From Scared of Water to Saving It: Kevin Post’s Floating-Pool Vision—and the People He’s Lifting Along the Way

Post author:Rudy
Post published:September 21, 2025
Post category:Talking Pools Podcast

As a little boy, Kevin Post wouldn’t even put his face in the water. After his family moved to Texas, his mom signed him up for swim team because there…

Sweet Tea & Pool Chemistry: Why Atlanta’s Maddy Vandiver is Redefining Mentorship

Post author:Rudy
Post published:September 14, 2025
Post category:Talking Pools Podcast

From lifeguard stands to one of the largest pool companies in Georgia, this rising leader proves that mentorship isn’t about control—it’s about connection. Redefining Mentorship. When Maddy Vandiver’s mom first…

Greg Beard – The Poolside Philosopher

Post author:Rudy
Post published:August 17, 2025
Post category:Talking Pools Podcast

In the chlorine-scented world of pool service, where long days blur into hot afternoons and precision matters down to the decimal, a few names carry real weight. One of them…

Top 10 Finalists Named for 2025 Mentor of the Year Award

Post author:Rudy
Post published:August 5, 2025
Post category:Talking Pools Podcast

Top 10 Finalists Named for Talking Pools Podcast 2025 Mentor of the Year Award 🔍 Behind the Process: How We Chose the Top 10 Mentors of the Year in the…

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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🚨 Warning: This episode contains intentionally abrasive commentary and strong language.

Most Talking Pools questions come from pool service professionals. This week, Rudy clears the inbox of questions submitted by pool owners—and provides pool pros with a little emotional support in the process.

Why is the pool consuming so much chlorine? Why did it turn green after the technician left? Should the pump run longer during extreme heat? Why does a saltwater pool still need chlorine? Are chemicals, brushing, filter cleaning, equipment repairs, storm recovery, and emergency duck removal included in the monthly price?

The short answer: read your service agreement, communicate with your pool professional, and remember that weekly service means someone visits once every seven days. It does not mean the technician secretly lives inside the filter, guarding your chlorine around the clock.

Rudy tackles common homeowner questions with practical answers, pool chemistry, and the appropriate amount of profanity. He explains why heat, sunlight, swimmers, storms, landscaping, aging equipment, and a 30-person backyard party can create problems that no technician could prevent during one weekly visit.

Before getting to the pool questions, Rudy also examines gossip, fake intimacy, and the relationship between the “shit talker” and the “shit bucket.” If someone constantly talks to you about everyone else, you are not part of a protected inner circle—you are simply today’s audience and tomorrow’s material.

Topics discussed include:

Why successful people rarely waste time talking behind your back
How gossip creates counterfeit intimacy
The relationship between the shit talker and the shit bucket
Why chlorine demand increases during extreme heat
How swimmers, sunscreen, sweat, debris, and sunlight consume chlorine
Running pool pumps during unusually warm weather
Why pools become cloudy or green after heavy rain
Preparing a swimming pool before and after a major storm
Preventing algae from returning during extreme heat
Why saltwater chlorine generators sometimes cannot keep up
How to determine the correct salt-cell output percentage
Diagnosing a dirty, undersized, or worn-out salt cell
Why saltwater pools may still require manually added chlorine
Whether saltwater pools need to be shocked
The real cost of converting a pool to salt
Reducing the electrical cost of pool circulation
What weekly pool service actually means
Chemicals included with service versus chemicals billed separately
Whether technicians should provide complete test results
Brushing schedules and complicated pool designs
How often filters should be cleaned
Who is responsible when aging pool equipment fails
Why specialty chemicals may result in additional charges
Verifying training, certification, licensing, and insurance
The difference between maintenance companies and repair companies
Whether homeowners should expect the same technician every week
Additional service following storms, parties, equipment failures, and extreme weather
Temporary treatments versus correcting the underlying cause
How homeowners can evaluate whether a recommended repair is necessary

Pool owners should ask questions, request readings, review photographs, understand the diagnosis, and learn what their service plan includes. What they should not do is assume one weekly visit creates a protective dome capable of repelling rain, pollen, equipment failure, fertilizer, sunscreen, relatives, and urine.

Have a question for Rudy or the Talking Pools Podcast team? Email talkingpools@gmail.com.

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Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com