’t moving, this breakdown will make the problem visible fast. 

We start with the most straightforward revenue driver: adding more recurring pool service accounts. Just five additional pools can add roughly five...

Some pool jobs are not hard because they are technical, they are hard because one mistake can wreck a surface, flood a schedule, or turn a “quick fix” into an all-day rescue. I’m sharing the moments where pool service pros end up in over their head and how to avoid that trap without stalling your growth.

We talk through the Catch-22 of learning in the field and the simplest way around it: partner up and shadow someone experienced. Acid washing is a perfect example, where finesse matters and a seasoned tech can often predict results before the fi...

Your pool water test strip might be telling the truth, but your eyes might not be. We dig into why test strips often feel inconsistent, how lighting and subjective color matching can turn a “real” chemical reaction into a shaky guess, and what you can do to get more reliable results without slowing down your whole pool care routine. 

We also talk about the growing world of digital test strip readers and smart pool testing devices, and why they’re trying to solve the biggest weakness of strips: interpretation. From there, we get practical about where strips fit in...

2026 is shaping up like a split-screen year for the pool industry: pool construction and remodeling cool off under higher interest rates, while the pool service business stays surprisingly steady because repairs and replacements don’t wait for “better timing.” I walk through what I’m seeing across the market and why some manufacturers are feeling real pressure even when service pros are still busy in the field.

We dig into how a soft building market creates a chain reaction: fewer new projects means fewer equipment orders, which leads to overstocked distributors and retail stores, and that eventually shows up...