Inspector Gadget

Inspector Gadget

The minute you charge for a swimming pool inspection, you are putting yourself into the position of expert, and I trust that you are an expert. If you are not, you have no right to offer or charge for such a service — especially since once you charge for pool inspection services, a court will…

Keep Talking

Keep Talking

Everyone has Facebook on their phone — at least that’s what customers assume when they send a pool business a Facebook message. Along with that presumption comes an expectation that pool pros will see the message and respond promptly — ideally within five minutes. This expectation is known in the marketing world as the five-minute…

Service Records

Service Records

Keeping maintenance logs when servicing commercial pools is one of those tedious tasks that has to be done, as it is often a regulatory requirement. However, the rules and regulations regarding service logs can vary greatly from one area to another, or even from one health inspector to another. “Every inspector is different and will…

Simplified Chemical Control

Simplified Chemical Control

While commercial pools may vary in size, their needs remain similar. So when a product comes along that offers innovation and ease-of-use for all kinds of pools, professionals notice. The team at Sigura, headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, believes its Pulsar Precision calcium hypochlorite top feeder can provide a water-sanitizing solution that eclipses liquid bleach. Launched…

Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning

Thanks to all who took our survey on the state of the service industry. They can be a drag to fill out, but that information helps us better serve you, our advertisers and the industry as a whole as we try to make sense of the pandemic’s affect on business now and down the road….

2021 Outlook and Beyond
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2021 Outlook and Beyond

Chris CavanaughOwner Cavanaugh PoolOwensboro and Madisonville, Kentucky This year, I see the pool service industry continuing to grow like 2020. With COVID still present, I imagine the community still staying safe at home, and we are in the perfect industry to help bring the at-home vacation to them. For us, this year’s biggest challenge includes…

Raising the Bar

Raising the Bar

When it comes to improved solutions for pool water management, CMP continues to focus on innovation. CMP, a leading U.S.-based manufacturer and global supplier in the recreational water industry, announced in September 2020 the addition of two new products to its line of advanced oxidation process sanitizer systems: the Next Gen DEL AOP 40 and…

Pass the Buck

Pass the Buck

Warranty details are important to many homeowners who install a pool. What happens, however, when a home is sold and there is still time left on the pool warranty? “If you are looking to install a pool or purchasing a home with a swimming pool, this is an excellent question to ask [the builder],” says…

A Texas-size Problem

A Texas-size Problem

As difficult as it was to find certain essential supplies early in the pandemic, pool pros might dare say now that it’s even harder to find pool equipment. “It’s just like toilet paper — once one person starts buying it, they start stocking up on it,” says Jon Krawczyk, owner of Superior Pools of Southwest…

Legionella Should be Taken Seriously

Legionella Should be Taken Seriously

According to the CDC, reported cases of legionnaires’ have increased ninefold since Y2K, with health departments documenting more than 10,000 cases in 2018 alone. How can something that takes less than 10 minutes to kill at even a minimal level of chlorine be considered a significant threat? We deal with more complex and chlorine-resistant things…

Telling Stories

Telling Stories

To show off their best work, pool professionals can leverage short six- to 30-second videos on social media platforms like TikTok, or with Twitter Fleets and the stories feature on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. On some platforms, the videos vanish after 24 hours, so pool operators can continually post fresh content that highlights their most…

The Apprentice

The Apprentice

The Pool & Spa Apprenticeship and Training Committee (PSATC) has launched what is being described as a cutting-edge workforce development strategy, says Jennifer Farwell, program director for PSATC. An apprenticeship program is an approach to workforce development and quality assurance through a formal organized system that combines online training and coursework (144 hours) with on-the-job…