AFT&C news🗞️ - Page 12 of 18 - Aquatic Facility Training and Consultants

NEWS | Mr. Clean Algae Eraser

Post author:Rudy
Post published:October 13, 2019
Post category:Pool News

A Revolutionary New Pool Product Hits Shelves? 95 Thousand Reactions & 205 Thousand Shares Mr. Clean Magic Eraser On July 5th of 2018, Lisa Pack shared a photo to her…

How You Can Help a Friend’s Small Business Grow

Post author:Rudy
Post published:September 22, 2019
Post category:Marketing

#SmallBusinessEveryday ? It would be great if everyone patronized the small businesses that were owned by friends. If you have a need for whatever product it is that they offer,…

Could a Deadly Chlorine Gas Cloud Happen at Your Apartment Complex Pool

Post author:Rudy
Post published:September 14, 2019
Post category:Chemical Safety Apartment Pool Maintenance Risk Management

Liquid Chlorine Bleach + Muriatic Acid = Chlorine Gas ? Almost All of the Gas Cloud Incidents in the News occurred in Pools using Liquid Chlorine Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) Hey…

UF Acquires Talent From UAB & Within

Post author:Contributor
Post published:September 8, 2019
Post category:University Aquatics Pool News Risk Management

PRESS RELEASE ? Making a Splash at The Swamp? UF Acquires Talent From UAB & Within The University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports has welcomed two new faces…

Hiring Gen Z – What to Expect

Post author:Contributor
Post published:August 25, 2019
Post category:Apartment Pool Maintenance Employees Hotel Pool Maintenance Pool Service Tips University Aquatics

. Supervising and Managing Post-Millennials or “Generation Z" …

How To Keep Nonresidents Out of The Swimming Pool at Your Property

Post author:Rudy
Post published:August 18, 2019
Post category:Apartment Pool Maintenance Hotel Pool Maintenance Misc.Risk Management

An Apartment/Hotel Pool Under Seige Personally, I don't get it. I can't imagine entering a community or hotel property that I wasn't staying at or living at and nonchalantly climbing…

How to Keep Frogs Out Of Swimming Pools

Post author:Rudy
Post published:August 11, 2019
Post category:Pool News Pool Service Tips

I'd kiss a frog even if there was no promise of a Prince Charming popping out of it. I love frogs. - Cameron Diaz This is one I get asked…

Don’t Drink The Butt Water!

Post author:Rudy
Post published:August 4, 2019
Post category:Pool Safety Swimming Pool Safety

Crypto is Contracted by Swallowing Contaminated Pool Water! This is why we hear about "outbreaks" and facility closures in the NEWS on such a frequent basis. People dip their butts…

How Often Should I Shock The Pool?

Post author:Rudy
Post published:July 28, 2019
Post category:Apartment Pool Maintenance Home Owner Pool Care Hotel Pool Maintenance Shock

Community Associations, Hotels, HOAs, and Private Residences This is a great question. You have probably heard that you need to shock your pool once every seven to ten days with…

Oh Crap, Someone Pooped In The Pool!

Post author:Rudy
Post published:July 14, 2019
Post category:Apartment Pool Maintenance CPO Certification Class Home Owner Pool Care Hotel Pool Maintenance Pool Safety Pool Service Tips Water Chemistry

Code Brown!!! Sh*t happens, right? A fecal incident can occur from someone being ill, a child not wanting to get out because they are having too much fun, or even…

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.

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Magnesium, Salt & the Truth About Water Testing with LaMotte – Part 1

Is your salt test really measuring salt?

What happens when magnesium enters the equation?

And why do two different salt tests sometimes give two completely different answers?

This week on Mondays Down Under, Lee and Nick welcome Hieron from LaMotte for a fascinating deep dive into modern water testing, magnesium pools, calcium hardness, Langelier Saturation Index (LSI), and why understanding your test results is just as important as performing the test itself.

Whether you're servicing pools every day or managing a retail water testing lab, this episode explains why blindly trusting numbers without understanding the chemistry behind them can cost your customers money—and shorten the life of their equipment.

In This Episode

Why total hardness is no longer the same as calcium hardness
How magnesium changes water chemistry
Why magnesium hardness must be separated from calcium hardness
The relationship between hardness and the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI)
Why pH remains the single biggest factor affecting water balance
Does magnesium actually affect scaling?
Understanding the difference between conductivity salt meters and reagent-based salt testing
Why two salt tests can produce dramatically different readings
The hidden problem of ”dead” salt and elevated TDS
When water replacement becomes the only practical solution
Protecting expensive salt chlorinator cells through accurate testing
Why experienced technicians ask questions instead of simply printing reports
The psychology of educating customers and building long-term trust
A preview of LaMotte's upcoming professional training course for the pool industry

Key Takeaways

One of the biggest myths discussed is that all salt readings are equal.

Traditional conductivity meters measure the electrical conductivity of dissolved solids, while LaMotte's Spin system chemically measures usable chloride ions—the portion of salt that can actually produce chlorine. Understanding that distinction can dramatically improve troubleshooting and help explain why older pools often experience chlorination issues despite appearing to have sufficient salt.

The conversation also explores why magnesium pools require technicians to think differently about hardness testing. Magnesium contributes to total hardness but should not simply be substituted for calcium when calculating water balance or the LSI. Accurate testing allows professionals to properly determine true calcium hardness instead of relying on outdated rules of thumb.

Beyond chemistry, the discussion focuses on customer communication. The best technicians don't simply hand customers a printout—they ask better questions, interpret the results, educate pool owners, and build relationships that last for years.

Featured Guest

Hieron – LaMotte

Water chemistry specialist
Professional water testing educator
Expert in Spin water analysis technology
Developer of LaMotte's upcoming online professional training program

Coming Next Week

Part Two continues the conversation with even more practical discussions on professional water analysis, advanced chemistry, and improving customer outcomes through better testing and education.

Listen, subscribe, and join the conversation wherever you get your podcasts.

Support the show

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

Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com