What would y'all do??? Unhappy with pool service.

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T

tickingcounter

0
Jun 19, 2013
9
Southern Georgia
Ok. This isn't really necessarily a specific POOL problem but I feel like we are being jerked around. I hope this is the appropriate place to post this also. If not, please let me know and direct me to where I should post.

Last year we had an awesome experience with a pool service... one guy.. who came, got our pool ready within one to two weeks... and never once saw our pool green with his weekly service. So maybe we got spoiled???

Fast forward to this year... the guy completely disappeared :( Can't find him! So we find another pool service advertising in local newspaper. Husband calls, sets up appointment... guy comes out... nice enough... He tells us maybe within 3-4 visits pool might be ready. It's now been three weekends later (and over 4 visits) and we still have no pool to swim in. He maybe comes twice a week. Started telling us he couldn't really tell us when pool would be ready. We were required to pay deposit up front for all the work that would have to be done to get pool started up. This guy makes out like our pool is in terrible condition when the year before it was in worse condition after being unused for one year.

After the visit where he leaves, leaving no instructions, algae floating on top, my husband calls. Tells him pool is cloudy and he wants an exact date when it would be ready and wants to know what he's been doing. He says to call him on this past Monday and let him know if pool is still cloudy. Of course it's still cloudy. My husband tells him he should go ahead and use flucc (I hope I said that right) to clump it up and fall to bottom. He comes yesterday, dumps flucc in, skims, and leaves. Does NOT charge for the visit on invoice but charges for the chemical. Still cloudy today. I have NO water test kit and the guy has given us no information on what our levels are or anything. From our invoices all we can tell is he's shocked the pool, poured algaecide in, and just now put flucc in and of course chlorine tablets. BTW, I hope flucc is the right way to say it and you all understand what I mean. lol.

So now here it is getting closer to weekend and I have this eerie feeling we won't have a pool for a third weekend to swim in. My parents come every weekend and it would be lovely to get to go swimming finally. My husband waited late in the game to get this ball rolling. :(

So here is my question... am I being overbearing or jumping the gun by thinking we just need to suck it up, buy a water kit, and finish it up... and THEN maybe have the guy keep up weekly maintenance if that? The last time we tried to do it ourselves... my husband would go to the pool store... and every single time they would suggest he buy 200$ in chemicals so imagine 200$ every two weeks just about... I kept telling him he was getting screwed. That's why it sat unused for a year because he didn't want to mess with it and I was pregnant. My husband is very busy and we have an 18 month old which is why it's hard to get out and do it ourselves. But dang if I hate paying a lot of money and feeling like I ain't getting my money's worth. Maybe the guy last year spoiled me because he was the best but I really just don't have happy good feelings about this

Thank you all for reading this really long post btw.
 
Pretty simple. Fire him. Hire your friends here! Order one of the test kits recommended in pool school and take control of your own pool. Read through pool school twice and then ask your questions giving the best test results you currently have. Are you using a puck chlorinator?
 
Welcome! :wave:

Order a test kit. Read Pool School. Take control of the pool.

Testing and dosing takes, maybe, 5 minutes a day once the pool is cleared and balanced. For me, brushing and vacuuming is about half an hour a week. Twice a year I mess around for an hour backwashing the filter. That's it.

Here's a breakdown on costs: bbb-saved-me-over-1-400-in-the-first-full-year-t54033.html
 
I agree with Harley and in fact that is what I did. Found this website, read and read and read. Got my own test kit. Fired the pool service company. And have enjoyed well balanced clear water ever since.
 
woodyp said:
Pretty simple. Fire him. Hire your friends here! Order one of the test kits recommended in pool school and take control of your own pool. Read through pool school twice and then ask your questions giving the best test results you currently have. Are you using a puck chlorinator?
Click to expand...

If you mean the thing that floats around and you put the chlorine tablets in (since they look like hockey pucks) yes. We just bought a big tub yesterday in fact.

Already seeing some encouraging messages here. Thanks guys. I'm pricing tests now.
 

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Sent the link to my husband for the Tf100 test kit. Since we signed a contract on top of all this (/facepalm)... we'll have to give the guy 30 days notice along with a reason why to break it and probably some sort of fee.... (/sigh). Not sure how easy that's going to be. :( He had to know we were unhappy after the phone call he got from husband since he didn't charge us for last visit from him.

We are NOT doing this again. Ever.
 
jblizzle said:
There is no "pricing tests" The TF-100 is sold at one place and is the best kit for the best value:
tftestkits.net ... Period. Done. To your door in probably 2-3 days.

Here you can see the comparison of the 2 Recommended Test Kits ... but I wholeheartedly suggest the TF-100.
Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly agree. If you are able, grab the Speedstir, too. Makes testing fun & easy breezy. But then I'm easily amused!
 
Well IMHO you have sufficient reason to fire him and not have to pay a fee. He hasn't cleared your pool, period. That is what you expected and he has not done it.

WIth a little work up front, and 5 minutes or so daily maintenance once you have balanced your water, you will have a beautiful getaway in your own backyard. I wish you luck and I hope you decide to trust the experts on this site to help you through! But, I will say that if you choose to follow the methods taught here, you have to be all in. You can't go back and forth between here and pool stores. You will be so much more confused and conflicted if you do! Good luck!!
 
kdubya815 said:
Well IMHO you have sufficient reason to fire him and not have to pay a fee. He hasn't cleared your pool, period. That is what you expected and he has not done it.

WIth a little work up front, and 5 minutes or so daily maintenance once you have balanced your water, you will have a beautiful getaway in your own backyard. I wish you luck and I hope you decide to trust the experts on this site to help you through! But, I will say that if you choose to follow the methods taught here, you have to be all in. You can't go back and forth between here and pool stores. You will be so much more confused and conflicted if you do! Good luck!!
Click to expand...

You would think right? :\ No, after this... I think we'll just rely on ourselves to do this unless our guy from last year (who was awesome) comes out of hiding.
 
I HAD to go to the pool store because I couldn't find sand anywhere for my sand filter if you can believe that!! That's the ONLY THING I have purchased at a pool store. Here's what I use and where I got it, and what it's for. And it's a heckuva lot cheaper than what you've spent so far this year to have nothing done (that's not condescending, it's meant to be an encouragement that you can do it better yourself):

TF-100 test kit: ordered online from Duraleigh on this site
Pool stabilizer (CYA): Canadian Tire - protects chlorine from burnoff in sunlight
Salt (if you have a salt pool - use regular bleach if you don't): Walmart - allows Salt Water Generator to produce chlorine
Baking soda: Dominion grocery store - used to raise Total Alkalinity
Muriatic acid: Home Hardware - Used to lower pH
20 Mule Team Borax (borates - optional): Dominion grocery store - pH buffer (protects agains fluctuations in pH) - and adds sparkle to the water - and does wonders for my daughter's exzema!!

I think that's it. After just a season of using the BBB method I developed total confidence in maintaining my pool. There were times last season where I went WEEKS without adding anything to the pool (chlorine levels maintained by SWG). I am confident that if I miss a day or 2 or 3 of testing (but I don't) that my pool is in good condition. The daily test consistes of nothing more than testing for chlorine and pH (takes about 3 minutes from the time I grab the test kit to the time I lay it back on the shelf). And really I don't need to test my pH daily. It was locked at 7.5 last season and just did not move! It's awesome, and it's easy. Trust the advice that you will get from this site, and in no time your pool will be FUN and not a BURDEN to maintain. By the way, one time last year we were away for 2 full weeks. I lowered the output on the SWG a little (because the cover would not be coming off in the daytime and therefore less chlorine loss), and when we returned I immediately tested my water and it was PERFECT. This site is amazing. Dig into Pool School and read it. Then read it again. It will start to make sense, and with understanding comes confidence. And I have 100% confidence that you will get there before this season is over!
 
As it relates to the contract, I am not sure if you can get out of it or not...
That said, I would still fire the guy, if you "can't" fire him because of the contract, give him (30) days notice insisting he is not to introduce any product into your pool (you are within your rights to insist upon this, contract or not, 30 day notice and all). He makes his profit on the product. If you insist he quit adding chemicals, he isn't going to want to drive over and look at the water knowing he can't dump product even if you are contractually obligated to allow him for the (30) days. He will want to be spending his time at the homes allowing him to blindly dump in product. Yes if his business is slow he will most likely come through for the (30) days and assess a service call charge, but as long as he isn't dumping product you are ahead of the game because you will have control of your water, very economically.

You can very easily get that water ready. I am a 44 year old woman, working very full time ~ raising children & I was able to sort mine. It requires a test kit ~ they recommend one of the two on this site, which I would like to state I gain nothing by saying you need the kit. When I first started reading here I did wonder are all these folks just trying to shove an unnecessary and what seemed like a pricey test kit, that I didn't really need, down my throat. That is not the case. You need certain data that the kit provides to be able to clean up your pool. It a very simple process that teenagers through the elderly could manage easily, but a kit is required. You'll also need to read pool school and it does seem very confusing, but once you read it through a few times and begin your testing it truly is easy~peasy. A person doesn't need a pool service to have awesome water. The awesome water belongs to people who take control of their pool, monitor what goes into it making the necessary adjustments for it to be first and foremost sanitary with an awesome side of sparkling. It take minutes a day to maintain and the money it saves you will blow your mind, which is kind of a shame to have it blown once you finally have peace of mind, at least as it relates to pool maintenance.

Just to reiterate, get one of the test kits (I went with the TF100), read pool school, follow the methods, post when you have questions (folks here are awesome) and you will be enjoying the cleanest pool you have ever entered in your life, in relatively short order.

Good Luck & please keep us posted.

Edit for spelling*
 

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