Starting Up

[Noles1724]

Hey Guys (and gals?),

I'm looking to get out of the corporate grind and have been exploring different escape routes when I got the idea of getting into the pool cleaning business. I have a few friends that are doing it so I figured if they can do it then I could.. only difference is they have experience and I don't. I have discovered that the start up cost is relatively cheap in terms of starting a business. I consider myself relatively smart so I'm not to concerned about the learning curve as I plan to take a certification course also.

I know that this business is like any other skill which requires time to obtain all of the ins and outs that come with this line of work. I also have a family and make to much money now to just quit my job, so to hop into the pool business without a safety net would just be silly.

My goal is to pick up an account here and there until my route forces me to become full time. I work from home currently so I have until 9am to knock out a couple of pools each day and any accounts that may be ok with weekend cleanings too. My wife is on board with this idea but she's looking for some concrete numbers on a spreadsheet that can justify this idea.

So my question to the vets here are what materials, chemically speaking, should I focus on? Are there brands that are better than others? Not really sure what other questions to ask here as I am green but anything that could help a brother out would be great.

Thanks!

[LegsOnEarth]

I may catch some flak here for suggestiong this, but one of the best ways to start up in my opinion is to get your CPO certification. Information on classes in your area can be found here.

The basic CPO program will go a long way towards giving you a general and well rounded education about how a pool system works, both mechanically and chemically. It will also place you leagues above the majority of other "fly by night" pool guys that had a similiar revalation to the one you are currently experiencing (no offense, but getting into the business is easy, but the result is a vast majority of poorly educated "Johnny one trucks").

Other important things you should be researching are the exact type of business licenses and insurances required for your area. You are going to be responsible (and liable) for everything you touch, and a wise consumer will not let anyone without paperwork into their backyard. You are basically a small business man first, everything else second.

If your thought is that you are going to be taking an easier carrier path, I would strongly suggest you reconsider. Be prepared to work long hours for unreasonable people doing hard, manual labor for 8 -10 hours a day in the heat of summer. There's a deceptive amount of lifting invovled, and anyone who has had the pleasure of disassembling a Sta-Rite System 3 500sq ft filter and humping the massive outer cartridge out of the tank to the nearest hose knows what I'm talking about.

I don't really want to "scare" you so much as make sure you don't get into something you are completely unprepared for. Definately read the forum here, because there is a lot of excellent information on chemicals and we are very helpful, responsive people that can usually coach you through issues. It is wise to do as much reading as you can on your own first.

As to materials you will need, start with a dependable pick up truck. If you don't have that forget the whole thing. You will also need to find a distributor in your area to sign up with if you want to get parts and chemicals and tools for a reasonable (read: not retail) price. That will require you to have a business/contractor liscence in most cases, so there are several ducks for you to get in a row before your pole ever touches water.

Hopefully this is helpful!

[Noles1724]

Thanks for the insight. My "first" step is going to be to get CPO certified and the hard work doesn't scare me. I worked construction for multiple years so I can handle all that good stuff. I just can't wait to get my first account and focusing on learning on the job.

Is there such a thing as a "standard" or "typical" pool that would require "standard" chems? My thought is to find a nice, easy, safe pool to start with and go from there.. in a perfect world

I'm in FL btw so this would be a full time gig and not seasonal.

[waterbear]

The CPO course is a good start but there is a LOT of misinformation that is still a part of that course! As far as a 'standard' pool, no such animal. Two identical pools, side by side, could have different chemical requirements. In Florida (my state also) you will have a lot of pools on SWGCs (salt water chlorine generators) which require an understanding of what is ACTUALLY going on (not what the manufacturer tells you is going on ) with the water chemistry. You have a lot of pools on liquid chlorine (which is problematic for once a week dosing but it can be done and is actually my preferred method--two ways to approach this--either leave chlorine and instruct the owner to add a certain amount every so often to maintain the pool, which works if the owner will do this OR use a very high CYA level and bring the FC level up high and let is gradually fall during the week --this is similar to how gas chlorinators do pools), and the rest will be on trichlor tablets (which is not a good choice for Florida since we do not winterize pools here and the pools quickly become overstabilized, particularly if they have a cartridge or bump type DE filter). Pool automation has also become much more common in Florida and many pools have attached spill over spas, negative edges, and water features which make pH control problematic (and the fact that the main cause of pH rise in any pool that does not have new, curing plaster is outgassing of CO2 is NOT taught in CPO classes).

Most of the pools you encounter will be plaster, with fiberglass running second. Inground vinyl pools are not as common in Florida but they do exist. There are differences in how the water is cared for (and the surface of the pool also) with each that you have to learn, once again, not really covered in CPO courses.

As far as chemicals go here is the short list of what you will need:

chlorine (unless you find a pool on bromine, which is a different animal entirely--the chemistry is very different--bromine won't be found on an outdoor pool but might be on an indoor one)

There are two general types of chlorine--stabilized (chlorinated isocyanruates) and unstabilized (hypochlorites)

Stabilized chlorine is made from cyanuric acid (prevents chlorine loss from UV light) and chlorine. When the chlorine is used up the stabilizer (CYA, cyanuric acid) stays in the pool water. Eventually the pool becomes overstabilzed and the CYA inhibits the chlorine. In Florida this happens fairly quickly. The pool then needs to be partially drained and refilled to reduce the CYA level. Chlorine tablets used in feeders and floaters are stabilized chlorine (since it is the only form of chlorine that dissolves slow enough to be used in this way). Stabilized chlorine products are net acidic on use (acidic on addition and acidic reaction when the chlorine is 'used up') so they require a higher TA.

Unstabilized chlorine are the hypochlorites, sodium (liquid chlorine or 'bleach' since it is identical to laundry bleach except that it is usually, but not always, stronger) which is economical but you do have to lug carboys of liquid around and it will lose strength as it becomes old, calcium (cal hypo,a slow to dissolve powder which will also increase calcium hardness( which may or may not be OK and if used improperly can cloud the water and cause calcium to precipitate out and TA to drop), lithium which is a fast dissolving powder but is the most expensive form of chlorine you can use

All the hypochlorites are basically pH neutral on use (alkaline on addition but acidic as the chlorine is 'used up') so they require a lower TA for pH stability to minimize the outgassing of CO2

In Florida, the use of sodium hypochlorite (liquid chlorine) is extremely common and the least problematic. It is generally available throughout the state. You don't want to store it in the sun and heat and you want to buy small quantities often. Most suppliers sell it in refillable carboys (you either buy the carboys or pay a deposit) and then you just drop off the empties and pick up full ones and just pay for the chlorine. If you have a big route and go through a lot of the stuff you could also get 25 or 50 gallon container for your truck and have it filled weekly.

ALL forms of chlorine on your truck MUST be kept away from all the other pool chemicals or dangerous things can happen and kill you!!!!!!

muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid 20 baume)--lowers pH and lowers TA YOU DO NOT WANT TO STAND DOWNWIND OF THIS WHEN USING IT AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES LET IT MIX IN CONCENTRATED FORM WITH ANY CHLORINE SOURCE. RUBBER GLOVES AND GOGGLES ARE A GOOD IDEA!

soda ash (sodium carbonate, washing soda)--raises BOTH pH and TA at same time

borax (sodium tetraborate)--used in two different ways--it can be used to raise pH with minimal impact on TA and, when added at a concentration of 50 ppm, has pH buffering and algaestatic properties that are very useful in salt pools, pools with a lot of water features or negative edges to help slow pH rise that is inevitable with these pools. It is also useful in pools that have frequent outbreaks of mustard algae or pools on liquid chlorine that is only being dosed weekly. There are commercial borate products available at the supply stores but a general hint is sodium tetraborate is sodium tetraborate and the only difference between the pentahydrate form sold at the supplers and the decahydrate form sold at the grocery store is that the pentahydrate needs a bit less by weight for the same final borate concentraion.

There are also commercial products that are pH neutral that do not require the addition of muriatic acid that are basically mixtures of borax and boric acid available for a premium price.

baking soda (YES I said baking soda) aka sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate--used to raise TA

calcium chloride, either dihydrate or anhydrous--only difference is the dosage--used to raise calcium hardness in plaster and fiberglass pools. Vinyl pools do not NEED calcium (but high levels are problematic in ANY pool). There is some evidence that calcium can help limit staining in fiberglass pools but there is still debate on this. I feel that calcium is useful in a fiberglass pool (and I own a fiberglass pool myself). Calcium is necessary in a plaster pool to protect the surface from dissolving (this is where the calcium saturation index comes into play).

cyanuric acid (CYA, stabilzer)-protects chlorine from loss by sunlight and necessary if the pool is using only unstabilzied chlorine sources. is only removed by backwashing, splashout or draining so does not have to be added that frequiently but does need to be tested for monthly. If the pool is on stabilized chlorine this needs to be tested weekly as the pool WILL become overstabilized in a few months time. Period, End of Story! When this happens you do the 'drain and refill' dance!

Salt (for pools iwth SWCGs) you can use either special pool salt or solar salt sold for water softeners--only difference is the price and size of the crystals. Pool salt has smaller crystals and dissolves marginally faster. If you have a salt pool you have to replace CYA if you have to replace salt sinc ti means there has been loss from splashout, backwashing, or a leak.

Tile soap (a special cleaner for pool water line tile that can be used straight or mixed with muriatic acid)

a GOOD test kit. do yourself a favor at the start and get a Taylor K-2006C, (NOT the K-2005C) this is the gold standard and uses the FAS-DPD method of chlorine testing which is FAR SUPERIOR to the DPD method used in the K-2005C. You also want the "C" kit because it contains 2 oz size of reagents instead of 3/4 oz size found in the "A: kit and you wll be doing a lot of testing. do NOT try and balance a pool using test strips. The ONLY test strips you should even consider are salt titirators and the LaMotte borate test strips.

Under some circumstances you might need some specialty chems:

floc (alum) to quickly clear a cloudy pool that can be vacuumed to waste.

Polyquat 60 algacide (the only algaecide that is non foaming and does not contain metals)

Chitosan based clarifier (more effective than polyacrylate clarifiers)

HEDP based metal sequestrant (stay away from EDTA based ones, they are not effective) for pools with metal from well water, copper based algaecides, or improper maintenance that caused metal to dissolve in the water. Metals stain both pools and people. Green hair is caused by copper. Period. The most common metal problems in pools are copper--usually from copper based algaecides or improper pH and copper heat exchanger in the pool heater (which can also interact with high CYA levels to create the infamous 'purple haze' stain), iron (from well water or form use of the wrong kind of salt in the pool), manganese (from well water) and cobalt spotting (only affects fiberglass pools, which are also prone to iron stains)

Ascorbic acid powder (pure vitamin C powder) used to remove metal stains in conjunction with HEDP..

These are your basics. Most pros buy chems in bulk (40 or 50 lb bags or buckets of the dry chems, gallon of the liquids, multiple 2.5 or 5 gallon carboys of chlorine). Some of the specialty chems can be purchased in smaller quantities since they are not used that frequently or you can just get them if and when you need them. buy the house or generic brand from your supplier. it is often purer and certainly less expensive than the 'name' brands (and usually the only one available in 'bulk'.)all the dry chems (including chlorine have a very long shelf life if kept dry and out of heat and sun (so only take what you need on the truck for that day or week).

Brand is not that important, the actual chemical is. You want the pure ones, not the blended, multipurpose garbage that is hitting the market.

Hope this helps.

[LegsOnEarth]

Most of the pools you encounter will be plaster, with fiberglass running second. Inground vinyl pools are not as common in Florida but they do exist. There are differences in how the water is cared for (and the surface of the pool also) with each that you have to learn, once again, not really covered in CPO courses.

My course covered the difference, and I believe the updated handbook also goes into a bit of detail on the different finishes and their specific chemical needs. I admit it is covered briefly, as the focus of the course is to train commercial technicians and the majority of that field will be plaster.

[waterbear]

San Juan and Sun pools have manufacturing facilities in Florida making fiberglass very competitive (and often less expensive) than plaste (because they don't need to be trucked very far and the fact that gunnite and shotcrete have increased dramatically in price over the past 10 years) so there are a high number of fiberglass pools installed here.

LegsOnEarth is correct that the CPO course is primarily to train commercial pool techs and that the vast majority of those installations will be plaster finish but when dealing with residential pools a tech needs to know the ins and outs of plaster, painted, fiberglass, vinyl, and tile pool surfaces since they do have different inherent problems that will be encountered.

The CPO training books that I have seen really only touch briefly on the differences and all the water chemistry they give you is mostly applicable to plaster (for example, calcium saturation index is not important at all for vinyl pools and acrylic spas unless it is strongly postive,of lesser importance for painted and fiberglass pools and spas, and very important for plaster, aggregate, and tiled ones but this distinction is not clearly made as far as I have been able to see.)

[Noles1724]

damn guys you got the goods on the biz. Thanks so much for all the insight!!! Very thankful that you guys took the time to reply. Having a "Quote Day" at my sisters house/pool (Kidney Shape 15k gal) to see what the typical quote range will be for her pool size. My friend said that an "average" screened in pool should be around $90/month (1 cleaning a week) so I'm curious as to what the quotes are.