The Pool Guy Podcast Show
In this podcast I cover everything swimming pool care-related from chemistry to automatic cleaners and equipment. I focus on the pool service side of things and also offer tips to homeowners. There are also some great interviews with guests from inside the industry.
Episodes
1897 episodes
Bob Lowry Breaks Down the Most Powerful Chlorine for Pools
“Liquid chlorine is weak” might be the most expensive pool myth on the internet. We dig into the real meaning of “available chlorine” and why the percentage on the label can mislead you when you compare liquid chlorine to trichlor tablets, dich...
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Season 10
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Episode 1898
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15:24
Bob Lowry Explains Why Some Products Kill Your Pool Chlorine
Zero chlorine is one of those pool problems that feels impossible because you can do everything “right” and still watch your sanitizer disappear. We dig into the real reasons it happens, especially after adding stain removers and sequestering a...
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Season 10
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Episode 1897
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15:57
Hot Tub Care Tips from Bob Lowry: Keep Your Spa Sparkling
Your hot tub can look crystal clear and still be one soak away from smelling “off.” We dig into the real reasons spa water goes sideways and what to do about it, starting with the question everyone asks: bromine vs chlorine. We talk through wha...
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Season 10
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Episode 1896
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15:28
Bob Lowry Explains Why Borates Are a Game-Changer
Your pool can be perfectly chlorinated and still feel like it’s fighting you every week, especially when pH keeps climbing for no obvious reason. We dig into one of the most useful “stability tools” in pool chemistry: borates. Along with indust...
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Season 10
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Episode 1895
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20:17
Bottom Feeder vs Shrimp: Which Pool Vacuum Wins?
If you’ve been staring at the Bottom Feeder and the Shrimp Cleaner wondering which cordless pool vacuum actually belongs on your pool service route, I break it down in practical, technician-first terms. These are both pro-focused, battery-power...
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Season 10
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Episode 1894
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20:36
Adding Salt to Your Pool? Don’t Make These Mistakes!
If you’ve ever converted a chlorine pool to salt and immediately regretted it, the problem usually isn’t the salt system. It’s the startup. We break down a practical, step-by-step salt pool startup process that helps you avoid the two headaches...
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Season 10
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Episode 1893
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20:22
5-Star or Bust: Protect Your Business Reputation
A 3.8 rating can quietly kill your phone before you ever know why. When people search for a pool service, they do what we all do with restaurants and hotels: they sort by stars, skim a few reviews, and move on fast. That’s why your online reput...
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Season 10
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Episode 1892
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21:45
Bottom Feeder Cartridge: Dirt Gone in Minutes!
Manual vacuuming is one of those “just part of the job” tasks that quietly eats your day, especially when you’re chasing fine dust that keeps slipping through a vac bag. I’m revisiting a tool that’s been getting a lot of attention from pool ser...
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Season 10
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Episode 1891
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19:28
Wait… Is This Normal in Your Pool?
Your pool can look perfect and still be one bad day away from turning. We dig into the “normal vs not normal” moments that confuse pool owners and even trip up seasoned techs, starting with the big one: chlorine that disappears overnight. When ...
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Season 10
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Episode 1890
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19:08
Quick & Easy Pool Skimming Hacks You Need
Leaves don’t just clutter the surface; they choke flow, stall cleaners, and push water chemistry off a cliff. We tackle the leaf problem at the source, sharing the exact tools and tweaks that keep debris moving into capture zones before it ever...
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Season 10
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Episode 1889
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19:18
Pool Questions Answered: Tricks, Tips & Truths
Stuck with a pool that reads sky-high stabilizer and can’t be drained? We break down a step-by-step plan to bring control back fast: how to verify overrange CYA with simple dilution tests, when to abandon trichlor, and the exact chlorine target...
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Season 10
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Episode 1888
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19:58
When the Pool Route Falls Apart
Bad days on the route don’t send a calendar invite; they just show up. We’re pulling back the curtain on the moments that derail a service day and the practical systems that stop them from turning into disasters. From a pool left in spa mode fo...
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Season 10
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Episode 1887
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20:24
The True Cost of Being a Pool Guy
Ever been told, “You’re only here 15 minutes—why so much?” We pull back the curtain on what it truly costs to run a professional pool service and why a short visit doesn’t equal a small bill. From insurance layers to payroll math, this conversa...
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Season 10
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Episode 1886
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18:24
Pool Service Knowledge Every Tech Should Know – Vol 2
The hardest pool problems aren’t always in the manual—they show up on the pad when the water won’t move, the lid won’t budge, and the cleaner sits still like a lawn ornament. We dig into the field fixes that save your day and your lungs, starti...
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Season 10
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Episode 1885
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18:03
Lose a Few, Earn More: Smart Pricing Strategy
Prices are rising, but your margins don’t have to suffer. We share a straightforward playbook for pool service pros to raise rates with confidence, keep client trust, and improve the health of your route. It starts with two paths: a respectful,...
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Season 10
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Episode 1884
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20:28
Calcium Buildup: The Truth About Pool Tile Scale
White crust tracing your waterline or caking your spa spillway isn’t a mystery—it’s chemistry meeting heat and evaporation. We unpack what’s actually sticking to your tile, how to tell calcium carbonate from calcium silicate with a quick acid t...
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Season 10
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Episode 1883
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19:47
Pool Safety Alert: Chemical Hazards You Must Know
A clean pool should never cost a pair of lungs or a blown-up skimmer. We take you straight into the chemistry that turns everyday products into hazards—how waterlogged trichlor creates choking fumes, why a puck in the skimmer sends an acid slug...
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Season 10
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Episode 1882
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18:39
War, Oil Prices, and Your Pool Route
When fuel prices climb and headlines turn gloomy, every pallet of chemicals, o-rings, and test kits you buy gets more expensive—and that cost lands squarely on your route. We peel back the layers of how inflation really moves through suppliers,...
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Season 10
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Episode 1881
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18:23
Microns & PPM: The Invisible World Inside Your Pool
Ever wonder why your pool still looks hazy even after a long vacuum session? We unpack the tiny measurements that control big results: microns, which decide what your filter or cleaner can actually catch, and parts per million, which reveals ho...
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Season 10
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Episode 1880
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18:51
Pool Heating Showdown: Gas, Electric, or Hybrid?
Want your spa hot in 25 minutes or your pool warm all season without crushing bills? We break down the real differences between gas heaters and heat pumps so you can pick with confidence. From wiring needs and gas line runs to BTU sizing and ac...
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Season 10
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Episode 1879
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19:12
Why Some Pool Pros Choose Comfort Over Growth
Growth sounds glamorous until the math, the hiring headache, and your calendar disagree. We dig into the real choices pool pros face: stay a sharp, profitable single poler or build a team and chase scale. Along the way, we unpack why the labor ...
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Season 10
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Episode 1878
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17:59
The Dark Side of Pools: Black Algae Survival Tactics
Black algae has a way of making even well‑kept pools look defeated. We dig into what it really is—cyanobacteria protected by a stubborn biofilm—why it laughs at normal chlorine levels, and how it burrows into plaster and Pebble Tec where a quic...
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Season 10
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Episode 1877
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18:17
DE Filter Problems? Here’s How to Fix Them
Tired of DE cleanings that turn into all-day projects and callbacks? We dive straight into the realities of servicing DE filters on a busy pool route and share a field-tested system that saves time, protects your back, and stops fresh powder fr...
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Season 10
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Episode 1876
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21:10
Best Tools for Pool Dirt Cleanup
Dust doesn’t just cloud water; it wrecks schedules, clogs filters, and turns simple visits into expensive marathons. We break down three battle-tested ways to remove heavy dirt loads without touching the customer’s equipment, so you protect pum...
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Season 10
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Episode 1875
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17:47
Scale or Corrosion: The Silent Destroyers of Pools
Ever run your hand across pool coping and feel sandpaper? That texture tells a story about water that’s either starving for calcium or dumping it everywhere. We take you inside the Langelier Saturation Index—the tool that predicts whether your ...
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Season 10
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Episode 1874
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20:03
