Pool Pros text questions here

What looks like algae… isn’t always algae.
And what looks like “clear but weird” water? That’s where things get expensive.

In this episode of Talking Pools Thursdays, Steve and Wayne break down one of the most misunderstood issues in pool service: metals in the water—how to identify them, where they come from, and what actually works when you’re dealing with them in the field.

It starts with a simple truth:
👉 Water has no color.
So when it turns green, blue, brown, or something that just feels “off,” something else is driving that change—and metals are often the culprit.

They walk through the key differences between algae vs. metals, including:

• Why algae presents as cloudy, opaque, or “carpeted”
• Why metals (like copper) often show up as clear, tinted water
• A simple field test using your brush to tell the difference instantly

From there, the conversation goes deeper into where metals actually come from, including:

• Source water (especially wells)
• Heater corrosion and heat exchanger failure
• Overuse of copper-based algaecides
• Aging infrastructure and legacy municipal systems

They also cover the thresholds where metals become a real problem:

• Copper above ~0.2 ppm
• Iron above ~0.3 ppm
• And how rising pH (above ~7.6) triggers precipitation, staining, and discoloration

Then comes the part most techs get wrong—treatment strategy.

This episode breaks down the difference between:

• Sequestering agents (hide the metals, prevent staining)
• Chelating agents (bind metals into larger particles for filtration/removal)
• Why most modern products attempt to do both
• And why you’re still often vacuuming to waste or cleaning filters after treatment

They also get real about the operational side:

• Why chelation jobs can take multiple visits
• Why sequestering requires ongoing maintenance dosing
• And why metals are “not a problem… until they’re a problem”

There’s also a candid discussion on:

• The risks and realities of acid washing
• Why vinyl and fiberglass pools present different limitations
• How improper dosing in small bodies of water (like spas) can trigger metal precipitation instantly
• And why no two metal situations ever behave exactly the same

The episode wraps with a broader industry conversation on rising costs—fuel, materials, and equipment—and how those pressures are forcing service companies to rethink pricing, efficiency, and long-term profitability.

Because whether it’s metals in the water or money in your business…
👉 Ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away.

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

• Facebook
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Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com

Pool Pros text questions here

This Myth-busting episode reveals how pool pros can maximize their relationships with manufacturer reps to grow their business, increase margins, and avoid costly mistakes. Laci Davis (Grit Game) shares practical tips on finding, evaluating, and leveraging reps effectively.

Keywords

pool industry, manufacturer reps, business growth, sales strategies, industry relationships

Key Topics

• Types of industry reps and their roles
• How to identify a good manufacturer rep
• The importance of follow-up and relationship-building
• Strategies for leveraging reps to increase sales and margins
• Practical steps to find and connect with reputable reps

Sound Bites

• "Good reps have real industry experience"
• "Follow-up shows a rep's diligence"
• "Don't treat reps like transactions"

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to the Grit Game and Pool Pros

03:50
Understanding the Role of Reps in the Pool Industry

06:37
The Importance of Building Relationships with Reps

08:50
Identifying Quality Reps and Their Impact

11:32
Maximizing the Value of Reps for Business Growth

13:41
Finding and Connecting with Reps

15:07
Conclusion and Call to Action

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Tik Tok

Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com

Pool Pros text questions here

In this episode of Talking Pools Podcast, Andrea wraps up her multi-part deep dive into pool chemistry with a no-BS breakdown of what actually matters when it comes to testing, dosing, and not screwing it all up.

And yes… she’s cooking chicken while recording.

🔍 What This Episode Covers

This isn’t textbook chemistry.
This is real-world, boots-on-the-ground pool service knowledge—the stuff that actually saves you from making expensive mistakes.

📊 Testing Frequency (What You Should Actually Be Doing)

Andrea breaks down what needs to be tested—and how often:

• Weekly: Free chlorine, combined chlorine, pH, total alkalinity
• Bi-weekly (max): Total alkalinity (don’t push it further)
• Monthly: Cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, salt
• As needed: Phosphates, metals, TDS

And one big reminder:

⚠️ Test Kit Lies (Yes, They Lie)

Ever get a reading that makes zero sense?

It might not be you.

This episode dives into:

• DPD bleaching → false zero chlorine readings
• MPS interference → false high readings
• High chlorine messing with pH tests
• Metals affecting calcium hardness results

👉 Translation:
Your test results can absolutely betray you if you don’t know what you’re looking at.

🧠 The Dilution Trick (That Most Techs Don’t Use)

When your test maxes out…

You don’t guess.

You dilute.

Andrea explains:

• How to properly dilute samples
• When to multiply results
• Why guessing high readings is a mistake

Including real-world examples of CYA levels hitting 300+ ppm in Florida.

💣 Chemical Dosing (Where People Go Off the Rails)

This is where things get dangerous—and expensive.

Andrea walks through:

• Proper dosing based on 10,000 gallons
• Why dumping “a gallon of acid” is a terrible idea
• How to actually adjust pH and alkalinity correctly

And the reality:

⚙️ Feeders, Automation & Salt Systems

From manual dosing to full automation, this episode covers:

• Stenner pumps & peristaltic systems
• Tab feeders vs erosion feeders
• Ozone, UV, and gas systems
• Salt cells and how they actually generate chlorine

Including a key reminder:

👉 Salt is not the sanitizer
👉 The cell produces chlorine gas → which becomes hypochlorous acid

🔥 The Real Problem with the Industry

Andrea calls out a growing issue:

Conflicting information between:

• CPO materials
• Manufacturers
• Field experience

And the result?

👉 Confused techs
👉 Bad chemistry decisions
👉 Arguments in comment sections

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Tik Tok

Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com