Features: Pools

by AQUA Editors August 2016

Manufacturers report that anywhere between 80 and 90 percent of pump and motor sales are for the replacement market — an unsurprising estimate given the ratio of existing to new pools at any given time.

With so many pumps replaced each year, and so many service companies relying on pump sales and labor for a large chunk of their annual revenue, it only makes sense to establish practices that both ease the replacement process and ensure the best results in terms of performance and...

by Barrett Kilmer August 2016

What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of a YMCA pool? If it's not piercing lifeguard whistles or the echoing laughter of children, chances are you thought of the smell. Most people call it a "chlorine" smell, but pool pros know it's really caused by chloramines.

Keith Williams is vice president of facilities and properties for the YMCA of Boulder Valley, situated at the base of Colorado's Rocky Mountains. So he knows all about that smell. Six years ago, one...

by AQUA Editors August 2016

An agreement between industry, efficiency proponents, and other interested parties for the first national energy efficiency standards for pool pumps was approved last week by a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) advisory committee.

Based on DOE’s analysis, the standards will save more than 400 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity over 30 years of sales or the equivalent amount of electricity used annually by 37 million U.S. households, making it one of the biggest energy savings...

by Cailley Hammel August 2016

Nicole Ruble was on Facebook in late April when an ad caught her eye. It was promoting a new lead generation service, Pool Service on Demand, that claimed it could help pool businesses land new service customers.

Ruble, sales manager of JFY Pools in Elgin, Ill., was intrigued. But Sean Ruble, her husband and owner of JFY Pools, was uncertain.

"I was the one that was like, 'All right, let's do it, it sounds really interesting,'" Nicole says. "Sean was the one who was a little...

by AQUA Editors July 2016

In accordance with federal legislation which went into effect yesterday, August 1, fines for OSHA infractions by employers nationwide will be raised by 78 percent. The following schedule of fine increases was released by the US Labor Department:

by Eric Herman July 2016

As summer rolls in and temperatures rise, pool professionals in seasonal markets begin turning their attention to ordering winter pool covers — a significant source of income, whether sold in new construction or in the aftermarket.

Interestingly, covers are relatively expensive items that are sold by builders, servicers and retailers alike. And although the selling process unfolds differently in each category, the basic necessity of covering up for winter never really...

by AQUA Editors July 2016

Today, we take on the topic of filter cleaning — how, when, where (well, that's an easy one) and what works best with which filter type. We talked to five seasoned veterans and gathered some of their insights on aquatic filtration. There may be a trick or two here you haven't thought of.

by AQUA Editors July 2016

When training for triathlons at small health club pools, one big hassle is the large number of turns (as many as 80 to 100) it takes to swim a mile. But in the largest pool in the world, just one lap is enough to cover a mile and then some. That's because the world's largest pool — defined as a...

by Barrett Kilmer July 2016

Last fall APSP hired leading consumer research firm Gallup to poll pool owners and non-owners about their attitudes toward its members' products. The company gathered more than 4,000 completed surveys covering a wide range of pool-related issues, including key drivers behind decisions to buy and factors that prevented non-owners from considering pool purchases.

Many results were predictable and positive, such as the value consumers placed on the family togetherness and health...

by AQUA Editors July 2016

The National Plasterers Council recently announced the launch of its new YouTube channel. The content currently includes 13 videos that feature long-time NPC members such as Greg Garret and Alan Smith discussing often-controversial topics including spot etching and plaster-nodule formation.

Assisting in the development of the channel is Randy Beard, a former pool builder and designer turned full-time videographer. According to Beard and the NPC, numerous additional videos are on the...