Whether you are brand new to the service industry or just looking to maintain your existing pools, buying the necessary equipment to maintain a swimming pool can be a daunting task. You certainly don’t want to buy more or spend more than you need to. You also do not want to purchase inferior pool tools that cannot withstand the rigors of actual pool cleaning. Lets face it, these things take a lot of abuse. We need durability at a price that won’t break the bank.
To find out which items would give us the best bang for our buck, we surveyed data some of the nations top service pros to see what they were using. The following items were among their top picks & some thoughts on the products. Note that this list is not all inclusive (if there is something you think should be on the list, drop your thoughts in the comments below).
Purity Pool RBTD Red Baron 20-Inch Professional Leaf Rake, Tuff Duty Model
A good quality net is a must have! These deep pocket style leaf rakes, originally designed to remove debris from the pool floors, have found their way into the hearts of service pros as a tool a bit more versatile than the original intent. The popularity of these deep nets are sending leaf skimmers down the paths of vinyl and cassette tapes, a remember back in the day tool of nostalgia that is still popular with home owners and industry old timers. Nowadays Leaf rakes are used for floor debris removal, surface skimming, pool gutter cleaning, and more. The important things to consider here are frame strength, net weave, and durability. We want a net that’s going to last.
“I was at a SCP way back (15 years ago). This guy was giving them (The Red Baron Leaf Rakes) out for free 
He was the one who made them 
It’s a killer net. I gave my old one to a kid I was training. The new one will out live me lol. I’ve been in the pool industry for almost 40 years and I used a lot nets in my day and this one works. I can’t remember the last net I’ve used (that wasn’t a Red Baron)!!! Like I said it’s killer!!!” – Gadlys Hap Wolff, Post Pools & Spas, Ca.
Skimlite 9018 3-Piece Dual-Locking Telescoping Pool Cleaning Pole – 6-18 Feet
A good sturdy pole is extremely important. Light weight and durable is what we need. Holding a pole extended from your person for extended periods of time takes quite a bit of force. The sections need to lock into place quickly and securely. It needs to be strong enough to handle a self contained vacuum like a rip tide or a hammer head, but function with enough finesse to maneuver a leaf rake or brush. We don’t mind spending a little more for something if it’s going to last.
Brushing the pool or spa walls is perhaps one of the best preventative measures when it comes to thwarting algae. Consider that algae is microscopic, so you don’t actually see it until there are thousands among us. That does not mean that it is not always present, just in quantities too small to be seen by the human eye. Brushing dislodges algae that would begin to colonize on the surface of your pool (whether you can see them or not). This allows the chemicals added for prevention greater access to the protist as well as much to be removed through filtration.
“I’m a very frequent and detailed brusher so this brush is great for me. I kept breaking the other brushes and was buying them way to often. This animal brush has lasted me over a year now. I finally just bought a new one because I just felt it was time 
no real reason lol the old one is still doing the job. I use it as a secondary brush if I have someone with me.” – Kyle David Acevedo, Aloha Pool Service & Repair, Spring Hill Fla.
Taylor Deluxe DPD Pool and Spa Water Test Kit – K-2005
Pool professionals want to use a professional test kit. Those smaller test kits you see available in the pool stores use a chemical called OTO to test the chlorine. The problem with this chemical is that it is limited. OTO is unable to differentiate between free chlorine (FAC) and total chlorine (TAC). This means it can not be used to determine a combined chlorine (chloramine) level. So, how do you ever know when you need to super chlorinate (shock)? This kit includes all of the high quality drop tests necessary to calculate the levels of the key elements of water balance and more! FAC, TAC, pH, Acid/Base demand, TA, Calcium Hardness, and CyA all in a stylish, yet durable, carrying case. The LSI wheel is an added bonus!
“No bells and whistles, just drops. The kit is easy to use and extremely accurate. Nothing to calibrate, just a test block and some reagents. Simplicity is key and it has all of the tests I need in one convenient package. The test solutions are readily available and that’s important. I wouldn’t trust my water test results to anything else.” – Thomas Race, Aqua-Caribbean, Gainesville Fla.
Did we miss anything?
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