I was vehemently opposed to online training for pool technicians when the pandemic first hit. It didn’t make any sense to me. Over the years, I’d molded the classes I taught in person into something that was my own. Some enjoy that whole “death by PowerPoint” lecture environment, but it’s not my thing — and…
We know that iron stains are easily removed by vitamin C because ascorbic acid is a natural electron donor. It replaces electrons stripped from iron in oxidation, taking us from ferric oxide to ferrous oxide, which is soluble, lifting the stain. However, despite its success with iron, ascorbic acid doesn’t work very well for the…
The home improvement sector is slaying it. The pandemic has resulted in many people having more disposable income, and more time at home means the Honey Do list grows. Travel budgets have been reallocated to home renovations. I reached out to a few in the industry for an hour-long video chat in September: Jerry Wallace…
Teaching health department–required certification classes for commercial pools is part of what I do. These are necessary certifications for anyone who has anything to do with cleanliness, maintenance and chemical treatment of a public pool. However, over the last six or seven years, I have been offering these courses to pool pros who do not…
Sometimes we pick up a few tricks along the way; things that can save time, money or even perform the impossible.
The subject of test kit interferences and whackadoo results has been discussed ad nauseam. The frequency of this topic is beneficial, because knowing your chemistry results are accurate is pretty darn important. We don’t, however, see a lot of the ancillary information these oddball findings bring to light. What is initially observed as erroneous may…
There was a standing-room-only panel discussion at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo this past November on cyanuric acid in pool water care. Panelists consisted of three members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ad-Hoc Committee of the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (Ellen Meyer, product safety and government…
How can a small insect wreak so much havoc on swimming pools? For two years, I have been explaining to customers why their pools are turning green and their patios are turning black: The whitefly infestation is taking Florida by storm. After about two months, I gave up and called around for help. I couldn’t…