Pool Operator Talk News Archives - Page 3 of 17 - Aquatic Facility Training and Consultants

Tim Bolden: From Navy Life in Guam to Poolside Royalty in Atlanta

Post author:Rudy
Post published: October 5, 2025
Post category:Pool News

When you meet Tim Bolden, owner of The Pool Butler in Atlanta, you quickly realize this isn’t just another guy running a service company. He’s a Navy veteran, a…

Technical Bulletin: Sodium Carbonate vs. Sodium Bicarbonate

Post author:Rudy
Post published: September 30, 2025
Post category:Pool News

Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash) vs. Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) in Swimming Pool Treatment Author: Compiled from research and field guidance by Rudy Stankowitz Purpose & Scope This bulletin consolidates Rudy…

Technical Bulletin Black Algae

Post author:Rudy
Post published: September 12, 2025
Post category:Algae

This Technical Bulletin Black Algae is intended for professional pool service technicians. It assumes a workingknowledge of pool water chemistry, algae identification, and treatment practices.Introduction For decades, black algae has…

Technical Field Guide: Mustard Algae (Diatoms)

Post author:Rudy
Post published: September 6, 2025
Post category:Algae Pool News

Mustard Algae (Diatoms) – Prevention and Cleanup Responding to the EPA Sodium Bromide Ban For Pool Pro Use Only: This guide is written specifically for professional pool service technicians. It…

Laci Davis: The Art of Grit

Post author:Rudy
Post published: August 31, 2025
Post category:Pool News

On the west coast of Florida, in the small community of Hudson, there’s a business with a name that sounds more like a mantra than a company: The Grit Game.…

2025 Mentor Awards Finalists and Sponsorship Lineup

Post author:Rudy
Post published: July 19, 2025
Post category:Pool News

Talking Pools Podcast Announces 2025 Mentor Awards Finalists and Sponsorship Lineup July 19, 2025 – Gainesville, Florida – The Talking Pools Podcast is proud to announce the 2025 Mentor of…

Peeing in Pools: The Chemical Reactions

Post author:Rudy
Post published: April 13, 2025
Post category:Water Chemistry

When someone decides "Peeing in Pools" is ok and it's time to take a little "bathroom break" (because apparently, that's just fine), a chain of chemical reactions starts to unfold…

Preparing Your Pool for a Hurricane

Post author:Rudy
Post published: October 16, 2024
Post category:Pool News Home Owner Pool Care Pool Operator Talk News Pool Service Tips

Hurricane Damage courtesy of Hurricane Helene

Understanding Piecework Pay for Pool Service Technicians

Post author:Rudy
Post published: September 28, 2024
Post category:Employees

In the world of pool service companies, figuring out how to compensate technicians is a frequent topic of discussion. As a business owner, you’ve likely wondered about the best way…

Employee or Contractor? The High-Stakes Choice That Could Make or Break Your Pool Business

Post author:Rudy
Post published: September 20, 2024
Post category:Employees

Should you classify your workers as W-2 employees or 1099 contractors? It's a decision that can significantly impact your business. The Department of Labor (DOL) recently introduced a new rule…

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.

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