Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Perfect pool service is not “blue water” and a quick goodbye. Harold Evans joins us to argue for something bigger: water that genuinely feels good, smells clean, and makes people want to be in their pool with their family. We get into why balanced water chemistry matters beyond test results, how LSI affects surfaces and equipment, and why “good-looking” water can still be aggressive if the balance is off.
We also talk about the business side that separates an average route from a great pool service company. Harold makes the case for using enzymes to reduce the oils and organics chlorine struggles with, which can mean less chlorine use and fewer chloramine problems. Then we shift into operations: documentation, photos, and pool route software that create a clean paper trail. If a customer forgets your recommendations or questions your work later, professional records protect your techs and your reputation.
The conversation widens to the pool industry as a whole, including what happened as retail expertise faded at big chains like Leslie’s and why confidence erodes when knowledge disappears. We also face the hard truth about labor: this trade takes real skill across chemistry, plumbing, and electrical work, so wages, training, and job fit have to reflect that reality. If you want to run a pool business you’re proud of, this is a blueprint.
Subscribe for more, share this with a pool pro who needs it, and leave a review telling us what standard you think the industry should be held to.
We sit down with Harold Evans to talk about what excellence actually looks like in a pool service business, from water quality that feels good to systems that protect your company. We push for higher standards in the trade through better chemistry, better documentation, and better pay and training so the industry can keep great people.
• treating pools as an emotional and therapeutic space for families
• prioritizing balanced water chemistry and LSI for comfort and equipment protection
• using enzymes to reduce contaminants and cut down chlorine smell
• raising pride in the pool industry through education and better execution
• documenting every visit with notes and photos to prevent disputes
• using routing and documentation software to run a tighter operation
• training employees with kindness and keeping them through fair structure and pay
• learning from Leslie’s decline and the value of real expertise in the DIY market
• focusing sales energy on customers who value service rather than forcing DIY conversions
Join the pool guy coaching program. Learn more at swimmingpoollearning.com. If you're looking for other podcasts, you can find those by going to my website, swimmingprolearning.com, clicking on the podcast icon on the banner. If you're interested in the coaching program, you can learn more at PoGuyCoaching.com.
Send us Fan Mail (buzzsprout.com/110832/fan_mail/new)
Support the Pool Guy Podcast Show Sponsors!
HASA REWARDS App
hasa.com/hasa-app
The Bottom Feeder. Save $100 with Code: DVB100
store.thebottomfeeder.com
Try Skimmer FREE for 30 days:
getskimmer.com/poolguy
Get UPA Liability Insurance $64 a month! https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBA
Support the show (buzzsprout.com/110832/support)
Thanks for listening, and I hope you find the Podcast helpful! For other free resources to further help you:
Visit my Website: swimmingpoollearning.com
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@SPL
Podcast Site: the-pool-guy-podcast-show.onpodium.com
UPA General Liability Insurance Application: https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBA
Pool Guy Coaching Group
Join an exclusive network of Pool Service Technicians to access the industry’s leading commercial general liability insurance program. Protect your business.
Premium is $64 per month per member (additional $40 for employees and ICs)
$59 per month for Pool Guy coaching Members - join here! patreon.com/poolguycoaching
Limits are $1,000,000 in occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate - Per member limits
[ $1,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 aggregate available for $75 per month ]
$50,000 in HazMat Coverage - clean up on-site or over-the-road
Acid Wash Coverage - Full Limits
Perfect pool service is not “blue water” and a quick goodbye. Harold Evans joins us to argue for something bigger: water that genuinely feels good, smells clean, and makes people want to be in their pool with their family. We get into why balanced water chemistry matters beyond test results, how LSI affects surfaces and equipment, and why “good-looking” water can still be aggressive if the balance is off.
We also talk about the business side that separates an average route from a great pool service company. Harold makes the case for using enzymes to reduce the oils and organics chlorine struggles with, which can mean less chlorine use and fewer chloramine problems. Then we shift into operations: documentation, photos, and pool route software that create a clean paper trail. If a customer forgets your recommendations or questions your work later, professional records protect your techs and your reputation.
The conversation widens to the pool industry as a whole, including what happened as retail expertise faded at big chains like Leslie’s and why confidence erodes when knowledge disappears. We also face the hard truth about labor: this trade takes real skill across chemistry, plumbing, and electrical work, so wages, training, and job fit have to reflect that reality. If you want to run a pool business you’re proud of, this is a blueprint.
Subscribe for more, share this with a pool pro who needs it, and leave a review telling us what standard you think the industry should be held to.
We sit down with Harold Evans to talk about what excellence actually looks like in a pool service business, from water quality that feels good to systems that protect your company. We push for higher standards in the trade through better chemistry, better documentation, and better pay and training so the industry can keep great people.
• treating pools as an emotional and therapeutic space for families
• prioritizing balanced water chemistry and LSI for comfort and equipment protection
• using enzymes to reduce contaminants and cut down chlorine smell
• raising pride in the pool industry through education and better execution
• documenting every visit with notes and photos to prevent disputes
• using routing and documentation software to run a tighter operation
• training employees with kindness and keeping them through fair structure and pay
• learning from Leslie’s decline and the value of real expertise in the DIY market
• focusing sales energy on customers who value service rather than forcing DIY conversions
Join the pool guy coaching program. Learn more at swimmingpoollearning.com. If you're looking for other podcasts, you can find those by going to my website, swimmingprolearning.com, clicking on the podcast icon on the banner. If you're interested in the coaching program, you can learn more at PoGuyCoaching.com.
Send us Fan Mail (buzzsprout.com/110832/fan_mail/new)
Support the Pool Guy Podcast Show Sponsors!
HASA REWARDS App
hasa.com/hasa-app
The Bottom Feeder. Save $100 with Code: DVB100
store.thebottomfeeder.com
Try Skimmer FREE for 30 days:
getskimmer.com/poolguy
Get UPA Liability Insurance $64 a month! https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBA
Support the show (buzzsprout.com/110832/support)
Thanks for listening, and I hope you find the Podcast helpful! For other free resources to further help you:
Visit my Website: swimmingpoollearning.com
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@SPL
Podcast Site: the-pool-guy-podcast-show.onpodium.com
UPA General Liability Insurance Application: https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBA
Pool Guy Coaching Group
Join an exclusive network of Pool Service Technicians to access the industry’s leading commercial general liability insurance program. Protect your business.
Premium is $64 per month per member (additional $40 for employees and ICs)
$59 per month for Pool Guy coaching Members - join here! patreon.com/poolguycoaching
Limits are $1,000,000 in occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate - Per member limits
[ $1,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 aggregate available for $75 per month ]
$50,000 in HazMat Coverage - clean up on-site or over-the-road
Acid Wash Coverage - Full Limits
