We’ve really been on a theme kick in 2019, and for this issue it’s safety. The interesting thing about our industry is that when you talk about safety you’ve got two areas to cover — workplace safety and customer safety. When I started working in the industry back in 2008, I remember learning quickly to…
When it comes to commercial swimming pools, the service tech is one of many layers of protection in and around the pool, says Katie Crysdale, principal of Lakeview Aquatic Consultants, Ltd., in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. While some larger commercial pools have lifeguards during swim times, most are not trained to thoroughly examine potential dangers, and…
In an industry with little room for error, a pool service technician’s knowledge is crucial to safely transporting hazardous materials. Danny Brodersen, commercial service manager at Millennium Pools in Springfield, Virginia, says this starts with awareness for what is being transported, what it does and its location in the vehicle.“One of the biggest things is…
The spillover edges, waterfalls and other goodies that lend luxury to infinity pools and other exotic builds wouldn’t be possible without powerful and precise hydraulic systems. Those systems — like everything else — require maintenance and service, but they’re complex, expensive and potentially intimidating. When you remove the mystique, however, it doesn’t take much for…
Photography By Tommy Ton You don’t really know what work ethic looks like until you meet Alan Smith, CEO and co-owner of Alan Smith Pools in Orange, California. Smith graduated high school early in 1974 and, on his own at 17 years old, went to work on a commercial fishing boat. After six months on…
Launched in February, the Polaris Quattro Sport from Zodiac Pool Systems of Carlsbad, California, is poised to reform the way people clean pools. With 40 years’ experience making pressure-side pool cleaners, Polaris has put that considerable experience into building this advanced cleaner. Mike McDowell, director of marketing for automatic pool cleaners at Zodiac, says the…
Derrick ToddCPO, owner AquaNut Pool CareGreenville, South Carolina Facebook: @AquanutPoolCareGreenvilleTwitter: @AquanutpoolcareInstagram: @AquanutpoolcareYouTube: AquanutPoolCareAquanutPoolCare.com residential/commercial, service, repair, renovation, retailemployees: 9 accounts: 140-180 As far as jobsite safety goes, we have a list of protocols or rules we follow. As a result of following our safety protocols, we don’t have many injuries to speak of. For instance,…
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,…
For homeowners, pools are the ultimate backyard retreat. For the men and women who build and service them, however, the job runs the risk of injury. A well-planned safety policy can help prevent that. If you have employees, one of the first things you should give them is a comprehensive safety manual designed to protect…
It’s not an uncommon concern, but pool safety doesn’t often become a priority for homeowners until they’re brought face-to-face with tragedy or the scare of a lifetime. Mike Tellegen, owner of The Pool & Spa Medic in Molalla, Oregon, recalls the time he received a call from a mother who, after finding a door ajar…
A pool fence would have saved Joshua and Christian DeMello. In January 2010, the 13-month-old twins drowned when they escaped from their grandparents’ house and fell into an unsecured pool. There were no alarms or fences. Their mother found them in the pool. “Today, I believe in multiple layers of prevention,” says their father, Paul…
A few years ago, Lin Boyd, owner of Splash Pool Service in Kyle, Texas, found himself in a situation that might have been comical had it not been so serious. Alone in a remote area of Cedar Creek, Texas, Boyd was preparing to clean a 12-foot-deep pool when he slipped and fell into it —…