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Dealing With Unhappy Customers

Post author:Contributor
Post published:March 24, 2018
Post category:Retail

A lesson on Dealing With Unhappy Customers from the retail front lines Do you want to put your customer service skills to the test? Try working Memorial Day weekend in…

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…

Total Dissolved Solids in Swimming Pools

Post author:Rudy
Post published:December 24, 2017
Post category:Water Chemistry

Understanding TDS for Certified Pool Operators: Total Dissolved Solids in Swimming Pools One of the concepts discussed in a Certified Pool Operator (CPO®) certification class is Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).…

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