The Pool Has Been Sabotaged! episode artwork

EPISODE · May 13, 2026 · 19 MIN

The Pool Has Been Sabotaged!

from The Pool Guy Podcast Show · host David Van Brunt

Your pool problems might not be a “bad product” or a “bad test kit” problem. Sometimes the real issue is simple: the homeowner is unknowingly sabotaging the pool between service visits. We walk through the patterns we see constantly in the field and how they snowball into cloudy water, stubborn algae, and chemistry that never seems to hold.We start with pool filters, because filtration problems hide in plain sight. DE filters get opened with no diatomaceous earth at all, or they get overloaded with way too much DE. Cartridge filters go years without a replacement until the pleats are blown out and the element is basically done. We also talk sand filters, including what happens when someone never backwashes for years and why backwashing too often can actually reduce performance.Then we hit the chemical trap: trichlor tablets and rising cyanuric acid (CYA). When customers run multiple floaters packed with tablets, CYA can climb so high the pool becomes impossible to manage with normal chlorine targets. Finally, we cover the daily-operation sabotages that drive pool pros crazy: consistently low water levels and customers who cut pump runtime to two or four hours a day. We share tools like simple autofill options, plus real strategies to get buy-in, including linking poor circulation to higher chemical cost and even splitting timer schedules to reduce resistance. • Customers cleaning filters without understanding DE dosing and basic filter function• DE filters running with no DE or far too much DE• Cartridge and DE grid replacement neglected for years, causing chronic poor filtration• Sand filters ruined by never backwashing, plus why over-backwashing also hurts performance• Excess trichlor tablet use driving cyanuric acid too high to manage normally• Using the free chlorine to CYA relationship to explain why the pool needs more chlorine• Recommending partial or full drains to reset CYA, TDS, and overall water balance• Low water levels reducing skimming and circulation, plus simple autofill options• Customers cutting pumpSend us Fan MailSupport the Pool Guy Podcast Show Sponsors! HASA https://bit.ly/HASAThe Bottom Feeder. Save $100 with Code: DVB100https://store.thebottomfeeder.com/Try Skimmer FREE for 30 days:https://getskimmer.com/poolguy Get UPA Liability Insurance $64 a month! https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBAPool Guy Coaching: https://bit.ly/40wFE6ySupport the showThanks for listening, and I hope you find the Podcast helpful! For other free resources to further help you:Visit my Website: https://www.swimmingpoollearning.comWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SPLPodcast Site: https://the-pool-guy-podcast-show.onpodium.com/UPA General Liability Insurance Application: https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBAPool Guy Coaching GroupJoin 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! https://www.patreon.com/poolguycoachingLimits 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-roadAcid Wash Coverage - Full Limits

Your pool problems might not be a “bad product” or a “bad test kit” problem. Sometimes the real issue is simple: the homeowner is unknowingly sabotaging the pool between service visits. We walk through the patterns we see constantly in the field and how they snowball into cloudy water, stubborn algae, and chemistry that never seems to hold. We start with pool filters, because filtration problems hide in plain sight. DE filters get opened with no diatomaceous earth at all, or they get overloa...

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The Pool Has Been Sabotaged!

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This episode is 19 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 13, 2026.

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Your pool problems might not be a “bad product” or a “bad test kit” problem. Sometimes the real issue is simple: the homeowner is unknowingly sabotaging the pool between service visits. We walk through the patterns we see constantly in the field and...

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