I’ve worked outdoors in a few different climates most of my adult life. In each of those environments, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with the wind. In the hot Iraqi desert, the wind was a wonderful ally—until it got so strong that it blew sand into my eyes. Near the beaches of Dover, Delaware, […]
“Winterize” Your Swimming Pool the Right Way
Here in Texas, we don’t endure the same type of winter as most other areas of the country—especially those up north. Still, it gets cold—too cold to go swimming in your own backyard. Whether the meteorologists predict a frosty or mild fall and winter – and whether or not they get anything right – knowing […]
Take the Bad with the Good
Perspective Interstellar is one of my favorite movies of recent years and probably top 10 all time. Released in 2014, it stars Matthew McConaughey as Cooper, former NASA pilot and father to Tom and Murph. Cooper and his wife named their daughter “Murph” as a reference to Murphy’s Law, which some have passed along as, “Anything […]
Why Investing in a Swimming Pool is Good for Your Health
Many people think a swimming pool is just a fun toy for the backyard. An above-ground or in-ground pool can be as elegant as you wish, but people will still cannonball into the water on hot summer afternoons. It’s all about the fun, right? Well, there are also health benefits to having a swimming pool […]
Never Stop Learning, Part 1: Naming and Recognizing Basic Pool Components?
Are We There Yet? Summer is almost upon us, that season that brings relief from the pressures of school for most students – and teachers for that matter! It’s the time of year when visions for vacation fun come to fruition. Remember to apply sunscreen. Don’t pet the sharks. Wait at least 30 minutes before […]
Capturing Paradise
A day at the beach I’ve been to the ocean only a handful of times in my life. Some would joke that the Gulf of Mexico as seen from the Florida panhandle beaches “ain’t really an ocean,” but that’s for another essay or informal debate. The vastness is what grabs my attention. Each time I’ve […]
Persistence Through Changes
Weather Pending As fall and winter approach, my friends who don’t own pools often ask me, “I guess things are slow for you right now.” Frankly, any week with an opening is a slow week. We in the service industry depend on a full schedule to keep us happily employed and fully capable of serving […]
Future Proofing Your Pool
What’s trending Imagine pink flowers nestled in a field of blue and white. There are some jumping dolphins, part of a 5-piece, six-inch by six-inch mosaic. Brilliant blue 3-inch squares jump out from the white plaster beneath them. This style of waterline tile was all the rage during the second half of the 20th century. […]
Why You NEED a Licensed and Trained Pool Professional
Licenses, Liability, and Leisure “It’s not rocket science! I mean, anybody can take care of a pool, right!?” I have heard these phrases and many like them since I’ve been a part of the pool industry. Some potential customers have said them in response to my questions about who installed their equipment, or who maintains […]
How does this all fit together? Sizing your pool equipment
One thing we often find during an evaluation of pool equipment is that the components of the system are not designed to work efficiency in the areas of filtration, circulation, cleaning and heating. In some cases, pumps are much more powerful than what the filters can handle. Or there may be valves or plumbing discrepancies […]
