Jarred, Eric and Miguel sit shoulder-to-shoulder-to-shoulder behind one mic in Texas for the first-ever Rule Your Pool Podcast recorded in the same room. We didn't know how to set up multiple mics, so we made do. Also, Miguel says stuff in Spanish that leads Jarred and Eric to believe he's making fun of them. They recap Jarred's Swim Across America experience, which is funny because he lived to talk about it. But the core of the episode is talking about swimming pool winterization.

Much of our teaching is contrarian to the pool industry's established standards. We often face pushback from naysayers, and we welcome it. So here's to the naysayers: Eric and Jarred reply to our most common criticisms.

Jarred takes the lead on this episode, as we talk about pool maintenance habits getting in the way of great water quality. Doing things that are 'good enough' often prevent you from being great. Greatness requires a different way of thinking, and behaviors that may seem counterintuitive.

After 3 days in Jacksonville FL learning how to plaster at Tempool's plaster school, Eric and Jarred reflect on the skills (and endurance) required to be a good plaster company. We learned a LOT.

A prescription (or treatment) without proper diagnosis is malpractice. Eric explains three foolproof, 100% reliable tests that can help you rule out certain variables when troubleshooting your pool. They're not precise, and not meant to be.

Continuing our conversation with Bill Drakeley from Watershapes University, Jarred and Eric talk about some common plaster problems like calcium nodules and delamination. According to Bill, the plaster will show defects in the concrete shell, so always start by thinking about the foundation of the pool when diagnosing plaster issues.

In this episode, Jarred and Eric interview Bill Drakeley of Watershapes University, a renowned expert in swimming pool shotcrete (and concrete in general). Flaws in shotcrete pool shells often come through plaster over time, so Bill discusses the do's and don'ts of proper shotcrete installation and mix design.

Eric challenges "pH dogma" by showing that pH does NOT control chlorine strength when cyanuric acid (CYA) is in the water. The free chlorine to cyanuric acid ratio (FC:CYA) determines chlorine strength.

Jarred and Eric talk about maximizing chemical efficiency, using the fewest chemicals possible, and having the purest, cleanest water possible with the least in it.

The Orenda App 3.0 includes borates as an option on the Orenda Calculator. Eric and Jarred dive deep into borate chemistry, how borates buffer pH, impact other chemistries, and how they impact the LSI. This episode contains nerdy talk.

If you're struggling to hold a chlorine reading after 7 days, this episode is for you. Most pools use 1 to 1.5 ppm of chlorine each day, but Eric and Jarred discuss what could be causing you to lose chlorine faster.

The LSI and chemical dosing results in the Orenda Calculator (version 3.0) are different than before. And they're different from other apps and dosing charts. Eric explains why.

Eric takes personal responsibility for the bugs in the Orenda 3.0 app release, and explains why Orenda has discontinued the Startup Barrel Platform.

We have just released a major update to the Orenda App. Version 3.0 features some major changes including improved formulas, more chemistry read-outs, predictive alkalinity, pH ceiling, and much more.

Orenda has a new help center, ask.orendatech.com. In this second-shortest-episode-yet, Eric and Jarred explain what the help center is, why it exists, and how to navigate it. Want answers fast? Try the help center first.

Phosphates in pools are measured using test kits that measure Orthophosphates. But there are many other phosphate compounds that use orthophosphates as building blocks, but won't show up on the test kit. Eric and Jarred talk about various types of phosphates found in swimming pools.

Warmer weather means chlorine does not last as long in the pool. But is it because more chlorine is lost to sunlight? Do you need more CYA? Or is something else at play? Eric and Jarred dive in deep on the truth about Cyanuric Acid and where chlorine is really going.

Orenda's teachings are often contrarian to industry standards, textbooks, and pool stores. In this episode, Jarred and Eric explain why that is. No apologies offered.

In the shortest, most cogent podcast episode yet, Eric explains Orenda's pre-drain spa scrub, SPA-500.

Eric walks through what a clarifier is, what chitosan is, and how they work in water. Then how to use CE-Clarifier and frequently asked questions. You know, all the boring stuff about our products. But hey, maybe this podcast will mean we can repeat ourselves less on the phone, so we've got that going for us.

This episode explains CV-600 and CV-700 enzymes, how enzymes work, and how to use them. Then Eric goes through the boring process of answering FAQs in a manner that one of those text-reading robots on YouTube could do (except the robot would do it better).

Eric explains How to use SC-1000, what it does, and how it's different from a sequestering agent. He also touches on frequently asked questions about SC-1000.

Due to popular request by our listeners, Eric explains what PR-10,000 is, how to use it, and answers frequently asked questions about it. PR-10,000 is Orenda's concentrated phosphate remover product.

By popular request from listeners, we are begrudgingly talking about Orenda products today. Specifically how to purge a pool with CV-600 or CV-700, and others. There will be follow-up episodes for each specific product and how they are used.

Eric and Jarred talk about Alkalinity in this episode. They distinguish between carbonate and corrected alkalinity vs. total alkalinity, and how to adjust them. Sure, there are some rabbit holes they go down, but Jarred masterfully guides the conversation back on track.

There has been a hole in our hearts at Orenda for the past week. We lost an employee to cancer. Kelly was diagnosed only about 7 or 8 weeks prior to her passing away. We felt it appropriate to introduce a charity that we are personally involved in: Swim Across America. Today's episode is with the CEO of Swim Across America, Rob Butcher. He explains what they do and how you can make a difference in cutting-edge research for experimental cancer treatments nationwide.

Jarred hosts this episode about how to clean pools after opening them in the spring. He and Eric talk about pools that were winterized, and those that are open year-round, and different things to consider when physically and chemically cleaning pools.

Eric and Jarred, for the first time on this podcast, talk about Orenda. Specifically the Orenda philosophy, and the 10-step process for implementing the Orenda program. If you want an Orenda Pool, this episode explains what that entails.

Eric briefly talks about calcium hardness, and explains how it can rise and fall. In short, if calcium increases, it's coming from somewhere. If calcium decreases, it's going somewhere. Two-breath summary at the end.

Eric walks through the chemistry created within a salt chlorine generator system. And yes, saltwater pools ARE chlorine pools. Eric also summarizes it all in three long-winded breaths at the end.

2022 is full of some of the same challenges we had in 2020 and 2021: material and product shortages, chlorine and acid shortages, and labor shortages. Eric asks questions you should ask yourself, to see if you are prepared for this upcoming summer season. It's coming soon.

Jarred and Eric talk about some common challenges that pool service companies face and the undeniable benefits of establishing a baseline of pool chemistry for the entire company. Standardizing pool chemistry the Orenda way can turn businesses around in a surprisingly short amount of time.

It's becoming harder and harder to find–and keep–good employees. Not just in the pool industry either. In this episode, Eric shares some ideas on how to build and strengthen a team/family atmosphere in your company. A cohesive team with some baseline standards across all pools develops collective intelligence amongst employees, and they begin to self-enforce a positive company culture.

Water can become discolored and stains can occur even if metals are not involved. In this episode, Eric talks about organic staining and discoloration, thanks to Tannins. They're relatively easy to manage if you regularly clean organic material out of your pool (leaves, pine needles, acorns, berries, etc.). If you let decaying organics stay in your pool or on your mesh safety cover, tannins can be a real problem.

When calcium hydroxide is drawn to the surface, it carbonates and turns white. We call this uneven carbonation, because it virtually never happens evenly across the entire pool. Eric discusses the two main causes of uneven carbonation.

Eric and Jarred talk about a common pool surface issue faced in colder climates: calcium crystals. Often mistaken for 'scale', crystals actually grow out of the cement as a consequence of cold, stagnant, aggressive water. Similar chemistry causes winter dust, but usually that's with pools that have solid covers and circulation in the winter months.

Eric covers the basics of calcium nodules, and shares the two leading opinions on the issue, from both the National Plasterer's Council (NPC) and onBalance. In short, water chemistry itself is not enough to stop or prevent nodules, as they are essentially like efflorescence. It's more of a physical problem with waterproofing than pool chemistry.

Eric and Ryan explore various forms of calcium dust and clouding. They don't all happen for the same reasons, and the LSI tells the story.

This episode is the first of a 5-part series on calcium issues in swimming pools. What is SCALE? And perhaps more importantly, what is not scale? Eric defines scale and describes different types of it, how you can know the differences, and how to prevent them from occurring in your pool.

When and why should a pool be drained, or partially drained and diluted? Is dilution always a solution to a chemistry problem? Eric shares his thoughts on dilution and when it's appropriate.

Because dissolved CO2 must leave the pool and equalize with the CO2 in the air, pH naturally rises until equilibrium is reached. We at Orenda call this point the "pH ceiling." But there are a few ways to resist this and suppress pH. This episode discusses them.

Joe and Eric expand upon the last episode about water chemistry testing, and talk about problems, mistakes and interferences.

Joe leads this episode on water chemistry testing, drawing from his 20+ years of water testing experience.

Eric is joined by the founder of Pool Service Software, Gus Velez. They discuss the new Orenda Help Desk feature within Pool Service Software, the SaaS program that helps pool companies have cloud-based control and insight over their business. We are working together to help PSS customers have in-field chemistry support.

Eric explains what parts-per-million (PPM) and parts-per-billion (PPB) mean. They are standard units of measurement for water chemistry, telling the density of a dissolved substance in water. And the measurement is rooted in the metric system.

Eric explores three common consequences of water penetrating through a weak concrete pool shell. No, concrete is not waterproof. Weepers, efflorescence and calcium nodules can occur when water migrates through concrete. Good shotcrete application and curing is usually enough, but sometimes additional waterproofing is necessary.

Eric and Jarred talk about different types of pool covers. When it comes to winter safety covers, each type needs different chemistry considerations like dilution and CO2 off-gassing.

Eric discusses closing pools for the off-season. As water temperature drops, the need for calcium hardness rises. LSI balance during the coldest water temperatures is the name of the game. After all, water naturally seeks balance.

In this brief episode, Eric talks about how wildfires affect pool chemistry. It's pretty simple: if you can smell the smoke, carbon, nitrogen and phosphates are getting into your pools. Be proactive, and learn how to clean up after. Above all, stay safe.

Eric and Jarred talk about the challenges of hosting a pool party. The chlorine demand surges, and is often overwhelmed. So being proactive and also cleaning up after-the-fact are important strategies.

Swimming pools evaporate roughly their entire volume of water in a year. Let's discuss how that impacts water chemistry. Eric covers dilution, accumulation of TDS, and other factors you should keep in mind.

This episode expands on Episode 29. It's a paradigm shift to think of pH as predictable, but it is, thanks to Henry's Law of physics. Eric drives home the points that pH does not need to be reduced to 7.4-7.6 each week, especially if there is any CYA in the water. Focus on containing pH instead, letting it rise naturally, and accounting for that rise with the LSI.

If you have a saltwater pool, you have probably seen calcium flakes or other calcium deposits in your pool. Eric and Jarred explain why this happens, and how to prevent it.

Eric and Joe expand on combined chlorine in this episode, and talk about the ways to reduce it in your water. Removing combined chlorine means destroying nitrogen compounds either chemically or with secondary systems like ozone, AOP or UV.

Does your pool have combined chlorine? Combined chlorine only happens when the water has nitrogen compounds in it. Chlorine combines with them in the oxidation process. This episode explains more about chloramines, organic and inorganic nitrogen.

The 2021 chlorine shortage has (not surprisingly) led to a muriatic acid shortage too. So what are the alternatives to muriatic acid? Eric and Joe introduce sulfuric acid, sodium bisulfate, and injecting CO2.

Shortly after Eric and Joe attempted (only somewhat successfully) to get headphones and microphones to stay connected, this episode discussed several ways to extend chlorine and optimize its efficiency. Some key takeaways: you can raise CYA in a controlled way, but supplementing chlorine is still a huge benefit. Also, we talk about combined chlorine and keeping ammonia out of your pool.

In a solo episode, Eric discusses the impending acid shortage, and how we can use less acid. Acid is overused in the pool business for several reasons discussed in this episode. Eric also dives into Henry's Law of physics, and explains why pH naturally rises, and how we must abandon attempts to 'control' pH, and instead 'contain' pH.

Harold Evans is a man of vast experience in the swimming pool business, and a penchant for blunt honesty. In this episode, we dissect his philosophy of minimalism in pool chemistry. We talk about why Orenda is contrarian in some aspects of education, but we always have the truth and the big picture in mind...even when it's inconvenient.

Treating others the way you want to be treated is the essence of The Golden Rule. In the pool business, that means treating customers with honesty and respect, but more than that, assertiveness. Respect goes both ways, because pool service professionals have to make a living too, and cannot be everything to everyone.

Pools can turn green for three main reasons (and some extra rare circumstances too). Water could be green from an imbalance of alkalinity and calcium hardness (too much alk relative to calcium), copper oxidation, or algae. In this episode, Jarred and Eric cover all three, and how to diagnose with the "white bucket test".

Swimming pools can turn green for several reasons. There are three main ones: copper oxidation, an imbalance of alkalinity and calcium, and of course the biggest culprit, algae.

Our fourth pillar is about minimizing Cyanuric Acid (CYA). CYA, also known as chlorine stabilizer, protects chlorine from sunlight degradation. Some is good, but too much is bad. The action step is simple: keep your CYA below 50 ppm.

Let's talk about phosphates, and why you should remove them from your water. Phosphates cannot be oxidized by chlorine, and they accumulate over time. Phosphates get into our pools via the tap water, sequestering agents, and nature. They accumulate over time. Remove phosphates and keep your level below 500 parts per billion (ppb).

Especially relevant amidst the current chlorine shortage, Orenda's second pillar is about supplementing chlorine. The bulk of contaminants in swimming pools are non-living organics. Chlorine is a powerful disinfectant, but a comparatively weak oxidizer. It is not designed to remove non-living organics from water. Enzymes and secondary oxidizer systems do a much better job.

Introducing Orenda's Four Pillars of proactive pool care. This episode is the first of a four-part series, in which we discuss the importance of the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI). It is the unbiased metric of water balance, and the Orenda calculator app is helping us understand how to use it and why it is so critically important in water chemistry.

In our fourth (and final) episode about different chlorine types, Eric covers the two stabilized chlorine types: Trichlor and Dichlor. Neither was originally meant to be primary chlorine types, but Trichlor, over the years, has been incredibly popular for its ease of use, affordability, and simplicity. But all that comes at a cost: CYA overstabilization.

Of all types of chlorine, Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal Hypo) might be the strongest, but it is also the most volatile to handle. Even its fumes can rust just about anything in your garage or storage container.

Liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) is a mainstay of the pool business, and what most people think of when saying the word “Chlorine." In this episode of Rule Your Pool, Eric and Jarred discuss the ebbs and flows of liquid chlorine as a sanitizer.

This episode and the next three are an overview of chemistry considerations and Orenda recommendations for how to manage pool chemistry based on its primary chlorine.

It's a short episode this week as we dive into a new topic: different kinds of chlorine. The next few episodes will focus on liquid chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, trichlor, and salt generated chlorine in that order.

Eric and Jarred wax nostalgiac about the dumpster fire of a year that was 2020, and give a few reasons why this year might be better.

COVID-19 is the main topic of this week's episode. Since the virus hit earlier this year, pool costs have been increasing, and they're set to really go up in 2021. Eric and Jarred talk about the factors that are forcing prices to go up, how COVID-19 changed the supply chain, alternatives to trichlor, and where the pool industry can go from here.

There are a ton of scenarios that can come into play when you're starting up a pool. The chemistry can be radically different even between pools across the street from one another. In this episode, Eric and Jarred go in-depth on the Orenda startup procedure, and how you can use it to prevent scale and etching on a freshly plastered pool.

Why is Orenda doing something so radically different than it has been done for so long? And why is it working? Eric and Jarred talk about the philosophy of the Orenda Startup in the first of a two-part series.

It's November and winter is coming. In fact, in some parts of the country, it's already here. In this episode, Eric and Jarred cover how your geographic location affects winterization, how the type of pool cover you have can affect your chemistry, and how different types of pool surfaces react differently to bad LSI balance and cold water.

Rule Your Pool is a podcast by Orenda Technologies. This show was created for pool owners, operators, and service pros who want the best water quality possible. If you want to know what's really going on with your swimming pool chemistry, this might be the podcast for you. Each week, we'll cover a new topic related to swimming pools, water chemistry, or indoor air quality. With our help, you'll be able to rule your pool without over-treating it with chemicals and wasting money.

Rule Your Pool is a podcast by Orenda Technologies. This show was created for pool owners, operators, and service pros who want the best water quality possible. If you want to know what's really going on with your swimming pool chemistry, this might be the podcast for you. Each week, we'll cover a new topic related to swimming pools, water chemistry, or indoor air quality. With our help, you'll be able to rule your pool without over-treating it with chemicals and wasting money.

Keeping CYA regulated is Orenda's fourth pillar of proactive pool care. CYA can wreak havoc on your pool chemistry if it isn't regulated - and that's especially true for the LSI.

"Man, let's just get real. That's a pretty sexy way of saying I have metals. Agree?"

In the swimming pool and spa industry, calcium is treated like it's a four-letter word. But if managed correctly, calcium hardness can be your best friend. So, what is calcium hardness anyway? According to the Rule Your Pool Guys, it’s the concentration of calcium in your pool, and the most stable factor of the LSI. Calcium is so stable, that Orenda bases their LSI management strategy around it.

How can a pool with textbook chemistry on closing be filled with crystals or dust when it opens back up? An analogy is to think of that swimming pool as a grizzly bear. You better feed it because if it has to wake up in the middle of the winter to eat, it's not going to be pretty.

If you divide up pool chemistry, there's really two subcategories of it. There is sanitization (which is water, clarity, cleanliness, and safety) and there is balance. Is your pool scaling, etching, filled with calcium dust or crystals? All of those problems are LSI violations. They can be completely prevented simply by balancing the LSI and keeping it balanced. Following the conventional wisdom of range chemistry doesn't guarantee that you will have balanced water. But following the Langelier Saturation Index does.

This episode boils pH down to three main points: The role that carbon dioxide plays in impacting the pH of water, the factors that both lower and raise pH, and how to manage pH in a proactive way so that you're not chasing it.

Most people in the swimming pool and spa industry know how to measure alkalinity, but they don't actually understand what it does. This episode explains what alkalinity is and how it's measured, why it slows down the change of pH, how pH determines the type of alkalinity present in a pool, and how alkalinity impacts the LSI in particular with something called carbonate alkalinity.

pH and total alkalinity are important water chemistry factors that are often confused and misunderstood. This episode explains in detail what each of them are, what they do, and how they interact with other pool chemistry. Since pH impacts just about every other chemistry in water, it is important to manage it properly, according to the physics of water. Too often, pool owners and operators try to control pH, but it is a futile, costly effort.

Rule Your Pool is a podcast by Orenda Technologies. This show was created for pool owners, operators, and service pros who want the best water quality possible. If you want to know what's really going on with your swimming pool chemistry, this might be the podcast for you. Each week, we'll cover a new topic related to swimming pools, water chemistry, or indoor air quality. With our help, you'll be able to rule your pool without over-treating it with chemicals and wasting money.