When swimming season comes to an end, properly closing your pool for winter is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your investment. Winter weather, freezing temperatures, and months of inactivity can take a toll on pool equipment, plumbing, and water quality if the right precautions aren't taken.

Every spring, hotel, apartment, HOA, and public pool operators face the same challenge: a yellow or green film coating the water's surface. Whether it's tree pollen, grass pollen, or another seasonal source, pollen can quickly make an otherwise well-maintained pool look neglected.

Yup, it is that time of year again. The Holidays, travel, and cold weather have arrived. It is also the ski and snowboarding season. What does this mean to you as a commercial spa or hot tub operator? More than usual use of your facility’s indoor pool and especially the hot tub. Because of the higher temps, this smaller vessel is literally a breeding ground for death.

Maintaining balanced pool chemistry in commercial and public facilities is about water clarity, regulatory compliance, swimmer safety, pool reputation, and operational efficiency. In other words, it’s everythingfor your business.

Conditioner. Stabilizer. These are other names for a chemical called Cyanuric Acid. What is it? Do we need it? What are the ups and downs? Let’s talk CYA.

Isn’t it the absolute worst to come to check on your pool and you can’t see the bottom due to cloudiness? Not only is this illegal for safety reasons (the main drain MUST be visible), but it means something isn’t right with the water. It also makes the pool unappealing to clients and guests. There are many reasons this could occur. Let’s talk about a few.

Health Department inspections are required for almost all public and commercial pools. No one likes being inspected and most inspectors appreciate anything you can do to make it easier and faster for them to be in and out of your property as quickly as possible.

I am not only a Certified Pool and Spa Operator, but a Certified Algae Prevention and Eradication Specialist. I went to www.cpoclass.com to get my certification and will be referencing the accommodating textbook, “How to Get Rid of and Prevent Swimming Pool Algae”. Both of these are by Rudy Stankowitz.

We all use sanitizer to keep our bodies of water safe. Chlorine is the most widely used form of sanitation. It is available in granular, liquid, and tablet form. Some of us may manually add it while others have chemical feeders. There comes a time in every pool operator’s life when we need to shock, or oxidize, our pools and such. How do we know whether we need a chlorine shock or a non-chlorine...

When you’re testing pool water multiple times a day–especially across multiple locations and aquatic facilities–the details matter. Not to mention, because your guests’ health and safety, and your pool’s reputation and business depend on it.