Taking the plunge and deciding to build a pool on your property is a huge decision, and, yes, that decision will require a large investment. When hiring a builder, ask questions and seek to understand in great detail what exactly it is that you’re buying. The more you know about what it takes to [...]
A number of features can add tremendous value to a swimming pool. For example, anyone who’s been reading these discussions should know by now that I’m a huge proponent of modern water treatment technology and equally passionate about proper hydraulics, circulation, filtration, and automated controls. I love LED lights and durable polished aggregate finishes, [...]
One of the key distinctions of professional water quality management is that it’s based on preventive planning instead of reactive crisis response. When applied correctly, the science and the art of water quality management are ultimately about avoiding problems before they happen, not after the fact. Or at least they should be. Sounds simple [...]
One of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of widespread acceptance of advanced water treatment technology — and indeed the entire approach to water quality management — is price. It’s a familiar refrain heard for as long as I can remember in this industry, and many other types of businesses: too many property [...]
Designing and building aquatic environments is always a matter of balancing aesthetics and function. Part of that challenge is simply deciding where to place the equipment. Fact is, pool equipment—with all the pipes, valves, conduits, and industrial-looking components—is not pleasing to the eye. Unless you’re fond of the appearance of machinery, equipment sets are [...]
Pool and spa service may not be the most glamorous job, but for those of us who’ve made it our profession, it can be nothing short of an art form. The work involves a variety of interrelated tasks and goals that require consistent and careful attention. There’s chemistry, hydraulics, mechanics, problem solving, customer relations, [...]
For the past few years, the aquatics industry has adopted a new concept known as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). The term, which was first coined in 1987 by research scientist William Glaze, refers to a set of chemical reactions that produce a chemical species known as hydroxyl radicals (OH) or sometimes incorrectly referred to [...]
I’d like to ask a provocative question: have swimming pools become obsolete? That might seem surprising coming from an aquatic professional who earns his living in the pool/spa/aquatics industry, and it’s a question I’ve never heard from any other professional, or consumer for that matter. Yet, I think it’s something worth considering as we [...]
Within the profession of water-quality management, there are several subcategories of expertise needed in order to be effective. One of the most important is how to manage and maintain mineral balance in water. “Balanced water” means water that is in a state of equilibrium. All water contains minerals, chiefly calcium, but many others as [...]
The interior surface is a swimming pool’s largest and most important aesthetic feature. Surfaces are responsible for the pool’s appearance and also for bather comfort. A “healthy” surface will give you years of visual enjoyment and tactile pleasure when you’re in the water, and on top of that, it helps the pool remain watertight. [...]
