Guides
Straight answers
No upsell theatre. What goes wrong, why it goes wrong, and which shortcuts cost more than they save.
The library
What we get called about most
Each guide takes one common assumption and tests it against what we actually find on site.
- WATER TESTING5 min
Why your chlorine won't hold
You keep adding chlorine and it keeps disappearing. It is almost never the chlorine. Here is what is actually going on.
Read the guide - GREEN POOL5 min
Green pool recovery versus regular servicing
A pool left a fortnight in a Sydney summer goes green. What recovery actually involves, and why it costs several times what upkeep does.
Read the guide - REGULAR SERVICING4 min
What a pool service should actually include
Some pool services are twenty minutes of skimming and a wave. Here is what you should be getting for your money.
Read the guide - EQUIPMENT4 min
Salt pools: what people get wrong
A salt pool is still a chlorine pool — the cell just makes the chlorine for you. Knowing that explains most of the problems salt pool owners run into.
Read the guide - INSPECTIONS6 min
Buying a house with a pool
A pool can look fine on inspection day and still be thousands away from working properly. Here is what to check before you sign anything.
Read the guide - INSPECTIONS7 min
Pool fence rules in NSW
Every pool in NSW has to be registered, fenced to a standard, and certified before you sell or rent. Here is what the rules ask for, in plain words.
Read the guide - EQUIPMENT6 min
What a pool pump costs to run
The pump is usually the second biggest power user in a house with a pool. Here is what the running cost actually comes from, and when replacing one pays for itself.
Read the guide - WATER TESTING8 min
What pool chemicals actually do
Chlorine, acid, buffer, stabiliser and salt. What each one is for, how they work together, and why pH quietly decides whether any of it works.
Read the guide - WATER TESTING6 min
Red eyes, itchy skin and the chlorine smell
The strong chlorine smell at a pool is not too much chlorine. It usually means the opposite. Here is what is really irritating you, and how it gets fixed.
Read the guide - GREEN POOL7 min
What the colour of your pool is telling you
Green, cloudy, milky, brown or stained. Each one points at something different, and two of them are not algae at all. How to tell which you have.
Read the guide - REGULAR SERVICING7 min
What regular pool maintenance actually means
Most people think pool maintenance is skimming and chlorine. The real job is keeping the water stable so nothing has to be rescued later.
Read the guide - REGULAR SERVICING6 min
How often should a pool be serviced?
Fortnightly is the usual answer, but it depends on trees, sun, how hard the pool gets used and what it is made of. Here is how to work out yours.
Read the guide - EQUIPMENT9 min
Pool equipment explained
Filters, pumps, lights, heating and covers. What each one does, what the real differences are, and which ones are worth spending money on.
Read the guide
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