Pool Chemistry and Maintenance From a CPO
Nadia Caldwell · July 13, 2026
The phone rings in July, and it’s always the same story: “My above-ground pool turned green overnight, and I swear I’m doing everything the manual says.” I ask a few questions about their routine, and the culprit emerges almost immediately — they’ve lifted their maintenance strategy straight from in-ground pool playbooks. That approach fails spectacularly … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · July 13, 2026
What’s actually stopping your pool from clearing up when algae blooms hit? Odds are strong it’s not your chlorine dose — it’s the brush you’re holding. Picture this instead: it’s dawn on a Tuesday at a 75,000-gallon resort property outside Phoenix, and the shallow end’s concrete steps have developed a yellowish-green film thick enough to … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · July 10, 2026
Dawn breaks at 7 a.m., and your pool’s surface has become a landing pad for an entire oak tree worth of branches and leaves. You reach for that threadbare skimmer net—the one that came vacuum-sealed to your telescoping pole back when you first set up—and you start dragging it across the water. It collects maybe … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · July 5, 2026
Saltwater generators do not eliminate chlorine—they manufacture it on-site, which is a crucial distinction most pool owners miss until their water goes cloudy. Understanding this fact before you commit to either system will save you months of frustration and hundreds of dollars in wasted chemicals. What I use on my pool: Stops weekly chlorine runs … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · July 1, 2026
Back in spring, I’d arrive at one of my HOA pool properties to witness the identical scene unfolding: a brilliantly clear pool surface completely blanketed under a thick coating of yellow pine pollen, accompanied by a homeowner gripping a skimmer net with the expression of someone who’d personally declared war on the local tree canopy. … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · June 29, 2026
No product manual spells this out, and the guy behind the counter at your pool supply won’t mention it either: the cleaner type you buy determines whether your pump stays healthy, your filter lasts a full season, and whether fine sediment actually leaves the water or just circulates through your system indefinitely. I discovered this … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · June 26, 2026
Around this time each year, I field a familiar type of call from someone who installed an above-ground pool during the previous warm months. The message is usually some variation of “I was told this would be straightforward” and concludes with me walking them through a murky-brown water emergency, a liner that appears aged beyond … Read more
Nadia Caldwell · June 20, 2026
A call comes through my phone roughly once every season from someone in property management or running an HOA — voice tight with concern: “Nadia, there’s this cracked stone border around the pool and water’s somehow getting behind it — what is that thing supposed to be?” Fifteen years of managing aquatic facilities across Arizona … Read more