Ask a question here
🚨 Warning: This episode contains intentionally abrasive commentary and strong language.Most Talking Pools questions come from pool service professionals. This week, Rudy clears the inbox of questions submitted by pool owners—and provides pool pros with a little emotional support in the process.
Why is the pool consuming so much chlorine? Why did it turn green after the technician left? Should the pump run longer during extreme heat? Why does a saltwater pool still need chlorine? Are chemicals, brushing, filter cleaning, equipment repairs, storm recovery, and emergency duck removal included in the monthly price?
The short answer: read your service agreement, communicate with your pool professional, and remember that weekly service means someone visits once every seven days. It does not mean the technician secretly lives inside the filter, guarding your chlorine around the clock.
Rudy tackles common homeowner questions with practical answers, pool chemistry, and the appropriate amount of profanity. He explains why heat, sunlight, swimmers, storms, landscaping, aging equipment, and a 30-person backyard party can create problems that no technician could prevent during one weekly visit.
Before getting to the pool questions, Rudy also examines gossip, fake intimacy, and the relationship between the “shit talker” and the “shit bucket.” If someone constantly talks to you about everyone else, you are not part of a protected inner circle—you are simply today’s audience and tomorrow’s material.
Topics discussed include:
- Why successful people rarely waste time talking behind your backHow gossip creates counterfeit intimacyThe relationship between the shit talker and the shit bucketWhy chlorine demand increases during extreme heatHow swimmers, sunscreen, sweat, debris, and sunlight consume chlorineRunning pool pumps during unusually warm weatherWhy pools become cloudy or green after heavy rainPreparing a swimming pool before and after a major stormPreventing algae from returning during extreme heatWhy saltwater chlorine generators sometimes cannot keep upHow to determine the correct salt-cell output percentageDiagnosing a dirty, undersized, or worn-out salt cellWhy saltwater pools may still require manually added chlorineWhether saltwater pools need to be shockedThe real cost of converting a pool to saltReducing the electrical cost of pool circulationWhat weekly pool service actually meansChemicals included with service versus chemicals billed separatelyWhether technicians should provide complete test resultsBrushing schedules and complicated pool designsHow often filters should be cleanedWho is responsible when aging pool equipment failsWhy specialty chemicals may result in additional chargesVerifying training, certification, licensing, and insuranceThe difference between maintenance companies and repair companiesWhether homeowners should expect the same technician every weekAdditional service following storms, parties, equipment failures, and extreme weatherTemporary treatments versus correcting the underlying causeHow homeowners can evaluate whether a recommended repair is necessary
Pool owners should ask questions, request readings, review photographs, understand the diagnosis, and learn what their service plan includes. What they should not do is assume one weekly visit creates a protective dome capable of repelling rain, pollen, equipment failure, fertilizer, sunscreen, relatives, and urine.
Have a question for Rudy or the Talking Pools Podcast team? Email talkingpools@gmail.com.
Support the show
Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:
- FacebookInstagramTik Tok
Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com