Pool Chemistry and Maintenance From a Backyard Pool Owner
Nadia Caldwell · October 23, 2026
Every spring (and honestly, most of the year in the desert) someone tells me the same story. They shocked the pool on Saturday, the water looked perfect Sunday morning, and by the following Wednesday there’s that same dull yellow-brown film creeping back along the shady wall. Their conclusion is always the same: “The chlorine must … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · October 15, 2026
Pool pump cavitation damages your impeller fast. Learn what causes that choking sound and how to fix low water, clogged baskets, and leaky intake lines.
Nadia Caldwell · July 15, 2026
It’s July in Scottsdale. You went to bed last night with a crystal-clear pool, and you woke up to what looks like a swamp. I’ve been there—actually, I’ve seen enough pools around the Southwest to tell you that this scenario plays out almost weekly during monsoon season. The worst part? That panic moment when you … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · July 14, 2026
A neighbor called me in a panic last summer after their pool had been shocked three separate times within fourteen days. They’d scrubbed surfaces, run extended backwash cycles, and introduced algaecide in quantities that seemed excessive even for a serious bloom. The greenish cast remained stubbornly present. Recognizing this pattern? When your algae treatment efforts … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · July 11, 2026
A neighbour called me in a full panic last summer. Her 25,000-gallon pool had turned into something resembling swamp water between sunset and sunrise, and the family was expecting people over at noon. I asked three straightforward diagnostic questions, pinpointed the issue in under 120 seconds, and walked her through a complete fix that same … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · June 27, 2026
Over fifteen-plus years of chasing pool chemistry around the Southwest — the distress call that lands most often in my inbox follows the same script: “Nadia, I shocked the pool last night the way I always do, and by morning the entire floor and walls are covered in these awful brown and green stains. I’ve … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · June 24, 2026
Late April arrives, you pull the winter cover back, and what greets you resembles pond water thick enough to stand a brush in. The pool you winterized in November with flawless water balance has transformed into a brackish, opaque mess, and now you’re calculating whether to surrender $800 to a professional crew. Hold that thought. … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · June 22, 2026
The waterline sits where it always has — except it doesn’t. You notice it while testing pH near the skimmer, or maybe you catch it when you’re adjusting the chlorinator. The mark on the tile, the one you’d swear was higher last week, keeps creeping downward. In all my years chasing water chemistry around Arizona … Read more