Pool Envy LLC

01/15/2025

Hey, does this sound familiar?

1) We purchased our pool over a year ago, and we are STILL waiting for the builder to complete it.

2) The pool is done, but we have so many problems, we still cannot enjoy it!

3) It takes the first 4 weeks of the pool season to get my pool clear enough to swim?

4) I have no idea what I'm suppose to do with chemicals, they just tell me buy, buy, and buy.

Did I read your brain? These are common problems I run into within Green Bay, mostly, Allouez, and Bellevue and a hint of De Pere. Pure chaos. If it's not a builder cutting a power line with an excavator, it's 8 months to get plaster. Why does this happen?

You cannot build a concrete swimming pool "good AND cheap." What you can get is a cookie cutter pool at a low price, lock yourself into YOUR expectations and get stuck with it.

My job is to help people go from a pile of trash, into a pool that they can use. Often involving re-engineering, structural repairs, plumbing, or other projects that are often advertised "low price" by others, only to fail after the first year.

Swimming pool engineering, design, and construction has come a long way in the past 60 years. So much so, back when pools were first being built, we were landing people on the moon.

Our pools work. Yes, they are expensive too. A well built concrete pool though, is much nicer looking than a fiberglass pool. You can have fun with shape, plaster, and color. All of this sales propaganda out there though; it sucks.

Concrete pools can last a VERY long time. IF they follow standards. Properly applied concrete can last 50+ years or 100! The problem is short-cuts taken during the build process.

Then the fiber-glass world came in with their 5 day drop in pools. These pools can be tossed into the ground, check collected, and the builder on their way well before any problems show up. When they do, those builders run like professional marathoners!

The reality is pools are luxury items. They require work and when you do the work right, you'll see the pay off. Properly balanced water isn't easy.

I work with my clients to help them achieve those skills with close monitoring. It's about relationship vs. product. We base our solutions on proven fact, science, and transparency along with construction standards. We know that these standards work. We know that they have been tested, and lastly: proven.

Everyone online claims they take the guess-work out of pools. Reality? Proven results require following standards FOR YOUR SITUATION. If you apply a result that worked for one pool to another, you may never have success.

Now is the time to start your exploration if you want to do something with your pool. This might be Green Bay, WI but we are removing pools already in January! When it comes to plaster and tiles; there is a set temperature range for installation that offers success. Our window for this type of work is limited and when folks call in June - 100% of the time, you'll be told "next year."

Swim Safe. I know this family is!

01/15/2025

Here is an example of when auto-cover bearing wear hits the extremes! This bearing is GONE. When covers start veering off and cannot be correctly adjusted, this is what needs to be examined.
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In Green Bay, I see this all the time. "Oh, the last guys were here and tried 3x, 4x, times and it's still not working." -- It takes a few moments (especially with on deck tracks) seconds to take this part out and examine it. I carry these around on our summer route just for this very reason.
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Keeping parts maintained correctly reduces trouble. With deck mounted auto-covers, it's very easy for debris, leaves, and dirt to get into them.

01/14/2025

Indoor pools can be thrilling, but using the wrong chemicals to maintain them can be troubling. This pool has a pebble finish and the calcium level was 825 at the time of testing. Normal range for calcium is 200-400. If you look close, you'll see the white on the plaster.
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In a pool such as this, our company can use Pool Wash an appropriate and pH safe product that will help remove the calcium residue without destroying the plaster. -- Many untrained and unlicensed pool techs often jump into selling you "muriatic acid washes" and that will only cause harm to this type of finish. (In addition, the embedded stone is more sensitive to harsh chemicals.)
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The high calcium was due to the previous pool service provider using the incorrect sanitizer for a long period of time. Calcium Hypochlorite is effective, but each pound of it increases calcium. Left unchecked for long periods of time you run into trouble.

01/13/2025

Painting fiberglass by a swimming pool is a bad idea. Our company does "touch up" gelcoat work on small projects. --- Fiberglass gel coat is a totally different animal though. I do not recommend using "paint" on areas of activity, it will wear off and the health department will ask questions.
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Fiberglass gelcoat is durable, but water chemistry must be maintained. Setting a feeder to "Acid wash" cycle (and this is implied sarcasm for everyone) is not a good way to maintain a pool.

01/13/2025

Auto cover starts with missing little details. These are end bearings, a minor part of the system with a big role. When the cover closes. These bearings do a lot. When the bearings fall apart, it can cause significant drag, alignment issues, and cause a rope to break.
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Any time the cover is replaced, change them. Anytime a rope is replaced, change them. Anytime “new” issues start to occur, replace them.
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These are also subject to pool chemicals, dirt and debris. They should be examined each pool season; but at minimum never forgotten.

01/12/2025

Auto cover trouble begins with wear and tear of bearings and pulleys. The far-end pulleys are often neglected because they require a technician willing to remove and check them.
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Bearings have balls inside and are subject to pool water, dust, sand, contaminants and they sit inside a track.
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If you replace a rope, or have a cover installed, these should be replaced. We see it all too often, and it leads to repeat trips. Penny wise and pound foolish.
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We replace them on every job, but for those who DIY or use others across the county; have this part checked.

01/11/2025

The good ole days of "endless pools" (they still make them.) These use a hydraulic powered fan to create resistance that you can swim against. A note here, we don't recommend it for unsupervised commercial use. This pool will be undergoing a transformation shortly.

01/09/2025

Swimming pool auto-cover owners, and technicians. The "end bearing" and sometimes end-bearing assembly (sometimes, they are plastic) should be checked, cleaned, and lubricated for best auto cover performance.

When covers are closed, this pulley is getting a workout.

They are in the non-motor end of the pool. They often fill up with dirt, mud, debris, leaves etc. It may at minimum be worth taking a hose to this area to rinse it out after a long and dusty season, and adding some water-based silicone into the area.

If you can, simply remove the shims, and take the section out and examine it. Catching these before the balls fall out of the bearings will save you a lot of frustration and perhaps a broken rope.

How often do you service them?

01/09/2025

Navigating Florida pool licensing can be intimidating. Don’t allow that to stop you from doing the right thing and get your license. Here is a link to the Florida DBPR page for pool contractors. There are two exams involved, they take about 5-6 hours each.

EXAMINATION: Individuals seeking licensure as a CERTIFIED contractor, except for Swimming Pool Specialty contractors, must first take and pass a state certification examination.

01/05/2025

Do you use "the white puck" in your pool?
The focus at Pool Envy is safety and that also migrates into "what chemicals we put in pools." As licensed industry professionals in several states (meaning, we have to meet various state standards across the country) we see a lot of things.
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Pools should be fun. One thing we don't ever put top of mind when we swim is health effects of that water and the chemicals in it. One chemical we do not pump into the water is CYA (cyanuric acid). Here's why:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10801151/ #:~:text=Although%20the%20toxicity%20of%20cyanuric,may%20seriously%20affect%20animal%20health.

01/05/2025

When a pool is green, the process should not exceed a few hours to turn back to blue. If it does, then something is wrong. This is when you need to STOP.
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Testing water and getting the RIGHT information is far more useful than podcasts, websites, and people who want to sell you chemicals.
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Solving an algae problem does not take "weeks" if it does, then you are "doing the same thing, expecting different results." Let's leave it here for now.

01/04/2025

https://www.husseinandwebber.com/crimes/theft-fraud/contracting-without-a-license/

In Florida, Contracting Without a License is a criminal offense carrying misdemeanor or felony penalties, depending on the number of prior convictions.

01/04/2025

It is no surprise that performing illegal repairs are illegal in Florida. There are though, those who continue to subvert the rules. As a licensed and insured contractor. (Meaning, I took all the required exam, passed them, and qualified my business in Florida.); It's 100% my responsibility to report illegal work, repairs, and contracting.
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That said, Mr. Davis unlicensed work was noticed by my team and reported on 11/19/2024 and the State of Florida DBPR chose to pursue action against him. We do not control what action the state takes in regards to unlicensed activity.
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The problem we are more concerned with is the false and misleading comments by Mr. Davis. In an effort to correct the false information and provide clarity, we are providing a copy of two screen shots with the information circled. In the Review left by Kyle, he states that he never engaged in repairs. In his post to a Florida repair group; he acknowledges indeed that he does and has employees who do so.
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Our legal team in Tampa is encouraging the restatement that Unlicensed Contracting IS illegal in Florida.

The purpose to require licensing is to demonstrate the required knowledge and quality required to protect Florida Consumers from false or misleading advertising or deceptive practices.

01/04/2025

Underground and outdoor ferrous pipe and tubing: Must be painted or covered with a suitable material to protect against corrosion.

In Wisconsin:

SPS 365.0400 Gas piping installations. Substitute the following wording for the requirements and exceptions in IFGC chapter 4: All gas piping and gas piping installations shall comply with NFPA 54, National Fuel Gas Code.

01/04/2025

https://www.thoughtco.com/dissolving-sugar-water-chemical-physical-change-608347

TDS (total dissolved solids) - Unrelated article, just look at the illustration.

Pool owners want clarity, and it seems all but impossible for many pool caretakers to get this concept. TDS are "solids" that dissolve into the water (he parallels for that photo.) much like sugar dissolves into water. --- You can add sugar, stir, and the sugar will dissolve and your water will remain clear.

The taste of the sugar will be there, but you can't judge the drink by looking. This is the same with pool water. You can add calcium, bicarbonate TO a point. You won't see it.

After a certain point though, the water will start to get cloudy. Dissolved solids can build up so much that they start to show. Also, if the water balance is not in the correct pH range; certain chemicals may not dissolve at a given pH, or may pricipitate out of a solution at a certain pH. (a pH of > 10) will cause calcium to fall out of the water for example.

Pool care requires careful examination. Often, the focus , "add chlorine, add chlorine, add algicide, add chlorine balance this." - A lot of store advice is not wise. This is where the books get it wrong too. Ever hear of Einstein? Good, I'm going to talk about Newton though: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" is a statement describing Newton's Third Law of Motion.

More metaphorically speaking, for every pool chemical dumped in, there will be a reaction and sometimes it may be opposite of the intent. High acid to lower alkalinity with high iron in the water will turn the pool water brown. "But, the guy said lower my ..."

Oscar Wilde put it best, "everything in moderation, even moderation." -- Meaning, there are limits to having limits within reason.

Next time you decide to get crazy about pool chemistry, ask the person giving you advice to "prove it."

1) Use a TDS Meter
2) Test the water
3) Look at metals too

Today's post is a high level overview (very high level) without a ton of technical jargon.

Is dissolving sugar in water an example of a chemical or physical change? Here are the answer and an explanation of the process.

01/04/2025

Just saw this. It explains all of the drama in Florida!

01/04/2025

I should probably keep this under wraps.