Ever walked up to a job and found the pool equipment living inside a freshly finished bedroom? We have—and that’s just the start. This story-driven episode shares the funniest, strangest, and most useful moments from decades on the route, each one paired with practical takeaways you can use today.

We start with access and liability: a garage converted to a mother-in-law unit, complete with D.E. filter and heater behind a tenant’s door. It sparked a frank look at boundaries, ventilation and code concerns, and why a professional sometimes has to walk away. From there we row—literally—into a pool with a center island only reachable by raft, and talk about how design choices create recurring labor costs. We break down builder mistakes that make equipment unserviceable: pipes over pump lids, heaters mounted above baskets, and filters wedged against walls. You’ll get a fast bid checklist to catch these issues early, and language you can use to recommend fixes before they become weekly headaches.

Then we move to the living, barking variables. Dogs on route can be sweet companions or sprinting escape artists. You’ll hear a Doberman sprint, the small-dog chase you never want, and simple rules that prevent escapes and protect your schedule. We also cover pricing when pets use the pool and the quiet grief of losing a familiar yard companion. Finally, we tackle the roadside chaos: a tire punctured by pliers, starters that die mid-route, and the tools that save your day. We share the tap-the-starter trick, why a compact jump pack like a NOCO Boost GB40 belongs in every truck, and how AAA can swap a battery while you keep working.

• garage conversion creates unsafe equipment access and liability  
• island pool requires raft access and sets service limits  
• inaccessible equipment from poor plumbing and tight pads  
• practical bid checks to catch design flaws early  
• pet policies, dog escapes, grief and pricing for pet use  
• roadside chaos, blowouts and the starter tap trick  
• jump starter picks, why AAA is worth it  

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