What should I expect from a pool service?

[giajenx]

Hi - I need help determining if my expectations are too high or too low.

I pay a company $225/month to visit once per week to vacuum, brush and check/adjust chemicals in my pool/spa (chemicals included in price.) I understand that expecting a FULL brushing (as in, every square inch of the surfaces) might not be realistic for that price. But lately I've had to brush green out of the corners, off of skimmer tile, some of the grout and occasionally spots on the wall. I know for a fact he's adding chemicals because it's on the report and I can see him do it. Should I be having to do the brushing?

 

[Dirk]

The green in your pool is from the lack of a proper level of chlorine in the water. It's not about the brushing. It's not realistic to expect a pool to be properly chlorinated by dumping in chlorine only once a week, especially in Texas. And it's going to get much worse come mid-summer. You either need to supplement the chlorine dosing yourself a few times during the week, or fire your pool guys and take over the pool maintenance. Or, install a saltwater generator that would add chlorine automatically to your pool every day. So to answer your question, they're doing what they can do during a once-a-week visit, but once-a-week pool maintenance is not enough when manually dosing with liquid chlorine.

Worse still is if they are using chlorine tabs along with liquid chlorine. That is not a sustainable method of pool care, as it will eventually lead to a green pool and then a large exchange of water to reset the pool's chemistry.

I used to have a pool guy, as many of us here did. I fired them for similar problems you are having and have been much happier since, with much higher water quality now that I am managing it using TFP methods. Consider reading up here on what we teach, and what we all practice. You may find taking care of a pool is easier than you think. I spend about 10 minutes a week doing it, and save myself about a couple grand a year.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Fire the pool guy and apply the saved money towards a SWG. It will pay for itself within 7-8 months and you'll have no algae in the pool if you get it dialed in properly. As Dirk mentioned, your pool guy can't effectively chlorinate to your pool with weekly visits.

 

[Texas Splash]

I will also add that while we ideally recommend owners take care of their own pools, some owners have physical limitations or work scenarios that make it almost impossible. Not sure if that applies to you. If not, then as the others have said above, save your hard-earned $$$ and do it yourself. With a proper test kit (TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C) you would be amazed at the improvement in your water quality and money saved.

When in doubt, review our Pool Care BasicsPool Care BasicsPool Care Basics

 

[Jimrahbe]

G,

You should expect for them to take your money and basically do nothing..

This way you will not be disappointed.

People that know how a pool works would never hire someone else to do the job.

People that do not know how a pool works, don't even know they are being taken for a ride.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jesse-99]

I will also add that while we ideally recommend owners take care of their own pools, some owners have physical limitations or work scenarios that make it almost impossible. Not sure if that applies to you. If not, then as the others have said above, save your hard-earned $$$ and do it yourself. With a proper test kit (TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C) you would be amazed at the improvement in your water quality and money saved.

When in doubt, review our Pool Care BasicsPool Care BasicsPool Care Basics

Really agree with this. Sometimes you just need a pool company to help because a person doesn't have the necessary time with their busy job or home life, or because of physical limitations. That doesn't mean you should trust your pool company 100%, you still need to make sure YOU understand Pool Care Basic and chemicals, etc. so you can verify they are doing what you want them to do, otherwise it's time to find a different pool company. I've fired two pool companies already and am on my third one now, which I'm very happy with overall. They listen, and do what I request, follow the check-list I gave him so things aren't forgotten, and they let me manage the chemicals. It takes a load off of my plate and helps.

 

[Poolbreh]

I’m a pool tech, I would fire me and take care of the pool myself.

 

[giajenx]

Thanks, all. I actually did take care of the pool myself for five years. But I hit some physical challenges and my job got busier, so I hired someone. Yes, he was using both liquid chlorine and tabs together. Ugh. Looks like it's time for me to take it back over. @Rancho Cost-a-Lotta is a SWG the same as converting the entire pool to a salt water pool?

 

[kul]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. You are certainly overpaying for what you are getting. If lugging liquid chlorine is not in the cards, a SWG will be your best bet. And yes, you will need to add salt (potentially) to your pool. How much will be determined by your test results.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

@Rancho Cost-a-Lotta is a SWG the same as converting the entire pool to a salt water pool?

Yes. If you keep the pool guy, he'll have a much easier time managing the pool with the SWG. If you get rid of him, you can more easily manage the pool on your own. You don't say how big your pool is, but SWGs run $1400-$1800 nowadays. If you or someone you know can do basic electrical and PVC plumbing, you won't have to pay for additional installation costs.

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

It sounds like you have algae and will need to follow the SLAM Process to get rid of it. Lets us know if we can help.

 

[Newdude]

a SWG the same as converting the entire pool to a salt water pool?

I want to note that a salt water pool is nothing like anyone expects it to be as 'salt water'. It's just a pool with a skootch more salt than a liquid chlorine dosed pool. Sometimes it's eveb already at 'salt pool' levels, which are 10% of sea water salinity.

Depending on how you look at it, it's at the top threshold of 'fresh water', or the lowest threshold of 'brackish water' and a far cry from 'salt water'

 

[Dirk]

Thanks, all. I actually did take care of the pool myself for five years. But I hit some physical challenges and my job got busier, so I hired someone. Yes, he was using both liquid chlorine and tabs together. Ugh. Looks like it's time for me to take it back over.

Assuming the standard weekly visit, even with a conscientious pool guy, a pool owner shouldn't really think that they don't have to do anything pool ever. Though that is the common misconception.

Even with an SWG, and certainly without one, a week is too long a span of time to ignore a pool. For example, I have an SWG and I generally maintain my pool only once a week, but during swim season I try to check on the pool once a day. I call it a "drive by." I can check that my pump is working, that its basket isn't full, that the filter is OK, that the water is pumping, that my SWG is happy, that my skimmer isn't clogged up and that my vacuum is doing its job, all in the time it takes me to walk around my pool (about 30 seconds). And that's a nice way to start (or end) a work day.

Otherwise, any number of things could go wrong that I don't want a week to go by without knowing about. Dead pump? Clogged filter? Leaking pipes? Etc, etc. Those things (and a lot more) can happen any minute of any day. For example, I found a dead squirrel in my skimmer basket today. Left unnoticed, the idea of my kids swimming in dead squirrel leavings everyday for a week is pretty sickening. That wouldn't be a pool guy's fault (or responsibility), nor equipment failure, just bad luck.

More to the point, if you can't fully maintain a pool yourself, for whatever reason, you should be able to work out a compromise with a pool guy. Do a 30-second "drive by" as often as possible, maybe check your FC and pH halfway between the pool guy's visits, but let him do everything else. You manage the maintenance protocols he is to provide (like "no pucks", for example, or desired pH and FC levels, etc), but he does the bulk of the grunt work (brushing and filter cleaning, lugging chlorine, whatever you don't want to do).

You end up doing way less work than if you had to do everything, but the pool is still being maintained as per your standards (TFP standards). The trick is finding the right guy that will take direction and be able to let go the ego of thinking only his way is the right way. It doesn't have to be all you, or all pool guy, there could be a happy medium.

Just know, no matter how much you automate, or whether you have the best pool guy ever, you'll still have some unavoidable responsibilities if you want a clean and safe pool.

 

[Oly]

This is key to keeping algae in your pool under control...

 

[Decoy205]

That drive by method is definitely my way too. You have to check skimmer, water level, leaks, equipment etc. I’m way too paranoid to let it sit a week.

I know how Murphy’s law works though the one day I don’t check is the day something goes wrong.

 

[Dirk]

I know how Murphy’s law works though the one day I don’t check is the day something goes wrong.

That's a given!

It's a mindset. Is your pool pestering you for 30 seconds a day? Or do you get to enjoy your pool and yard at least once a day, even if for just 30 seconds? If you're like me, sometimes you're too busy to stop and sit by the pool with a cup of coffee or a cocktail, let alone get in and have a nice dip, or g-forbid a little exercise. So consider walking around your pool as the least you can do for yourself during an otherwise stressful day.

 

[Newdude]

 

[Toxophilite]

Next time they come, go out there and ask them politely if you can write down the test results. If like all I've ever seen running though the neighborhoods, they won't even have a test kit on them. They get by for a week by brushing, make sure you have tabs if using, and throw in a pound of shock in hopes to carry over to next visit. If doing correctly, you would have a pool as you expect. Some may, but still, once a week attention is limiting.

 

[Dirk]

If like all I've ever seen running though the neighborhoods, they won't even have a test kit on them.

I remember seeing my pool guys testing (and dumping it back into the pool). But it's hard to imagine why. The FC was always zero and the CH and CYA were off the chart. Gallon of chlorine. Gallon of acid. Feed the tabs. Five minute brushing. Gone.

I couldn't use the pool for a few days after the "service call" because of what it would do to my skin.

Oh, and their solution for dealing with the green wall that would sometimes form? Turn my 2-speed pump up to high on one week, then down to low the next. Scientific!

I say "pool guys" because while there was only one pool guy per visit, it was a constantly revolving cast of nincompoops that never stayed around long enough to learn what my pool needed.