pool maintenance Archives - Aquatic Facility Training and Consultants

Tim Bolden: From Navy Life in Guam to Poolside Royalty in Atlanta

Post author:Rudy
Post published:October 5, 2025
Post category:Pool News

When you meet Tim Bolden, owner of The Pool Butler in Atlanta, you quickly realize this isn’t just another guy running a service company. He’s a Navy veteran, a…

Peeing in Pools: The Chemical Reactions

Post author:Rudy
Post published:April 13, 2025
Post category:Water Chemistry

When someone decides "Peeing in Pools" is ok and it's time to take a little "bathroom break" (because apparently, that's just fine), a chain of chemical reactions starts to unfold…

How to Prep for the CPO exam for Certified Pool Operator certification

Post author:Rudy
Post published:November 25, 2023
Post category:CPO Certification Class

Prep for the CPO exam for Certified Pool Operator certification requires a strategic approach that goes beyond traditional study methods. Here's a step-by-step guide on how a student should prepare…

How to take the CPO test for Certified Pool Operator Certification

Post author:Rudy
Post published:November 25, 2023
Post category:CPO Certification Class

CPO exam exams can be deceptive; just because you can bring in your notes and CPO Handbooks doesn't guarantee success. Adequate preparation and strategic test-taking skills are essential to navigate…

Cleaning Paint Spilled in a Pool

Post author:Rudy
Post published:October 17, 2020
Post category:Pool Service Tips

Whether it is by accident or the act of vandals, discovering paint dumped into a swimming pool is extremely disheartening. This is the intent of the crime in the case…

Apocalypse Good for Pool Business ?

Post author:Contributor
Post published:May 3, 2020
Post category:COVID-19 Pool News

Is an Apocalypse Good for Business? The world has, for all intent and purpose, been grounded. We are limited to work (if we are lucky) and then sent to our…

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…

Top 10 Swimming Pool Test Kits

Post author:Rudy
Post published:June 16, 2019
Post category:Apartment Pool Maintenance Home Owner Pool Care Hotel Pool Maintenance Pool Tools

Which Kit is Your Go-To Test Kit? Top 10 Selling Test Kits on Amazon #10 Blue Devil B7448 5-Way OTO - Chlorine/Bromine, pH, Alkalinity & Acid Demand #9 Taylor K-2106…

Aquatic Facilities and Risk Management Practice

Post author:Contributor
Post published:March 24, 2019
Post category:Risk Management University Aquatics

Identification, Evaluation, and Prioritization - by Michelle December Aquatic facilities are often viewed as being synonymous with risk So how do aquatic professionals effectively manage the inherent risks associated with their…

Kessing Pool

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Post author:Contributor
Post published:January 28, 2019
Post category:University Aquatics

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Aquatics and Community Programs If you recall, in December we spoke with University of Houston's Assistant Director of Aquatic Operations, Cara Green.This month, University of…

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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Profanity does not make someone unprofessional. Confidently spreading bad information does.

In this intentionally abrasive episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, Rudy Stankowitz takes aim at the comment-section experts who diagnose complicated pool problems from one blurry photograph, defend outdated beliefs with “I’ve been doing this for 20 years,” and treat confidence as a substitute for evidence.

BREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS
July’s pool-industry news revealed a market undergoing a serious correction: as reported by Pentair, distributors are aggressively reducing excess equipment inventory; as reported by POOLCORP, essential maintenance and repair demand remains resilient despite weak discretionary spending; as first reported by Bloomberg, Leslie’s was considering strategic options—including a possible Chapter 11 filing—to address its debt; and as reported by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, years of corrosion, inadequate safeguards and nearly 14 million pounds of reactive chemicals contributed to the catastrophic Bio-Lab fire in Conyers. Adding to the industry shake-up, as reported by Pool Brain on August 5, Eric Knight stepped down as executive director of Watershape University to become Pool Brain’s head of education technology, overseeing automated chemical-dosing tools, guided training workflows and point-of-need education for pool professionals. Pool Brain announcement

The Confidently Wrong

Rudy explains why experience only has value when it remains connected to research, why a correct result does not necessarily prove the explanation behind it, and why professionals must be willing to say, “I don’t know.” He also examines the limits of the Langelier Saturation Index, the risks of oversimplified chemistry advice, and the difference between handing someone an answer and teaching that person how to investigate a problem.

The pool industry does not need to lose its personality, clean up every four-letter word, or turn itself into a room full of corporate robots. It does need people who verify what they say, correct themselves when the evidence changes, and understand that other professionals and customers make real decisions based on the information they share.

The loudest person may get the most attention. The person who consistently does the work earns the trust.

In This Episode

Why profanity is not a measure of professionalism
The difference between an opinion and supportable information
How bad pool chemistry advice can become expensive, dangerous, and public
Why 20 years in the industry does not automatically equal 20 years of growth
Experience repeated versus experience examined
How improved research and instrumentation change what the industry understands
Why correlation does not prove causation
The danger of diagnosing pool problems without enough information
What the Langelier Saturation Index does—and what it cannot tell you
Why “I don’t know” can be the most professional answer available
Correcting misinformation without surrendering credibility
Combining field experience with current science
Teaching critical thinking instead of creating dependence
Why trust is worth more than comments, likes, and online attention

Key Takeaways

Experience should be a foundation, not a shield against better information. A professional gathers facts, considers competing explanations, understands the limits of a diagnosis, and changes course when the evidence demands it.

A real mentor does more than provide an answer. A mentor teaches someone what to test, what to rule out, what information matters, and how to reason through the next problem independently.

Profanity backed by accurate information is a voice. Profanity used to disguise ignorance is noise.

2026 Talking Pools Top Ten Pool Industry Mentors

Congratulations to:

Brandon Reid
Jeff Hamp
Chris Kavanaugh
Tim McDowell
Lacey Davis
Jerry Wallace
John Poma
Greg Beard
Terry Tammanin
Peter Wiederman

These honorees were selected by the hosts of the Talking Pools Podcast for the lasting difference they have made in the lives and careers of pool professionals.

Episode Sponsors

BlueRay XL — bluerayxl.com
Service Industry News — serviceindustrynews.net
Jack’s Magic — jacksmagic.com
AquaStar Pool Products

Content Advisory

This episode contains strong language and intentionally abrasive humor.

Connect With Talking Pools

Subscribe to the Talking Pools Podcast wherever you listen, share this episode with a pool professional who values evidence over ego, and follow the show for straight talk, practical education, and pool-industry commentary without the corporate filter.

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Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com