Talking Pools Podcast

Rudy Stankowitz

If you’ve ever stared at a test kit like it personally insulted your family… welcome home. Talking Pools Podcast is the pool industry’s “pull up a chair” show—part shop talk, part field manual, part therapy session—built for people who actually live on pool decks: commercial operators, service techs, builders, facility managers, and anyone responsible for water that can’t afford to go sideways. The network was created to level up the pool industry with real-world conversations on water chemistry, filtration, troubleshooting, construction, safety, and the business side of keeping pools open and budgets intact.  Here’s the hook: it’s not theory-first. It’s experience-first—a roster of seasoned pros (with 250+ years of combined “been there, fixed that” wisdom) turning complicated problems into practical moves you can use the same day.  And it’s not one voice, one vibe, one corner of the industry: it’s a network of shows designed to reflect how diverse this work really is—different regions, different specialties, different personalities.  Also worth saying out loud: women aren’t “special guests” here—they’re on the mic as hosts, from the beginning, with an intentionally balanced roster.  That matters, because the best ideas in this industry don’t come from one lane—they come from the whole road. If you want a podcast that can make you laugh and make you better at what you do—without pretending the job is easier than it is—Talking Pools is the one you queue up before the first stop, and keep on when the day starts getting weird. 

  1. 23h ago

    Room to Grow: Earning Respect and Looking Beyond LSI

    Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Floc-It Friday with Rudy Stankowitz If we tell people to do better, we have to leave them somewhere to go when they try. After several episodes that stirred up the pool industry, Rudy asks a question that includes himself: Can somebody earn our respect after they’ve lost our approval? From his conversations with Eric Knight to the response surrounding the 14 PSI interviews, Rudy talks about recognizing experience earned through different paths, correcting people without humiliating them, and giving progress a chance without letting anyone off the hook. An announcement isn’t proof of change. What happens in the next difficult interaction matters. Then the conversation turns to water chemistry. Rudy explains why he teaches a preferred operating pH of 7.2–7.6, looking beyond saturation index and chlorine effectiveness. Drawing on published research and his six years studying swimming pool algae and cyanobacteria, he discusses the factors behind that preference, the limits of the evidence, and why the pool in front of you still requires judgment. In this episode: Recognizing professional growth, even when you disagree with someone.Eric Knight, Lauren Broom, and acknowledging the work people put into learning.The 14 PSI conversations, accountability, and rebuilding trust through actions.Helping new technicians ask questions without regretting it.Why Rudy’s preferred pH range considers more than LSI.Copper behavior, iron discoloration, and the distinction between precipitation and corrosion.Rudy’s algae investigations and the biological communities behind visible growth.Why findings about particular cyanobacteria or diatoms need careful interpretation.Disinfection byproduct trade-offs and treatment-specific considerations involving coagulation and ozone.Making recommendations you can explain, monitor, and adjust.Episode chapters 00:03 Can people earn back our respect? 01:57 Disagreement, experience, and recognizing effort 03:34 Eric Knight, Lauren Broom, and making room for learning 05:20 The 14 PSI conversations and expectations for change 08:47 Help one person move forward 11:52 Why Rudy prefers a pH of 7.2–7.6 14:02 Iron, discoloration, and upward pH drift 14:52 Algae research, biological complexity, and treatment trade-offs 21:23 Closing thoughts Chapter times are approximate. The challenge: Explain something. Share a resource. Give someone credit for improving. If you owe an apology, make it without attaching a closing argument. Join the conversation: Send questions and feedback to talkingpools@gmail.com. Content note: Explicit language. Support the show Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media: FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com

    Room to Grow: Earning Respect and Looking Beyond LSI
  2. 1d ago

    When a Free Estimate Becomes Free Consulting

    Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Thursdays with Steve & Wayne You spend hours inspecting a commercial pool, identifying problems, calling suppliers, and building a proposal. Then the customer takes your scope of work to somebody cheaper. Congratulations. You just did their homework for free. This week, Steve and Wayne tackle the cost of giving away your expertise and the uncomfortable question that comes with it: Should pool professionals charge for commercial site visits and proposals? Steve shares a recent bidding experience, the advice he received from a commercial builder, and why being helpful needs some boundaries. The guys also discuss screening prospective customers before getting stuck in traffic, pricing difficult pools, setting expectations with homeowners, and making business decisions around three things: time, money, and energy. Plus, Pat joins the conversation for an insurance discussion about running a business from home, using vehicles for both work and personal errands, and reviewing coverage when your services or route change. In this episode: Chemical handling, protective equipment, and the consequences of getting careless.Wayne’s encouragement to get involved in industry committees and local associations.How Truman’s pool service story prompted Steve to rethink customer conversations about difficult pools.Working with a hotel client to explore a heater schedule and reduce operating costs.Screening residential leads with photos and preliminary pricing.Questions to ask about personal and business insurance coverage.Why selling a route deserves a conversation with your insurance agent.The difference between a service proposal and a paid pool inspection.Setting limits when “a quick question” becomes an unpaid consultation.Paying employees for added responsibility and accounting for time spent sourcing expensive equipment.Episode chapters 00:01 Chemical handling and liability 03:21 Getting involved in the pool industry 05:13 Learning from other Talking Pools hosts 05:53 Difficult pools, pricing, and customer expectations 09:00 Time, money, energy, and a hotel heater project 12:30 Screening leads before making the drive 16:30 Insurance questions with Pat 31:25 When proposals become free consulting 39:21 Inspections, professional boundaries, and client relationships 45:28 Rudy and Eric Knight’s three-part conversation 46:54 Productivity, employee incentives, and equipment sourcing Chapter times are approximate. We want to hear from you: Do you charge for commercial site visits or proposals? Do you credit that fee toward the work if the customer hires you? Send your experience to talkingpools@gmail.com. Also mentioned: Rudy Stankowitz and Eric Knight’s three-part discussion, with two installments on Rule Your Pool and one on Talking Pools. Content note: Explicit language. Support the show Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media: FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com

    When a Free Estimate Becomes Free Consulting
  3. 2d ago

    Hot Tubs Can Kill: Biofilm, Bad Habits & Vacation Rental Risks with Dr. Roy Vore

    Ask a question here That vacation rental has a hot tub. Great. When did somebody last test the water? Natalie Hood welcomes microbiologist Dr. Roy Vore back to the Talking Pools Podcast for part two of their hot tub myth-busting conversation. This time, they get into the plumbing, the maintenance shortcuts, and the uncomfortable questions every service professional and vacation rental owner should be asking. Roy discusses biofilm management, the limits of shocking, and why he considers once-a-week service inadequate for busy vacation rental hot tubs. Natalie also asks the question guaranteed to settle an argument in somebody’s house: Does sitting in a hot tub count as taking a bath? Between the laughs, the conversation gets serious about guest safety, operator responsibility, and charging enough to do the job properly. In this episode: Biofilm inside hot tub plumbing and Roy’s approach to purgingWhat shocking accomplishes and where its usefulness stopsWater replacement, bather load, and total dissolved solidsShowering before soaking and washing swimsuits between usesWhy Roy calls for daily attention at vacation rental hot tubsPseudomonas, Legionella, and the risks discussed in the episodeSkin irritation, chloramines, and that familiar “chlorine smell”Ozone and bromine compatibility concernsWhy an unused hot tub still needs maintenanceTesting, service records, and knowing when to ask for helpEpisode chapters 00:00 What’s hiding in the plumbing? 04:40 Biofilm and hot tub purges 07:23 Can you shock your way out of biofilm? 09:11 Water replacement and service expectations 10:32 Does a hot tub count as a bath? 12:35 Showering before soaking 15:20 Wash your swimsuit 19:59 Testing schedules and vacation rental hot tubs 29:21 Skin sensitivity and disinfection byproducts 34:11 Ozone, chlorine, and bromine 35:48 The neglected hot tub myth 38:39 Preparing a hot tub for arriving guests 41:17 Roy’s final advice for service professionals The takeaway: A hot tub is an amenity that comes with responsibility. Test the water, take the service seriously, and charge for the work it takes. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Support the show Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media: FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com

    Hot Tubs Can Kill: Biofilm, Bad Habits & Vacation Rental Risks with Dr. Roy Vore
  4. 3d ago

    Six Months of Free Pool Service. One Expensive Lesson

    Ask a question here Three raffle entries. One winner. Six months of pool cleaning True wishes he hadn’t given away. This week on Tru in the Loop, True shares how a holiday giveaway landed him a problem pool with relentless debris and a layout that made every visit a headache. The experience changed what he looks for before quoting a new account. Then pool builder Adam joins the conversation to explain how his years on a service route shaped the pools he builds today. From equipment access to return placement, Adam builds with the person maintaining the pool in mind. He also shares how he grew from a teenage pool tech into a business owner overseeing construction and roughly 250 service accounts, and why keeping his maintenance route has helped him weather construction’s slower stretches. Plus, should cleaning algae off the coping be included, charged separately, or handled as goodwill? True weighs the responses and explains why taking care of customers starts with pricing your service correctly. In this episode: Gas Money Monday (Not affiliated with the Talking Pools Podcast) turns one pool pro’s generosity into help for another.The giveaway that became six months of unpaid headaches.Why True now counts and checks return locations before quoting service.Building pools with maintenance and equipment access in mind.Adam’s approach to plumbing upgrades and customer expectations.Creating distinctive pools with Baja shelves and custom spa finishes.Adam’s perspective on contractor credentials, written agreements, and progress payments.Knowing when to hire instead of doing everything yourself.How recurring service revenue supports a construction business.Pricing the little extras without building resentment.Setting phone boundaries so work doesn’t follow you everywhere.A takeaway worth remembering: “Don’t jump over dollars to pick up dimes.” This week’s business tip: Separate your business number from your personal number and establish a cutoff time. Being available to customers shouldn’t mean being on call every waking hour. Sponsor: This episode is brought to you in part by Pool Brain, software built to help pool service businesses operate more efficiently. Listen to Tru in the Loop every Tuesday on the Talking Pools Podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your favorite podcast app. Support the show Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media: FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com

    Six Months of Free Pool Service. One Expensive Lesson
  5. 5d ago

    Pool Standards Stuck in 1989? Inside the AS 3633 Rewrite

    Ask a question here Pool equipment has changed. Water testing has changed. So why has Australia’s pool water quality standard taken so long to catch up? On this episode of Mondays Down Under on the Talking Pools Podcast, Lee Salisbury and Nick welcome Chris Smith from Waterco for a look inside the proposed rewrite of Australian Standard AS 3633. With 42 years in the industry and a seat on the technical committee, Chris explains how the draft came together, why its scope is expanding beyond private pools, and which proposals are generating debate. The conversation tackles filtration, testing, supplementary sanitizers, and the challenge of creating consistency across state health requirements. There’s also a question for every pool business owner: Have the people recommending your products actually used them? In this episode: Chris’s journey from building equipment to chemical training and research.Why retail staff need hands-on experience with green pool cleanups.Reading product labels and catching changes to instructions.Expanding AS 3633 to address residential and public pools.How working groups, technical review, and public comments shape the draft.Australian Standards versus state and local requirements.Professional water testing and the tools technicians use.Proposed testing frequencies, including total alkalinity.Chlorine dioxide and the discussion around supplementary sanitizers.Proposed chlorine limits and the practical challenges of heavy bather loads.Accounting for cold plunges, warmer water, filtration, and equipment response.Episode chapters: 00:12 | Welcome to Mondays Down Under 02:14 | Meet Chris Smith: 42 years in the pool industry 07:05 | Research, product trials, and asking why 08:46 | Get your retail staff out into the field 09:58 | Read the label, even when you know the product 12:35 | Why AS 3633 needed a rewrite 18:49 | Expanding the scope to residential and public pools 24:43 | When standards and local requirements differ 28:22 | What counts as professional water testing? 31:23 | Public comments and evidence behind the proposals 33:24 | The alkalinity testing discussion 34:26 | Chlorine dioxide and supplementary sanitizers 44:27 | Proposed combined chlorine limits 45:25 | Temperature ranges, cold plunges, and sanitizer targets 47:23 | Chlorine limits, bather loads, and equipment capacity About the guest: Chris Smith of Waterco brings experience across pool equipment, water chemistry, training, and product development. He joins the conversation as a participant in the AS 3633 technical committee. This episode discusses draft proposals under review at the time of recording. Proposed values should not be treated as final requirements. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Talking Pools for more conversations from across the pool industry. The Pool Shop Coachan online store offering industry-specific business mentoring, coaching, and training programs Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media: FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com

    Pool Standards Stuck in 1989? Inside the AS 3633 Rewrite
  6. Oct 30

    Same Pool, Different Math: Rudy & Eric Knight, Part 2

    Ask a question here Rudy Stankowitz and Eric Knight of Pool Brain continue their three-part crossover conversation with a question that gets uncomfortable fast: How can the same water readings look balanced in one calculation and aggressive in another? They compare the PHTA/NPC calculation Rudy teaches with the Orenda calculator Eric helped develop, explain where their approaches differ, and discuss what those differences mean when you’re standing beside an actual pool. Then there’s everything your standard test kit might miss, the challenge of managing water between weekly visits, and the difference between teaching someone a range and teaching them how to make a decision. In this episode: Beyond the basic test kit: Sulfates, nitrates, manganese, and what your source-water report can tell you.Cold-plunge testing: Why sample temperature belongs in the conversation.Ranges, alkalinity, and pH: Where Rudy and Eric agree—and where their targets differ.Same readings, different LSI: A comparison of calculation methods, including how they account for CYA and borates.Every pool has an environment: Trees, covers, turbulence, and adapting your approach to the backyard.Seven days between visits: Customer participation, specialty chemicals, and automation across different budgets.Teaching judgment: How to move technicians from memorizing numbers to understanding the pool.Manufacturer education: Bias, transparency, and Eric’s account of how the Orenda calculator evolved.Phosphates and algae: Their role in a service strategy, recurring problems, and the importance of brushing.Salt-cell flakes: Eric challenges a familiar explanation and discusses the testing behind his position..Follow the crossover: Part 1: Rule Your Pool — October 28.Part 2: Talking Pools — this episode.Part 3: Rule Your Pool — November 4, the conclusion.Sponsors featured in this episode: Service Industry News, Pool Brain, Blueray XL, AquaStar Pool Products, and Jack’s Magic. #TalkingPools #RuleYourPool #PoolChemistry #PoolService #LSI #PoolProfessionals Support the show Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media: FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com

    Same Pool, Different Math: Rudy & Eric Knight, Part 2
  7. Oct 29

    Know Your Numbers, Protect Your Business

    Ask a question here Are you making money on every pool, or just staying busy? This week on Thursdays with Wayne & Steve, the guys get back to business basics for pool professionals. Steve explains why knowing your costs, understanding your pricing, and building relationships with reliable subcontractors can make the difference between having a full route and having a profitable business. Steve also shares what his coastal community has been dealing with as storms and beach erosion threaten homes, and he talks candidly about the toll the uncertainty has taken on his mental health. In this episode: Welcoming Truman, host of Tru in the Loop, to the Talking Pools lineupCalculating the real cost of servicing a pool, from chemicals and labor to insurance and transportationHourly pay versus pay per pool when bringing on helpPricing weekly service and accounting for the full yearKnowing when to turn down an account that doesn’t make financial senseWorking with repair and leak-detection specialistsHaving a plan when you encounter equipment you don’t know how to serviceStorm preparation, evacuation plans, and the stress of living with uncertaintyInsurance Interlude: Steve is joined by Pat Grignon to discuss questions pool professionals should ask their insurance agents. They cover potential gaps involving chemical spills, overfilled pools, acid washes, popped pools, and equipment repairs. Coverage depends on the policy, so review your own terms and limits with your agent. Steve also shares a practical tip for reducing the risk of an overfilled pool: a mechanical hose timer that shuts the water off after a set period. Have a topic or question for Wayne and Steve? Email talkingpools@gmail.com. This episode contains adult language. #TalkingPoolsPodcast #ThursdaysWithWayneAndSteve #PoolService #PoolBusiness #PoolProfessionals #PoolServiceInsurance Support the show Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media: FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com

    Know Your Numbers, Protect Your Business
4.7
out of 5
115 Ratings

About

If you’ve ever stared at a test kit like it personally insulted your family… welcome home. Talking Pools Podcast is the pool industry’s “pull up a chair” show—part shop talk, part field manual, part therapy session—built for people who actually live on pool decks: commercial operators, service techs, builders, facility managers, and anyone responsible for water that can’t afford to go sideways. The network was created to level up the pool industry with real-world conversations on water chemistry, filtration, troubleshooting, construction, safety, and the business side of keeping pools open and budgets intact.  Here’s the hook: it’s not theory-first. It’s experience-first—a roster of seasoned pros (with 250+ years of combined “been there, fixed that” wisdom) turning complicated problems into practical moves you can use the same day.  And it’s not one voice, one vibe, one corner of the industry: it’s a network of shows designed to reflect how diverse this work really is—different regions, different specialties, different personalities.  Also worth saying out loud: women aren’t “special guests” here—they’re on the mic as hosts, from the beginning, with an intentionally balanced roster.  That matters, because the best ideas in this industry don’t come from one lane—they come from the whole road. If you want a podcast that can make you laugh and make you better at what you do—without pretending the job is easier than it is—Talking Pools is the one you queue up before the first stop, and keep on when the day starts getting weird. 

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