Pool Chemistry and Maintenance From a CPO
Let me paint you a picture. It’s 7 a.m. on a Tuesday, I’m standing at the edge of a 75,000-gallon resort pool in Phoenix, and the shallow-end steps are wearing a coat of yellow-green algae like they’re proud of it. I’ve got a standard nylon brush on a telescoping pole, and I start scrubbing. Twenty … Read more
I’ve managed pools for resorts and HOA communities across the Southwest for over a decade, and I can tell you exactly what a Tuesday afternoon in July looks like: you’re crouched by the equipment pad, test kit in hand, realizing your chlorine has dropped again even though you just dosed the pool yesterday. So you … Read more
Every spring, without fail, I’d show up to one of my HOA pool accounts and find the same scene: a gorgeous blue pool absolutely blanketed in yellow pine pollen, with a frustrated homeowner standing at the edge holding a net like they’d been personally wronged by the local tree population. I’ve managed pools across Arizona, … Read more
Let me paint you a picture. It’s 7 a.m., the overnight wind dropped a full tree’s worth of oak leaves into your pool, and you’re standing at the edge with that flimsy little flat skimmer net that came rubber-banded to your pole when you bought your starter kit. You drag it across the surface, watch … Read more
If you’ve ever stared into a green, murky pool and wondered what went wrong, this pool water chemistry guide is exactly what you’ve been looking for. I’ve spent years managing pools for resorts and HOAs across the Southwest — pools that see hundreds of swimmers a week, blazing UV exposure, and temperatures that climb past … Read more
Every summer, I watch the same thing happen at the pools I manage. Parents spend $200 on elaborate inflatable rafts and fancy gear, and within two weekends, that stuff is either deflated in a corner or forgotten entirely. Meanwhile, the kids are fighting over the one basketball someone brought in a mesh bag. If you’re … Read more
Every spring, I get the same question from pool owners across Arizona and Nevada: “Does a solar blanket actually work, or is it just marketing?” I ran my own solar pool cover temperature test last season across three different residential pools — and the results genuinely surprised me. Not because the covers worked, but because … Read more
The first time a guest at one of my resort accounts saw the pool lit up at night, she stopped mid-stride and said, “That looks like something from a magazine.” I had just finished swapping out two aging incandescent fixtures for modern underwater LED pool lights. That moment stuck with me — because up until … Read more
Every spring, I get the same question from pool owners across Arizona and Nevada: “What’s the cheapest way to heat my pool?” I’ve been managing resort and HOA pools for over a decade, and the pool heating cost comparison solar vs heat pump debate comes up more than almost any other topic. The honest answer … Read more
The best above ground pool vacuum you choose will make or break your weekly maintenance routine — and I say that from years of firsthand frustration. Early in my career managing a 14-unit HOA property in Arizona, I watched a homeowner spend 45 minutes dragging a full-size canister vacuum around a 15-foot Intex pool. The … Read more