The Pool Guy Podcast Show

HOA community pools look like “just another commercial account” until you’ve serviced one and tried to win one. We’re pulling back the curtain on why HOA pools can be some of the most profitable, reliable, and scalable stops for a pool service business, and where they can quietly become a headache if you don’t understand how the community works.

We walk through what makes HOA pools different fro...

Leslie’s Pool Supplies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the first reaction is panic, but the more important question is what it reveals about where the pool industry is headed. We walk through what Chapter 11 actually means, why it doesn’t automatically mean “going out of business,” and how a restructuring can keep a brand alive while creditors end up controlling the company. We also talk about the likely...

“Trichlor is 99% chlorine” sounds like a slam-dunk reason to buy tablets, right until you read what the label is actually saying. We sit down with Bob Lowry to untangle one of the most persistent swimming pool industry myths: confusing product purity with chlorine strength. Along the way, we translate the language on chlorine buckets into real pool math you can use on a service route, in a retail store, or when a homeow...

Evaporation is not “free water replacement” and it definitely is not a magic drain for cyanuric acid. I sit down with Bob Lowry to tackle the pool chemistry myths we keep hearing from techs, customers, and sometimes even product literature. If you service pools or manage your own, this conversation helps you separate what sounds true from what is actually happening in the water.

We start with a stabilizer myth th...

Your pool can test “fine” on chlorine and still struggle to stay clear, safe, and algae-free. The missing piece is often cyanuric acid (CYA), the stabilizer that protects chlorine from UV sunlight but also controls how much chlorine is actually active at any moment. When CYA climbs too high, the kill speed drops, problems linger longer, and the fix is rarely just “add more chlorine.” 

We walk thr...

Low pH is one of the most expensive “quiet problems” in pool care, because it doesn’t just make water feel off, it can actively eat your pool. We sit down with legendary pool chemistry expert Bob Lowry and walk through what aggressive, corrosive water really means in the real world: plaster that starts to etch and turn rough, metal components that dissolve into the water, and the frustrating moment when invisible ...

“Trichlor is 90% available chlorine, so it must be the strongest” sounds logical until you follow the math all the way through. We sit down with Bob Lowry to untangle the biggest chlorine strength myth in pool care, breaking down what “available chlorine” actually means, why the industry compares everything to chlorine gas, and how a percentage on a bucket can mislead even experienced pool owners and pool se...

Your route does not get easier because you “work harder” it gets easier when the small friction points disappear. We walk through a hand-picked list of underrated pool service products for 2026 that do exactly that, from quick mechanical fixes to cleanup tools that keep your day moving. I’m bringing a field-tested perspective from decades in the pool industry, with a focus on what actually saves time at the equipm...

Some pool accounts pay you twice: once with money, and again by giving you your time back. Others look fine on a bid, then slowly chew up your schedule with extra debris cleanup, finicky equipment, and constant “can you adjust the valves?” texts. We break down how we think about fine-tuning a pool route so your pool service business gets simpler, faster, and more profitable as you grow. 

We start with what a...

Your pool can look perfect while the spa tells a different story: cloudy water, gritty steps, and that fine “dust” that shows up again an hour after you leave. We walk through how we vacuum a spa the smart way, whether it’s an attached spa that gets neglected by automatic cleaners or a standalone fiberglass spa where every speck of sand is instantly noticeable.

We start with the basics of spa cleaning for p...

DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart aren’t just side hustles anymore, they’re a direct competitor for pool industry hiring. I’m breaking down how the gig economy pulls from the same talent pool pool service businesses need: dependable people in their 20s and 30s who want steady work but also want control over their time. When millions of drivers can tap an app and work whenever they want, a traditional pool route can lo...

Bad pool chemistry rarely starts with “bad chemicals.” It usually starts with bad testing, rushed testing, or the wrong tool for the job. We break down the most common pool water testing options and explain how to choose a pool test kit that fits your reality, whether you’re a homeowner checking water once a week or a pool service pro trying to move fast on a packed route.

We compare reagent test kits as th...

A pool filter can look “small” and still be the reason a system runs smoother, cleaner, and with less hassle on the equipment pad. I’m sharing my real-world take on the Aquastar Pipeline cartridge filter, including where it shines, where it takes a little mindset shift, and why it keeps getting compared to the wrong products online. 

I break down how the Pipeline PLF 35,000 stacks up against a common b...

Weather can wreck a perfectly planned pool route in minutes. One moment the backyard is calm, the next you’re in a wind event where every pass with the net brings in more leaves, the power is out in nearby hills, and the safest move is to pack up and go home. That’s real pool service life, and we want you ready for it, not surprised by it.

We break down the extreme weather situations pool technicians run into mos...

A windstorm can turn a clean backyard pool into a debris-filled mess in a single afternoon and if you service pools for a living, that mess multiplies across your entire route. We talk through what windy weather really means for a pool service business during Santa Ana wind events and other regional wind patterns, including why the first major storm of the season is often the most brutal. The goal is not perfection in one stop. The...

You don’t have to be a full-time mechanic to run a real pool service business. We hear the same fear from new and growing pool pros all the time: “I can do weekly pool cleaning, but I don’t know repairs.” Here’s the surprise. Plenty of successful pool service companies build strong routes by focusing on weekly pool maintenance and outsourcing the heavy repair work, as long as they understand equipment ...

Your pool route might be profitable, but it also comes with a deadline most people ignore until their knees, hands, or shoulders force the conversation. We get real about the physical wear of pool service and why “I’ll figure it out later” can turn into working longer than you ever planned, especially when inflation keeps raising the cost of everything from gas to groceries. 

We walk through clear, pra...

Your customer says they’re “pretty handy” and offers to handle the filter cleanings to save money. Sounds reasonable until the filter doesn’t get cleaned for weeks, the water starts sliding toward algae, and you discover the clamp was reinstalled wrong. Now it’s not just a service problem, it’s a safety and liability problem. That DIY crossover is getting more common, and we’re breaking dow...

That “simple stain” on the pool floor might be permanent, and that fresh coat of pool paint might be a countdown to peeling, cloudy water, and filters packed with chalky dust. We walk through the surface issues we see most often across plaster pools, Pebble Tec finishes, fiberglass pools, and vinyl liner pools, with real-world examples that help you diagnose what you’re looking at before you promise a miracle fix....