Are we stuck? Have we been doing things the same way for so long that we’ve developed tunnel vision?
The swimming pool industry is a trade where traditions and set practices often dominate. We have established ways of doing things — tried-and-true methods that have been passed down from one generation of pool professionals to the next.
There’s a reason for that: We build complex structures that involve a number of sciences — electrical, fluid dynamics, chemistry, materials — one at a time, from scratch. And we build them in a niche industry that has never had the resources of say, the car industry, or even home construction, to invest billions in R & D.
In short, it’s a complicated job, there’s a lot that can go wrong, and we’ve always had to figure it out on our own. So naturally, we’ve sought safety in the proven practices of the past.
At the same time, our tendency to hang onto myths and old-school methods can also be a trap. It can hold back our industry’s growth, stifling innovation and ultimately preventing us from reaching our full potential as a great industry.
To avoid stagnation, we must open ourselves to new possibilities, embrace change and challenge the norm. This means reaching for new methods and discoveries that have been proven effective, and encouraging disruptive behavior in thinking — those ideas that might seem crazy initially but have the potential to revolutionize how we do things. We need to look to “create a better wheel.”
The first idiom that pops into your head might be, “Don’t reinvent the wheel.” But that’s not what I’m asking you to do. I don’t want anyone to waste time and energy figuring out if there’s a better shape than a round wheel. But tires, now, those we can improve:
The Sumerians invented the wheel in the 4th millennium BC. The original design involved sticking rotating axles into solid wooden discs. This invention changed the way humans moved goods and traveled. But the innovation didn’t stop there. Around 2000 B.C., someone decided to see what would happen if they hollowed out those solid wooden discs, making them lighter and more efficient. But man, it was a bumpy ride. Even the first bicycle, known as the “boneshaker,” had wooden tires! Ouch!
It wasn’t until 1888 that John Boyd Dunlop, a Scottish inventor and veterinary surgeon, invented the pneumatic (air-filled) rubber tire. Bless that man. Imagine how your day might go if you drove from pool to pool on your route on tires made of wood? That’s the kind of incremental innovation we need to encourage in our industry — not necessarily to reinvent everything, but to continuously look for ways to improve things.
A pool guy once told me, “Everyone keeps making pool service harder. It used to be that we only dumped in chlorine and acid, and that was all we needed.”
Was it? Really? The truth is if we can utilize the latest science, we won’t be complicating things — we’ll be preventing headaches, addressing hidden dangers, and even giving our equipment a longer life. We’ll be making the pools we service healthier, more profitable, and easier to manage over time.
In just the last five years, we’ve seen groundbreaking changes, some of which I’ve had a hand in, that have upended some of our longest-held beliefs. In 2018, I was able to identify swimming pool black algae as a cyanobacteria biofilm, complete with toxicity testing for cyanotoxins and by genre. From what I understand, I was the first person to do this and accurately document my findings.
This was a significant step forward because it allowed us to better understand what we’re dealing with and how to address it more effectively. A year later, I developed a method of chemically lowering cyanuric acid levels using aluminum sulfate (proven in 2024), a chemical used in water treatment since 1500 B.C. Before this, the only method with consistent success in lowering cyanuric acid was dilution — replacing pool water. This discovery provided pool professionals in areas with water restrictions a new tool in their arsenal, one that saved time, water and money.
In 2023, the team at onBalance made headlines by discovering a method for lowering Calcium Hardness chemically — a feat that, like cyanuric acid reduction, was once thought impossible without replacing the water. This breakthrough was significant because high calcium levels can lead to various problems, from scaling on pool surfaces to cloudy water. Managing Calcium Hardness chemically opens up new possibilities for maintaining pool water balance and extending the life of pool surfaces and equipment. These innovations show that our industry is still in its infancy, with much left to discover. By challenging established norms, we can unlock new possibilities and create a more efficient and profitable future for the swimming pool service industry as a whole.
I’ll admit I fall into old habits, too. It’s hard to break, especially when you’re used to doing things a certain way. Earlier this year, the manufacturers of a popular LSI (Langelier Saturation Index) app made a change to the industry-accepted formula, resulting in different outcomes. At first, I was appalled — how can you change math? But when I sat down with the individuals responsible, they explained that this was a correction, not a change, as they had found something the industry had missed. Now, proving either formula is above my pay grade, so I can’t speak on the accuracy of either version. However, I believe they are genuinely trying to make it better. We need more of this — people willing to challenge the norm and push our industry forward.
We are creeping in the right direction. New technologies and chemicals are making pool maintenance more straightforward and precise. We’ve moved from manual testing kits to digital meters, from simple chlorine to complex chemical treatments, and from manual cleaning to automated systems. These advancements have transformed how we maintain pools, making the job more efficient and the results more consistent. However, despite these advancements, many outdated practices persist simply because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”
Every one of us has looked at some procedure or system and wondered why it evolved that particular way. Or, maybe you’ve seen a surprising, successful accident — you may have even thought it was a fluke. Don’t just shrug, do it again! See if you achieve the same result. If you do, shout it from the rooftops! I promise you there will be negative criticisms, but who cares? Do it anyway. That backlash may be proof that you’re onto something big.
We grow through our willingness to experiment with new methods. Many of the new ideas and products are indeed made by a manufacturer, chemist, or engineer in a lab. But don’t ever forget some of the most significant discoveries in history were surprises from the field. This means encouraging your team and challenging yourself to think critically and creatively, and fostering a culture of innovation that drives growth and progress in our swimming pool industry.
This article first appeared in the October 2024 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
