Floc Hard or Go Home: Greg Beard’s 35 Summers of Pool Wisdom

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This week on Floc-It Friday, Rudy sits down with Greg “Beard Man” Beard—poolside philosopher, calcium whisperer, and one of the Top 10 Mentors nominated for the 2025 Talking Pools Podcast Mentor of the Year Award. Greg has spent 35 summers in the field training rookies, guiding veterans, and mentoring like it’s a martial art.

From confronting internet undercutting to saving techs from costly mistakes, Greg shares the lessons, stories, and no-BS truths that define a lifetime in the pool industry. And yes, Rudy announces the full list of Top 10 Mentor of the Year finalists, with shout-outs to the sponsors making it possible.

In This Episode:

💡 Listener Q&A – The Future of Nitrate Removal
Wilmington, DE asks about building a nitrate removal rig—and Rudy delivers a deep dive into how this could be the next big high-margin service for eco-conscious pool owners.

• Why it matters: Chlorine can’t oxidize nitrates, shocking doesn’t touch them, and drain/refill wastes water.
  https://cpoclass.com/nitrate-removal-rig-concept/
• Three design options:
  1. Anion Exchange Resin System – The “sniper rifle” for nitrates, swapping nitrate ions for chloride ions using a resin like Purolite A520E.
  2. Reverse Osmosis (RO) – Full-spectrum filtration removing nitrates, TDS, and more using a high-pressure pump, membranes, and pre-filters.
  3. Hybrid Rig – Resin first to knock down nitrates, followed by RO for extended membrane life and ultra-pure output.
• Key components: Fiberglass pressure tanks, control valves (Fleck 5600 or Clack WS1), brine tanks for regeneration, high-pressure pumps, RO membranes, flow meters, and TDS sensors.
• Wastewater management: Regulatory considerations for nitrate-rich reject water—no dumping into storm drains.
• Profit potential: $900–$1,500+ per treatment with strong drought-region demand.
• Rudy offers to share a sketch layout and parts list in the show notes for anyone ready to innovate.

🔥 Greg Beard Unfiltered

• The three keys to survival in the pool industry: Passion, Dedication, Attention to Detail.
• Why sometimes you raise the price on difficult customers and let them walk.
• The “internet problem” – when homeowners can buy products cheaper than pros can get them from distribution.
• Old-school pumps that outlast modern replacements and what hydraulic mistakes are costing pros.
• Safety concerns: bonding, grounding, and why we’re lucky electrocutions aren’t more common.
• The cost of chemical inclusion in service pricing and the tax implications you need to know.

📜 Industry Realities & Random Wisdom

• Trade shows and training as survival tools for the next generation of pool pros.
• Catastrophic backyard incidents that leave lasting lessons.
• Greg’s approach to route density and why he still runs solo after decades in the business.

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