Shocking, I can't believe they continue Slamming me!

[LeimLife]

I spent my first 2 seasons as a pool service tech cleaning nearly 50 pools/spas/fountains each week, testing and treating water, and keeping customers happy. I then aced my NSPF CPO exam before the start of my third season and kept moving along. Now in my 6th season as a pool pro, I have remedied a significant number of chemistry problems. Pools that had water that was green, sometimes even black and nrar festering, were made swimmable within a few days, as little as two days, using standards I was taught and techniques that I have learned. One of these techniques is adding copious amounts of chlorine to the water which seems to be a common technique.

Now I was taught that shocking a pool is a great way to keep water clean and sanitary. That if there is algae present 30ppm of chlorine, a good brushing and an equipment check usually has people swimming in a day or two. Because I deal with up to 10 different pools a day, I don't have time to test the water every 8 hours and add a few ounces of chlorine here and there.

This is the way a pool service operates, and in my time I've never been told that my efforts to make a pool clean and sanitary were fruitless acts, and I have a schedule full of happy customers to prove it. Then, someone on a pool forum jumped all over me saying that what I do is wrong, and even went as far as to tell a person that I was trying to help to not listen to me.

Really? You have dealt with maybe two pools directly in your life, and you're an expert? Sounds to me you've got a deal on Taylor Reagents! Oh, and that whole take 5+ days and test/add chlorine non stop would make me want SLAM my head into the coping for sure! Let's see you SLAM a green pool you've never seen before to crystal clear and balanced in 24 hours! Better get the ole Taylor out and lube the lid hinge cause you're going to wear that bad boy out!

A customer calls up and says they have a green pool. Pools really aren't rocket science, and usually you can trace the problem back to a few things that went wrong. No need for 3 days of conversation regarding the problem, and I don't have time to savor the chlorine smell as I pour in exactly 12.25 oz each day over the next 2 weeks, I want to give a customer a clean and clear pool ASAP.

My methods work, plain and simple. I use Aquatics Industry procedures that take pools from scum filled to sparkling as fast as possible. Yes, there are a few chemicals that if added weekly make the water sparkle and shimmer a little more. But tell me this when was the last time anyone went to the carwash and was satisfied with a dull looking car after the cleaning? Ill give you a minute to catch up now, SLAMMING takes awhile I know.

So here's the bottom line. You, as an avid DIY'er can spend all summer trying to get rid of .00134 ppm of combined chlorine, add ounces of chlorine each day and watch minimal changes take place day after day. Or you can call a pro and have it taken care of in a day or so. But don't talk to me, nor tell others I am offering advice to that I don't know what I am talking about. I have corrected more pool problems in far less time than you could even SLAMM your brain into. I am a pool pro. I am not cheap. I am great at what I do and do a great deal of it. If you are retired with pool in the valley and have nothing else to do, congratulations! SLAMM ON SLAMMER. But don't be SHOCKED if there might be others who can benefit from professional advice, and don't be so cocky as to if you have been through the muck and back.

Enjoy the water!

•Please note: Pools, cars and women will all consume stacks of $ on a regular basis, no matter the make, model, quality or year.•

[Denniswiseman]

What you don't seem to realise is that the majority of people on these sites have had a bad experience with so called expert pool professionals and are looking to maintain there pool themselves because of it.
What they are being offered by the forum is the collective knowledge of thousands of people including pool professionals who have had similar problems and remedies at the minimum expense.
Why not take your time and Slam http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl and make sure you have done a good job yourselve
I have definately been helped many times

[LeimLife]

I would imagine that the people on these sites are under a budget and can't afford to bring in a professional, like the rest of the working class. Maybe some have had a bad experience, or maybe they don't have a good company in their area. Either way, if they are looking for advice and a professional, like myself, offers sound advice it should not be immediately cut down and disregarded.

My approach and direction for getting chemistry corrected is a fast, no nonsense approach that makes pools swimmable in the least amount of time. In my line of work, every pool is broken and all the water is dirty. I had a customer receive some of the advice on these sites, then after he expelled a week of evenings and time spent trying that advice he called me. Two days later he was swimming.

Now I'm not saying the SLAM method doesn't work, and if your bored it's a great way to pass the time. But my advice turns a pool swimmable way faster. And if you live in the great lakes region you would know that our swim season is short and that every day you are not able to swim is a day of fun wasted.

Also, if I were to take my time and SLAM a pool it would cost the customer far more. So I'm not sure how much money the Professionals that SLAM pools charge, but if they aren't rich they probably had to sell their van by now.

In my world, if a pool needs liquid chlorine fed to it daily we install a chemical feed pump. These can be found online for a few hundred dollars, plumbed in easily and even without a thousand dollar Chemical controller will feed a metered amount of liquid chlorine every day. Now I know my time is worth money, and as an owner of a pool so is yours.

Why don't you take some time and read my first post. It will explain things again.

•Please note: Pools, cars and women will all consume stacks of $ on a regular basis, no matter the make, model, quality or year.•

[Denniswiseman]

Believe me with some of my previous problems I would have been glad of a professional but they are very thin in the UK and now I wouldn't entertain one
I read your post
What post started this rant as I'm interested in reading it

[LeimLife]

It was a post regarding black spots in a salt pool on another forum. My professional advice was sound as I have cleared problems like these in many pools. This proven approach was immediately cut down by someone with a link like the one you posted above. I like when many people get together to resolve a concern. But offer your advice and let the owner decide how he wants to approach it.

•Please note: Pools, cars and women will all consume stacks of $ on a regular basis, no matter the make, model, quality or year.•