Rudy, Author at Aquatic Facility Training and Consultants

Pool Service Marketing

Post author:Rudy
Post published: October 8, 2018
Post category:Marketing

How Pool Service Companies Can Stand Out: Marketing Strategies That Actually Bring Customers Most pool service companies make the same marketing mistake. They build a website.They post on social media.They…

Copper Sulfate Exposure Reduces Cyanobacterial Biofilm Colonization

Post author:Rudy
Post published: September 25, 2018
Post category:Algae Subscription Content

Sub-Lethal Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate Exposure Reduces Cyanobacterial Biofilm Colonization (Swimming Pool Black Algae) Abstract Persistent microbial colonization, commonly referred to in the swimming pool industry as “black algae,” represents a…

How Strong is Pool Chlorine?

Post author:Rudy
Post published: September 17, 2018
Post category:Water Chemistry

How Strong is Pool Chlorine? Understanding Available Chlorine Content (ACC) in Pool Chemistry A Key Concept in Certified Pool Operator (CPO) Training One of the most misunderstood concepts in swimming…

pH Rise in Swimming Pools

Post author:Rudy
Post published: August 21, 2018
Post category:Science Fair Project Water Chemistry

Spas, Splash pads, and Waterpark rides... Why Aeration Causes pH Rise in Swimming Pools Ever wonder why the pH in certain pools always seems to run high, no matter how…

Swimming Bugs In My Swimming Pool

Post author:Rudy
Post published: August 13, 2018
Post category:Pool Service Tips Misc.

What are these Swimming Bugs, and how do I make them go away? The Fishing Spider is not a swimming bug, it is an arachnid. Due to appearance, is often…

Solar pool skimmer

Post author:Rudy
Post published: July 18, 2018
Post category:Product Review

Does this Solar-Powered Pool Cleaner Really Work? Every so often, a product enters the swimming pool industry promising to revolutionize the way pools are maintained. The Solar-Breeze NX2, a solar-powered…

Swimming Pool Black Algae

Post author:Rudy
Post published: May 22, 2018
Post category:Algae Subscription Content

Swimming Pool “Black Algae”: Why the Name Is Wrong and the Science Matters Few problems frustrate swimming pool professionals more than so-called black algae. The name alone suggests something mysterious…

Does Chlorine Lock Exist?

Post author:Rudy
Post published: April 21, 2018
Post category:Water Chemistry

Cyanuric Acid, Chlorine Lock, and Why the CDC Now Requires Lower Stabilizer Levels During Diarrheal Incidents For decades, pool professionals have heard the phrase “chlorine lock.” The claim is simple…

Keeping Employees Engaged

Post author:Rudy
Post published: January 7, 2018
Post category:Employees

How Pool Service Companies Keep Employees Engaged and Prevent Burnout The evaporation fog hangs low over the swimming pool like a horror movie set. Morning light slowly pushes back the…

With permission of Robert W. Lowry

The Truth About Saltwater Pools

Post author:Rudy
Post published: January 3, 2018
Post category:Water Chemistry

The Truth About Saltwater Pools How Salt Chlorine Generators Really Work Pool professionals hear the same statement constantly: “I don’t use chlorine. I have a saltwater pool.” This belief is…

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

Your total alkalinity is 100 ppm. So is the pool next door’s. Why does one keep climbing in pH while the other takes a dive when you add alum?

On this Floc-It Friday, Rudy Stankowitz breaks down what’s behind that number on your test kit. He runs through a pool with 100 ppm total alkalinity and 100 ppm cyanuric acid, shows how the one-third shortcut changes the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) calculation, and explains where that shortcut can get you in trouble. Then he takes it back to the equipment pad with a pool whose pH keeps creeping up, an acid dose, and an alum treatment.

Rudy opens with a thank-you to Olga Welch at Rutgers University for a letter about his years teaching pool water quality. He also reads past the headline on Haviland’s announced $26 million Indiana facility and gets to the questions that matter when chemicals are included in your monthly service rate. Will it handle the products you buy? Will it change what’s available? What will you actually pay?

And in Hudson, Florida, two pickups roll onto a jobsite with a championship belt for John Poma, the 2026 Talking Pools Podcast Pool Industry Mentor of the Year. Rudy tells the story of the surprise and shares how John handles a late-night call about a plaster problem. He asks what you saw, what you checked, and what you think it means. The next time you see it, you know where to start.

Chapters

00:01 A letter from Rutgers and a thank-you to Olga Welch
00:38 Haviland’s $26 million announcement and what to ask your supplier
03:28 What your total alkalinity test actually measures
07:59 The 100 ppm example, the LSI calculation, and rising pH
11:48 John Poma’s surprise championship belt reveal
13:24 The mentor who shaped John’s approach and how the award was decided
19:01 The limits of the one-third CYA shortcut and what happens when you add acid
24:21 Alum, alkalinity demand, and why starting pH only tells you part of the story

Got a water chemistry question you’d like Rudy to tackle on Floc-It Friday? Email talkingpools@gmail.com.

Support the show

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

Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com