Monitoring Pool Service (Taylor: house, shop, safe)

[ringler24]

We just purchased our home in October and have maintained the same pool service that the last owners used. Are they supposed to come every week in the winter? I work from home but I haven't seen the pool guy in 5 or 6 weeks. Not to say he hasn't been here, but I feel like I would see him more than not at all. How do you monitor this?

[DetroitN8V]

I get a report with the chemical levels and a picture of the pool each time he services it. The answer to your first question is, yes, they should come every week if that's what you pay them to do.

[ringler24]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

I get a report with the chemical levels and a picture of the pool each time he services it. The answer to your first question is, yes, they should come every week if that's what you pay them to do.

Great! Thank you.

[jnojr]

Originally Posted by ringler24

We just purchased our home in October and have maintained the same pool service that the last owners used. Are they supposed to come every week in the winter? I work from home but I haven't seen the pool guy in 5 or 6 weeks. Not to say he hasn't been here, but I feel like I would see him more than not at all. How do you monitor this?

So, I've heard over and over that pool service can be very flaky around here. Anyone with an old pickup can be a "pool service guy", and they come and go. Our house sat vacant on the market for six months, and when we took possession the pool was green and had tons of problems. The people the sellers paid just took the money and did nothing until they were caught. Our first pool guy was a crook... said he'd replaced the automation main board for $850 when he just replaced a $20 relay, said he's cleaned the filters but didn't (I know because I just did it after replacing a bad pressure gauge, and the new one indicated it was gummed up, and sure enough it hadn't been touched in months!)

IIWY, I'd tell this guy, "I'd appreciate it if you'd knock on the door when you get here or are about to leave, and let me know what the chemical levels looked like, etc." Make sure he knows that silently gliding in and out isn't an option, because then it becomes "OK" to skip just this week, then yeah, I'm sure it's fine, until we get to meh, I'll just take the money until he stops sending it.

Our next door neighbor has used the same guy for 14 years, and has offered his number if I decide to get someone to do the weekly stuff. So far, I'm doing it... it isn't that big a deal. I have a shop right around the corner that'll test the water and tell me what my pool needs. And I trust them, because I brought in one ratty-looking filter canister, assuming they'd sell me four new ones for ~$400, and he said it'll still work, keep using it a little longer. So if they say you need this $20 bottle of chemicals, I'm getting it.

[bgray9]

If it's a possibility, I'd do the basic weekly pool stuff yourself. I came across the website Trouble Free Pools and since then I've done my chemicals, etc. myself and haven't had any troubles with the pool. Basically you test the chemicals yourself with a good test kit (like Taylor, which is much more accurate that the quick test job the pool store does) and then add a little chlorine and/or muratic acid as needed. I test daily in the summer and then weekly this time of year. My experience is Leslie's and others don't get the testing very accurately and try to sell me a bunch of extra chemicals when most of them aren't needed (that's how they make their money). Someone coming once a week just can't do a good a job as checking more often as needed. I can't imagine in the summer only having my pool checked once a week. I hire someone when something more significant needs to be done on the pool. Doing the stuff yourself, if you can, saves money and you get a better balanced pool.

[ringler24]

This is great advice everyone. We are new to owning a pool and honestly just moving and dealing with a total relocation, I've needed someone to just handle the pool for me, but I am open to taking it over ourselves in a few months once we are more settled. I did end up communicating with our pool guy that I would like a weekly update with the chemical levels and a picture of our pool. I am in and out during the day so I don't expect him to knock and speak to me, but I do want confirmation the he has been here.

[DetroitN8V]

Makes sense and I think that's a fair request. The service is so inexpensive that I've never been motivated enough to do it myself and don't plan on doing so. My guy recently got some new software that generates the email report/picture after each servicing.

[fluffythewondercat]

We, too, are new to pool ownership. We took over the pool service guy the previous owners used. I went out and talked to him the first time I saw him. He told me what the service covers and what is extra. He fills out a service slip stating what has been done and leaves it in a safe place on the patio.

So far these guys seem reputable. We are not in residence full-time, so not in the position of being able to service the pool ourselves.

[BigEinAz]

Originally Posted by bgray9

if it's a possibility, i'd do the basic weekly pool stuff yourself. I came across the website trouble free pools and since then i've done my chemicals, etc. Myself and haven't had any troubles with the pool. Basically you test the chemicals yourself with a good test kit (like taylor, which is much more accurate that the quick test job the pool store does) and then add a little chlorine and/or muratic acid as needed. I test daily in the summer and then weekly this time of year. My experience is leslie's and others don't get the testing very accurately and try to sell me a bunch of extra chemicals when most of them aren't needed (that's how they make their money). Someone coming once a week just can't do a good a job as checking more often as needed. I can't imagine in the summer only having my pool checked once a week. I hire someone when something more significant needs to be done on the pool. Doing the stuff yourself, if you can, saves money and you get a better balanced pool.

^^^^^^^^^^
this! TFP is a great resource!

[DetroitN8V]

Sorry to threadjack, but this is sort of on-topic. What’s the consensus on Christmas bonuses for the pool guy? I don’t think I’ve done so before, but as I give them out to others, I wonder if I should. I don’t really know the guy personally and the service is just OK, but the holidays, etc.