Recent CPO class/ pool maintenace debacle/Clorox now 6.0% sodium hypo

[JoyfulNoise]

I usually lose 10-15ppm/month in June/July when the pool heats up, the air is very dry, temps are 105F or higher every day and the weather service classifies the UV index as “extreme”. I’ll usually need to add CYA by mid July or else my stabilizer gets too low and my FC loss rate ticks up.

In the cooler Fall and Winter months, the CYA stays constant.

 

[Steve Bee]

I'm a newb to TFP, but have some knowledge in business models.

As a weekly maintenance, no way. I'm on my 3rd round of proper testing, and I'm barely gaining any time. It takes a good 20-30 minutes still to every test (usually have to do one retest for something) including salt, I am sure others here can rock them out much faster with a speedstir etc. Add cleaning, backwashing (if required), refilling and dosing, depending on the size of the pool, you need a couple of hours for each location. Assume you want to work no more than a 10 hour day, that's maybe 4 pools a day if you don't have a lot of travel time between jobs. Hard work.

I agree with the above, if it was packaged as more of a testing/educator course (up yours CPO!) with maybe specialized services (open, close, treating problems) it could work provided you don't have to spend a boat-load of time on your administration and chasing payments.

I think that model could work, I think a good portion of pool owners likely go to the pool store or have a pool guy because they don't know what to do, and it can be daunting. If you ran a service that you came and did a proper test, left instructions, sold them the pre-portioned chemicals (at a little profit margin for yourself) then you've got a tight little service there.

It's basically the same service the pool store offers you, but 1. you have proper knowledge and 2. you come to them.

Don't direct them here, you'll be out of business it no time

 

[BigRobRN]

I usually lose 10-15ppm/month in June/July when the pool heats up, the air is very dry, temps are 105F or higher every day and the weather service classifies the UV index as “extreme”. I’ll usually need to add CYA by mid July or else my stabilizer gets too low and my FC loss rate ticks up.

In the cooler Fall and Winter months, the CYA stays constant.

I added 4 lbs of stabilizer in late March/early April when it was beginning to warm up. I had my CYA level up to around 60.
I tested today at less than 40, really closer to 30. I like to keep my pool's CYA level around 60-70 with the extreme heat, intense 12+ hrs UV exposure, lots of rain causing my pool to water to escape through an overflow pipe which drains into the drainage ditch behind my house.
So now I will be adding CYA again, in 2 lb increments, to get it up to around 60/70.
I test for CYA once a month.