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In the conclusion of this two-part Mythbusting Wednesday conversation, Natalie Hood sits down with Erik Knight to discuss his move from Watershape University to Pool Brain—and the bigger problems he hopes to help solve.

The pool industry has more education available than ever, but is that actually part of the problem? New technicians are often buried under chemistry, equipment, software, procedures, and safety information before they have enough hands-on experience to understand how it all fits together.

Erik explains how guided workflows and point-of-need education could help technicians produce better results from the beginning while developing a deeper understanding over time. Instead of three days riding shotgun followed by “Here are the keys—try not to turn anything green,” technology can provide structure, consistency, and some desperately needed early wins.

Natalie and Erik discuss:

• Why technician turnover is highest at the entry level
• Whether the education gap is really an education-overload problem
• The weaknesses of traditional pool-company onboarding
• Why hands-on learning creates knowledge that actually sticks
• Using software to reinforce education instead of replacing it
• Pool Brain’s approach to guided workflows and chemistry recommendations
• Using historical data to predict future pH and water behavior
• Why experience—not intelligence—allows seasoned technicians to anticipate problems
• Automation as a force multiplier for pool professionals
• How technology can free technicians to develop higher-value skills
• Why automation equipment can become a profitable service-company revenue stream
• The value of competition among software companies and education providers
• Erik’s continued relationship with Watershape University
• What attracted him to Pool Brain’s long-term vision
• Why professional software requires more than an AI-generated interface
• Inflation, rising equipment costs, and the need for greater efficiency
• Route optimization, properly stocked trucks, and eliminating costly supply runs

Erik also addresses the fear that technology will eventually replace the pool professional. Automation may handle repeatable tasks, but it cannot change filter sand, clean a DE grid, diagnose complicated equipment problems, or replace the judgment developed through real experience.

Better technology does not eliminate the need for education. It can remove some of the repetitive bullshit, help new technicians succeed sooner, and give experienced professionals more time to solve complicated problems, serve better customers, and operate more profitable routes.

Erik’s goal at Pool Brain is straightforward: simplify what makes the job unnecessarily difficult, help pool professionals deliver safer and more predictable water, and give company owners the tools to become more efficient, profitable, and—God forbid—occasionally get home before dark.

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This week on Mondays Down Under, Lee Salisbury—the Pool Shop Coach—and Nick tackle a question every pool business owner should ask: Are you actually running your business, or are you simply reacting to whichever fire is burning hottest today?

Lee introduces her new Business Balance Check, a free assessment designed specifically to identify the areas of your business that need attention most. It examines ten critical areas—including branding, communication, team culture, safety, policies and procedures, and employee autonomy—before revealing whether you’re currently operating as the Firefighter, the Glue, the Foreman, or the Owner.

Lee and Nick also discuss:

• Why procedures sitting unread in a binder are nothing more than expensive pieces of paper
• The importance of teaching employees the what, how, and why
• How small, one-percent improvements can transform a business
• Why great ideas collected at conferences rarely survive the trip home
• How a coach or mentor creates accountability and turns intention into action
• Using AI to streamline spreadsheets, emails, administration, and repetitive tasks
• Why obviously AI-generated advertising can destroy customer trust
• The danger of letting software replace genuine technical knowledge and judgment
• Why pool professionals must understand the story behind the water-test results
• Customers who create a chemical catastrophe—and conveniently forget to mention what they added
• The importance of consistent branding and customer experiences across every touchpoint

The episode also includes coverage from SPLASH 2026, featuring new chlorination and pool-control technology from Fluidra, along with commercial salt chlorination, ozone, UV, and advanced oxidation systems from Brauer.

And, because no pool-industry episode would be complete without a customer turning a manageable problem into a full-blown aquatic crime scene, Nick shares what happened when someone accidentally dumped approximately eight kilograms of chlorine remover into a 70,000-liter indoor pool—and then attempted to fix it with liquid chlorine and stabilized chlorine.

Take the Free Business Balance Check

Find out whether you’re operating as the Firefighter, the Glue, the Foreman, or the Owner:

The Pool Shop Coach’s Business Balance Check

Have a question or topic suggestion for Mondays Down Under? Email [email protected] and mark it for Lee and Nick.

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WARNING: Intentionally Abrasive Language - Every service business wants to be the company everyone recommends—the local expert called after three other contractors have replaced the wrong parts, collected their checks, and left the customer with the same damn problem.

But authority doesn’t come from putting “premier,” “elite,” or “superior” on the side of a truck. It comes from becoming exceptionally good at solving difficult problems, teaching people what you know, documenting your results, and earning a reputation that reaches the customer before you do.

In this episode, Rudy explains how pool professionals and other service-business owners can become the recognized expert in their county—and why anyone who earns that position should charge at least 10% more than the interchangeable competition.

In This Episode

• Why calling yourself an expert doesn’t make you one
• How to attach your name to a specific, difficult problem
• Why teaching customers increases your value
• The difference between generic content and useful local expertise
• How informed opinions make professionals memorable
• Turning difficult jobs into compelling case studies
• Why detailed testimonials beat meaningless five-star reviews
• Building referral relationships with inspectors, agents, managers, and tradespeople
• Becoming the person local media calls for an explanation
• Using Google reviews to demonstrate authority
• Why experienced professionals should charge more
• How to state your price without apologizing or negotiating against yourself
• Why premium pricing requires premium communication and reliability
• The importance of continuing to learn after becoming the recognized expert

The Bottom Line

Advertising tells people you exist. Expertise convinces them you understand the problem. Reputation makes them trust you to solve it.

Own a difficult problem. Teach what you know. Develop an informed point of view. Document your results. Answer the phone. Show up when promised. Fix the problem correctly.

Eventually, your name becomes shorthand for the solution—and when that happens, charge like you fucking mean it.

The cheapest contractor charges for the visit. The expert charges for the answer.

Featured Sponsors and Industry Partners

• BlueRay XL
• United Chemical
• LaMotte Company
• Revved Up Apparel
• AquaComfort Water Group
• Service Industry News
• Jack’s Magic Products
• AquaStar Pool Products

Connect With Talking Pools

Follow the Talking Pools Podcast for blunt industry commentary, technical education, business advice, and the occasional uncomfortable truth every pool professional needs to hear.

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Steve Sherwood and Wayne Ivusich discuss one of the hardest lessons for pool service professionals: you cannot solve every problem, satisfy every prospect, or repeatedly rescue neglected pools for free.

Steve explains why customers must keep an eye on their pools between weekly visits and report cloudy water or visible algae immediately. Waiting until the scheduled service day—especially before a party—can turn a manageable problem into four or five additional visits, a pile of chemicals, and a service company eating the cost.

The conversation also covers phosphate removal, establishing chemical prices, asking the right questions before quoting work, and knowing when to walk away from a customer who wants a guaranteed result without fixing the equipment causing the problem.

During the Insurance Interlude, Pat Reno explains why standard general liability insurance typically does not cover cyberattacks, data breaches, stolen payments, customer impersonation, or ransomware. For pool companies accepting digital payments or storing customer information, cyber liability coverage may deserve a place in the insurance portfolio.

Steve and Wayne wrap up with equipment design, service-recordkeeping apps, and the challenges of controlling an 800-gallon commercial spa where a few bathers can send sanitizer demand, ORP, and pH in completely different directions.

Topics discussed include:

• Why weekly customers must monitor their pools between visits
• Catching algae early before it becomes an expensive shit show
• Charging for additional visits and treatment chemicals
• Why every service company needs a chemical price list
• Phosphate-removal products and avoiding unnecessary cleanup
• The danger of quoting a green-pool recovery without testing the water
• Asking for complete equipment photos before diagnosing remotely
• Used filters, questionable installations, and inherited equipment problems
• Why sometimes the correct professional answer is “no”
• Cyber liability versus general liability insurance
• Payment diversion, customer impersonation, and ransomware
• Protecting stored customer and payment information
• Why real-world field input matters during product development
• Digital service records, before-and-after photos, and proof of service
• Managing sanitizer demand and automation in a small commercial spa
• How water temperature can affect reactions and test results

The takeaway: stop guessing for free. Ask better questions, document everything, charge for the work being performed, and walk away when someone expects you to guarantee results without allowing you to correct the actual problem.

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Natalie Hood continues her conversation with Dewey Case of the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code, separating cold-plunge science from wellness-industry hype.

Cold plunges may be popular, but cold water changes chemical reaction rates, sanitizer performance, testing accuracy, and the body’s physiological response. Being young, athletic, or highly experienced around water does not make anyone immune to blood-sugar crashes, loss of consciousness, drowning, or other emergencies.

Natalie and Dewey discuss why cold-water samples should be allowed to warm before testing, why commercial plunges should strongly consider supplemental treatment such as UV, ozone, or advanced oxidation, and why a quick pre-entry rinse can remove a surprising amount of contamination before it enters a very small body of water.

They also address the biggest myth of all: because someone only spends a few minutes in a cold plunge, the risk must be low. The exposure may be short, but the risks are not necessarily smaller—they are simply different.

Topics discussed include:

• Why even healthy, conditioned athletes can experience emergencies
• The dangers of using a cold plunge, pool, or spa alone
• How cold temperatures affect water-testing reactions
• Why cold samples should be capped and warmed before testing
• Reduced sanitizer reaction rates in cold water
• Why small water volume and heavy bather loads create greater risk
• The value of UV, ozone, and advanced oxidation
• Sweat, ammonia, urea, dirt, and everything else bathers drag into the water
• Why pre-entry showers matter
• How a simple rinse can substantially reduce contaminants
• Why short exposure does not automatically mean low risk
• The importance of supervision, maintenance, testing, and operator diligence

The takeaway is simple: be diligent. Know what the water is doing, test it regularly, maintain the vessel properly, and never assume that experience or physical fitness makes someone bulletproof.

Download the Cold Water Venue Guidance from the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code.

Natalie also shares an update on her Tennessee Triple Crown Open Water Swim Challenge. She will swim more than 21 miles across three open-water marathon events to benefit Every Child a Swimmer through her fundraiser, She Swims So They Can.

Special thanks to campaign sponsors Revved Up Apparel, H2Flow Controls, Tenjam, and Talking Pools Podcast.

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SPLASH 2026: Why Pool Professionals—and Their Teams—Need to Be There

SPLASH isn’t just another excuse to escape the office, collect two years’ worth of free pens, and start asking suspicious questions about when the complimentary slushy machine becomes a margarita machine.

For pool professionals across Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, SPLASH is the industry event. It’s where new products are launched, new technology is demonstrated, business ideas are exchanged, and technicians finally see that the pool industry is much bigger than the route, retail counter, or equipment pad they work around every day.

This week on Mondays Down Under, Lee Salisbury and Nick discuss what makes SPLASH worth attending, why business owners should consider bringing at least one team member, and how the event can reinvigorate a workforce heading out of winter and into the madness of summer.

Lee also previews the customer-service and business-growth forums she will be facilitating, while Nick shares the story of a commercial fountain whose chemical controller had apparently been plumbed backward—and remained that way for somewhere between five and seven years while another company visited three times a week.

In This Episode

•  What SPLASH is and why it matters to the Australian pool and spa industry 
•  How the trade show has evolved over the decades 
•  Memorable exhibits, product demonstrations and promotional giveaways 
•  Why technicians and younger employees should experience a major industry event 
•  Using SPLASH to motivate and educate your team before summer 
•  New products, software developments and masterclasses expected at the show 
•  Lee’s business-growth and customer-experience forums 
•  Protecting productive time with the “red headphones” rule 
•  Deciding which tasks should be delegated before the busy season 
•  Why workplace interruptions cost more time than most managers realize 
•  Preparing your business and staff for the transition from winter into summer 
•  Nick’s battle with a badly installed 30,000-litre commercial fountain 
•  A chemical dosing system that had been plumbed incorrectly for years 
•  What happens when equipment is serviced repeatedly without anyone diagnosing the actual problem 

If you’re attending SPLASH, keep an eye out for Lee, Nick and the Mondays Down Under crew—and make sure you say hello. You may even find yourself appearing in an upcoming episode.

Questions or topic suggestions? Email [email protected].

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Most Talking Pools questions come from pool service professionals. This week, Rudy clears the inbox of questions submitted by pool owners—and provides pool pros with a little emotional support in the process.

Why is the pool consuming so much chlorine? Why did it turn green after the technician left? Should the pump run longer during extreme heat? Why does a saltwater pool still need chlorine? Are chemicals, brushing, filter cleaning, equipment repairs, storm recovery, and emergency duck removal included in the monthly price?

The short answer: read your service agreement, communicate with your pool professional, and remember that weekly service means someone visits once every seven days. It does not mean the technician secretly lives inside the filter, guarding your chlorine around the clock.

Rudy tackles common homeowner questions with practical answers, pool chemistry, and the appropriate amount of profanity. He explains why heat, sunlight, swimmers, storms, landscaping, aging equipment, and a 30-person backyard party can create problems that no technician could prevent during one weekly visit.

Before getting to the pool questions, Rudy also examines gossip, fake intimacy, and the relationship between the “shit talker” and the “shit bucket.” If someone constantly talks to you about everyone else, you are not part of a protected inner circle—you are simply today’s audience and tomorrow’s material.

Topics discussed include:

• Why successful people rarely waste time talking behind your back
• How gossip creates counterfeit intimacy
• The relationship between the shit talker and the shit bucket
• Why chlorine demand increases during extreme heat
• How swimmers, sunscreen, sweat, debris, and sunlight consume chlorine
• Running pool pumps during unusually warm weather
• Why pools become cloudy or green after heavy rain
• Preparing a swimming pool before and after a major storm
• Preventing algae from returning during extreme heat
• Why saltwater chlorine generators sometimes cannot keep up
• How to determine the correct salt-cell output percentage
• Diagnosing a dirty, undersized, or worn-out salt cell
• Why saltwater pools may still require manually added chlorine
• Whether saltwater pools need to be shocked
• The real cost of converting a pool to salt
• Reducing the electrical cost of pool circulation
• What weekly pool service actually means
• Chemicals included with service versus chemicals billed separately
• Whether technicians should provide complete test results
• Brushing schedules and complicated pool designs
• How often filters should be cleaned
• Who is responsible when aging pool equipment fails
• Why specialty chemicals may result in additional charges
• Verifying training, certification, licensing, and insurance
• The difference between maintenance companies and repair companies
• Whether homeowners should expect the same technician every week
• Additional service following storms, parties, equipment failures, and extreme weather
• Temporary treatments versus correcting the underlying cause
• How homeowners can evaluate whether a recommended repair is necessary

Pool owners should ask questions, request readings, review photographs, understand the diagnosis, and learn what their service plan includes. What they should not do is assume one weekly visit creates a protective dome capable of repelling rain, pollen, equipment failure, fertilizer, sunscreen, relatives, and urine.

Have a question for Rudy or the Talking Pools Podcast team? Email [email protected].

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What happens when the people who actually know the product disappear—and customer service becomes a phone tree, a 90-minute hold, or an ordering department that cannot answer a technical question?

This week, Steve Sherwood and Wayne Ivusich examine the decline of accessible technical support across the pool and spa industry. Wayne reflects on his 32 years with Taylor Technologies, where he answered technical questions, developed educational materials, and taught an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 industry professionals. Since Taylor’s acquisition by Fluidra, much of that direct technical access—and even some of Wayne’s educational content—appears to have disappeared.

The conversation expands into a larger industry problem: corporate consolidation may preserve a product name, but it does not necessarily preserve the people, knowledge, or customer relationships that built the brand.

Before that, Steve is joined by Pat from the California Pool Association for the Insurance Interlude. They discuss how installers can protect themselves when equipment works correctly at completion but fails—or gets damaged—months later. Photos, service records, clearly defined warranty terms, and a documented follow-up may be the only things standing between you and somebody else’s blame game.

Topics discussed include:

• Protecting your company after completing equipment installations
• Documenting that equipment was operational when you left
• Why a written follow-up can become valuable evidence
• Distinguishing parts warranties from free labor
• Damage caused by homeowners or subsequent service technicians
• The importance of maintaining complete water-chemistry records
• Wayne’s 32-year career with Taylor Technologies
• What Fluidra’s acquisition of Taylor meant for technical support
• The loss of experienced educators and product specialists
• Steve’s experience waiting 90 minutes for manufacturer assistance
• Why sales representatives have become unofficial technical-support channels
• The value—and danger—of relying on Facebook groups for answers
• Knowing not only what questions to ask, but whom to ask
• Why genuine mentorship teaches people to investigate instead of merely supplying answers
• How Talking Pools can serve as an industry resource when manufacturers cannot

The label may survive an acquisition, but the institutional knowledge does not survive unless somebody deliberately protects it. When the experts disappear, customers are left owning products without reliable access to the people who understand them.

Have a pool, spa, chemistry, equipment, service, or business question you cannot get answered? Email the Talking Pools Podcast team at [email protected].

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Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

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Email us: [email protected]

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Natalie Hood welcomes Eric Knight back to the Talking Pools Podcast to discuss his move from Watershape University to Pool Brain—and what this new role could mean for pool service professionals.

Eric explains how a conversation that began in 2022 eventually developed into an opportunity to combine the work he does best: water chemistry, education, technology, and solving real-world problems for technicians in the field. He also clears up the speculation surrounding his departure from Watershape University. There was no drama, no burned bridge, and no scandal—just an honest recognition of his strengths and an opportunity that better fits how his brain works.

The conversation then turns toward the future of the pool industry. Eric explains why artificial intelligence is unlikely to replace pool technicians, but will increasingly help them make better decisions, optimize routes, train employees, standardize service, and operate more profitable businesses.

Eric also offers an early look at Pool Brain’s vision for automated chemical dosing, guided technician workflows, and “point-of-need education”—giving technicians the information they need while they are standing in front of the pool, instead of making them wait for the next class or trade show.

In This Episode

• Why Eric Knight joined Pool Brain
• How his relationship with Pool Brain began in 2022
• The truth about his departure from Watershape University
• Why recognizing your weaknesses is an important leadership skill
• What Eric is most proud of accomplishing at Watershape
• Why traditional industry education is becoming cost-prohibitive
• How AI will assist pool professionals without replacing field technicians
• Why more displaced white-collar workers are entering the trades
• The story behind the Orenda Calculator and Chemiculator
• How technology can eliminate dangerous chemical-dosing shortcuts
• What automated water-chemistry dosing could mean for service companies
• How guided workflows can improve training, safety, and accountability
• Why technicians need education at the exact moment a problem occurs

This is Part One of Natalie Hood’s conversation with Eric Knight. Tune in next Wednesday for Part Two as they continue discussing his new role at Pool Brain and the technology being developed to support the next generation of pool professionals.

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In the conclusion of our conversation with Lee Moore and Blake, Technical Director at AIS Water, we examine what it takes to make saltwater chlorination work reliably in demanding commercial environments.

Commercial pools cannot be managed by reacting to every change with another drum of chemicals. Like steering a cruise ship, water chemistry requires calculated adjustments, accurate information, and equipment sized for the facility’s actual operating conditions.

The conversation covers the difference between ORP and direct free-available-chlorine measurement, on/off versus proportional chlorinator control, and how properly sized systems respond to sudden increases in bather load. Lee and Blake also explain why some facilities retain liquid or granular chlorine as backup sanitation—even when onsite chlorine generation handles nearly the entire demand.

We also challenge some persistent assumptions about saltwater pools. Modern commercial systems can operate at salt concentrations as low as approximately 950 ppm, opening the door for indoor pools, facilities with natural stone, and other applications where corrosion concerns have discouraged saltwater chlorination.

Finally, we look behind the marketing of “mineral pools.” Magnesium and potassium salts may change how the water feels, but the sanitation still comes from chlorine produced through electrolysis. Minerals do not replace the sanitizer.

Topics discussed include:

•  Why commercial chlorination begins with accurate system sizing 
•  Accounting for sunlight, bather load, turnover, and unusual applications 
•  Why water stability is more important than constant chemical correction 
•  Direct free-chlorine probes versus traditional ORP control 
•  On/off and proportional 4–20 mA chlorinator control 
•  Responding automatically to sudden increases in bather load 
•  Cell operation, reversing cycles, and expected service life 
•  Using liquid or granular chlorine as secondary sanitation 
•  Reducing chemical handling without removing backup infrastructure 
•  Liquid chlorine degradation, declining strength, and chlorate concerns 
•  Commercial chlorination at approximately 950 ppm salt 
•  Saltwater systems for indoor pools and natural-stone environments 
•  What “mineral pool” marketing gets right—and what it leaves out 
•  The roles of magnesium and potassium in swimmer comfort and water appearance 
•  Why mineral pools are still chlorine pools 

If you operate, specify, design, or service commercial aquatic facilities, this episode offers a practical look at building a chlorination system around stability, predictable demand, and intelligent control—not chemical firefighting.

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