Contributor, Author at Aquatic Facility Training and Consultants

Alum CyA Removal Method Step-By-Step

Post author:Contributor
Post published:November 24, 2020
Post category:Chemicals

This is probably a bit overdue, but we decided it would be easiest to bullet point the CyA removal method we are field testing. So, here is the Alum CyA…

CDC’s CMAHC to Cap Chlorine Levels

Post author:Contributor
Post published:August 15, 2020
Post category:Pool News

CMAHC Dropping The Max on Chlorine, Part l [responsivevoice_button voice="US English Female" buttontext="Listen to Post"] The Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) is voting to lower the maximum…

Ready to Hire Somebody, but…

Post author:Contributor
Post published:August 2, 2020
Post category:Employees Uncategorized

[responsivevoice_button voice="US English Female" buttontext="Listen to Post"] It's just you, right? You want to grow, but the thought of handing the care of a chunk of your customers over to…

How To: Cleaning a Swimming Pool Salt Cell

Post author:Contributor
Post published:July 25, 2020
Post category:Equipment

[responsivevoice_button voice="US English Female" buttontext="Listen to Post"] salt cell care, pH control, & phosphate removal ? More and more people are installing SWGs (saltwater generators) these days. Part of a…

Pool Pro Cleared by Autopsy

Post author:Contributor
Post published:July 4, 2020
Post category:Waterborne Illnesses

Necrotizing fasciitis WARNING: This article may contain images that are disturbing to some readers. Every story has two sides. The following account is based solely upon that of Leland Jacobson…

How to Correct an Employee if He/She Gives a Customer the Wrong Information

Post author:Contributor
Post published:June 14, 2020
Post category:Employees

? He told you what? How to Correct an Employee if He/She Gives a Customer the Wrong Information Yelling and screaming at an Employee in front of the customers is…

Pool Test Kit Comparison

Post author:Contributor
Post published:May 24, 2020
Post category:Water Chemistry

Ok, so I was trained testing water with reagents. Especially on a Taylor water test station. I am admittedly a little biased. I have done thousands, I mean THOUSANDS. Over…

5 Industry Experts on Merchandising a Pool Store

Post author:Contributor
Post published:May 9, 2020
Post category:Retail

? Don't Roll the Merchan-dice when Merchandising a Pool Store ? Merchandising a Pool Store, Photo Credit Brian Connors of River City Pool & Spa mer·chan·dis·ing /ˈmərCHənˌdīziNG/ noun the activity…

Apocalypse Good for Pool Business ?

Post author:Contributor
Post published:May 3, 2020
Post category:COVID-19 Pool News

Is an Apocalypse Good for Business? The world has, for all intent and purpose, been grounded. We are limited to work (if we are lucky) and then sent to our…

Aquatics Director Positions at Risk⁉

Post author:Contributor
Post published:April 19, 2020
Post category:Pool Management Pool News University Aquatics

When Pools Stay Closed A lot of us make our money servicing and running Aquatic Centers, Community Pools, and High School and College pools. Are we at risk of losing…

Talking Pools Podcast

If you’ve ever stared at a test kit like it personally insulted your family… welcome home.

Talking Pools Podcast is the pool industry’s “pull up a chair” show—part shop talk, part field manual, part therapy session—built for people who actually live on pool decks: commercial operators, service techs, builders, facility managers, and anyone responsible for water that can’t afford to go sideways. The network was created to level up the pool industry with real-world conversations on water chemistry, filtration, troubleshooting, construction, safety, and the business side of keeping pools open and budgets intact.

Here’s the hook: it’s not theory-first. It’s experience-first—a roster of seasoned pros (with 250+ years of combined “been there, fixed that” wisdom) turning complicated problems into practical moves you can use the same day. And it’s not one voice, one vibe, one corner of the industry: it’s a network of shows designed to reflect how diverse this work really is—different regions, different specialties, different personalities.

Also worth saying out loud: women aren’t “special guests” here—they’re on the mic as hosts, from the beginning, with an intentionally balanced roster. That matters, because the best ideas in this industry don’t come from one lane—they come from the whole road.

If you want a podcast that can make you laugh and make you better at what you do—without pretending the job is easier than it is—Talking Pools is the one you queue up before the first stop, and keep on when the day starts getting weird.

Ask a question here

In the conclusion of this two-part Mythbusting Wednesday conversation, Natalie Hood sits down with Erik Knight to discuss his move from Watershape University to Pool Brain—and the bigger problems he hopes to help solve.

The pool industry has more education available than ever, but is that actually part of the problem? New technicians are often buried under chemistry, equipment, software, procedures, and safety information before they have enough hands-on experience to understand how it all fits together.

Erik explains how guided workflows and point-of-need education could help technicians produce better results from the beginning while developing a deeper understanding over time. Instead of three days riding shotgun followed by “Here are the keys—try not to turn anything green,” technology can provide structure, consistency, and some desperately needed early wins.

Natalie and Erik discuss:

Why technician turnover is highest at the entry level
Whether the education gap is really an education-overload problem
The weaknesses of traditional pool-company onboarding
Why hands-on learning creates knowledge that actually sticks
Using software to reinforce education instead of replacing it
Pool Brain’s approach to guided workflows and chemistry recommendations
Using historical data to predict future pH and water behavior
Why experience—not intelligence—allows seasoned technicians to anticipate problems
Automation as a force multiplier for pool professionals
How technology can free technicians to develop higher-value skills
Why automation equipment can become a profitable service-company revenue stream
The value of competition among software companies and education providers
Erik’s continued relationship with Watershape University
What attracted him to Pool Brain’s long-term vision
Why professional software requires more than an AI-generated interface
Inflation, rising equipment costs, and the need for greater efficiency
Route optimization, properly stocked trucks, and eliminating costly supply runs

Erik also addresses the fear that technology will eventually replace the pool professional. Automation may handle repeatable tasks, but it cannot change filter sand, clean a DE grid, diagnose complicated equipment problems, or replace the judgment developed through real experience.

Better technology does not eliminate the need for education. It can remove some of the repetitive bullshit, help new technicians succeed sooner, and give experienced professionals more time to solve complicated problems, serve better customers, and operate more profitable routes.

Erik’s goal at Pool Brain is straightforward: simplify what makes the job unnecessarily difficult, help pool professionals deliver safer and more predictable water, and give company owners the tools to become more efficient, profitable, and—God forbid—occasionally get home before dark.

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Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com