AFT&C news🗞️ - Page 17 of 18 - 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…

University of Georgia Aquatics

Post author:Contributor
Post published: September 23, 2018
Post category:University Aquatics

University of Georgia Aquatics There is a lot more to consider when maintaining these colossal giants of competition and wellness than one might think. Pool Operators face a myriad of challenges…

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…

Pool Service Software

Post author:Contributor
Post published: September 4, 2018
Post category:Sponsors

The Dirty Swimming Pool Water Epidemic Includes Your Pool - Yes, Yours! It’s the week before Memorial Day 2018, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases its latest…

Duke University Aquatics

Post author:Contributor
Post published: August 27, 2018
Post category:University Aquatics

Duke University Aquatics There is a lot more to consider when maintaining these colossal giants of competition and wellness than one might think. Pool Operators face a myriad of challenges…

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…

Pool Girl Power 👉💪

Post author:Contributor
Post published: August 7, 2018
Post category:Pool News

Working in a Male-Dominated Field by Andrea Lynne Nannini Wikipedia: A swimming pool service technician (known colloquially as a pool man) is a tradesperson who cleans swimming pools and services major pool equipment such as pumps, motors, and…

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…

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

Talking Pools Podcast | Thursdays with Steve & Wayne
Hosts: Steve Sherwood and Wayne Ivusich
Insurance Interlude Guest: Pat Grignon

That commercial pool account looks impressive on your client list—but is it making you money, or slowly eating your business alive?

Steve and Wayne dig into the realities of commercial pool service: unpredictable chemical demand, marathon equipment-room visits, failing valves, and bids that leave customers wondering why you charge so much. Steve explains why pricing a hotel pool like a backyard account can turn a big opportunity into a very expensive mistake.

In this week’s Insurance Interlude, Pat Grignon joins Steve to discuss pool pop-ups, chemical spills, acid-wash damage, and what happens when a claim exceeds the coverage available. Steve also shares a balancing-tank disaster from earlier in his career—a story involving a missed valve, a flooded equipment room, and one deeply uncomfortable meeting.

Then it’s back to leak detection, a historic hotel’s relentless equipment problems, and the business skill that keeps showing up in every conversation: communicating before a frustrated customer starts shopping for your replacement.

In this episode:

Commercial bidding: Accounting for labor, travel around large properties, chemical use, and the residential work you could complete in the same time.
Facebook’s useful side: How answering a stranger’s questions helped Steve build one of his biggest client relationships.
Insurance limits: Pat discusses coverage examples, sublimits, and potential exposure when repair costs exceed available insurance.
Leak-detection training: Why buying a hydrophone doesn’t automatically make you a leak detector—and how confirmed leaks can become training opportunities.
A hotel equipment nightmare: Elevated water, equipment far below, substantial pressure, hot water, and recurring valve failures.
Owning service mistakes: How Steve handled missed visits, algae, and the cost of making things right.
Mentoring without stopping production: Supporting students and technicians while giving employees room to do their jobs.
Route efficiency: How repeated trips to the truck quietly steal time from your day.

The guys also discuss Leslie’s store-closure news as understood at recording and give a shout-out to the standout pool projects featured in AQUA.

The takeaway: A busy route doesn’t guarantee a profitable business. Price the actual work, understand your coverage, train your people, and keep your customers informed.

Questions for Steve and Wayne?
Email talkingpools@gmail.com and direct your message to either host. Your question could become part of a future episode.

Contains explicit language.

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Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com