Banishing the Swamp Monster
When Tony Lawrence, owner of TLC Pools in La Mesa, California, gets a call from potential customers, he says it’s typically because they have a pool algae problem and have tried everything with no results.
“They normally call me at their wits’ end,” Lawrence says. “They can hardly believe it when I say, ‘Trust me, I’ll see you tomorrow and the pool will be well on its way to being clean again.’ ”
His product of choice for these swamp service calls is the new Green Aid from Natural Chemistry, released in late 2018. The product is not affected by high levels of cyanuric acid or high pH levels, says Jamie Novak, brand manager for NC Brands.
Green Aid is used on an as-needed basis before shock treatment with an EPA registered chlorine when pool pros encounter green, swamp-like pools. “Green Aid is great for pools with salt chlorine generators and can be used with all pool surfaces,” Novak says. “It provides fast, reliable results, often without the need for scrubbing.”
Both pool professionals and homeowners can use Green Aid, but Novak says it’s important to follow the product’s usage instructions exactly as printed on the container — something Lawrence learned the hard way.
A Natural Chemistry rep gave Lawrence a free sample of Green Aid, but he didn’t read the instructions, so the product didn’t work. When Lawrence told the rep he wasn’t impressed, the rep gave him another sample and encouraged Lawrence to follow the instructions exactly.
“You have to wait five minutes and literally stand by the side of the pool,” Lawrence says. “This is the time needed for the product to actually dissolve in the pool water.”
To use Green Aid, Lawrence first balances the chemicals in the pool. Then he adds Green Aid to the water and backwashes the filter. After those imperative five minutes, he adds cal hypo and waits for the water to bubble.
“Once I see the bubbles, I know I can leave the filter running for 24 hours,” Lawrence says. “Then I go back 24 hours later and spend another 15 minutes at the pool. Normally I don’t even need to brush it because the product gets the algae to float on the surface and [makes it] much easier to brush off. And the pool is clean and beautiful [in fewer than two days].
Lawrence says Green Aid has helped him add more customers on his service route. “It’s super reliable, and the customers are blown away by the results,” he says. “It’s a product that allows me to easily increase my customer account base because it works so effectively.”
It also allows him to charge a premium service fee and make a better profit than with previous swampy-pool cures. It takes him less than an hour and about $100 in chemicals for a pool he charges $500 or more to clear up. “I always quote these jobs high because, in the past, they took a lot of time to fix,” Lawrence says, but Green Aid reduces labor time and thus means more profit, he says — and the customer is happy to pay.
“[That’s why] I keep Green Aid in my truck at all times,” Lawrence says. “And I never hesitate to take on a swamp pool.”
