Tom Tynan:
What better way to beat the heat than a dip in the pool? But to get the most out of your pool when that mercury soars, year-round maintenance is crucial.
Joe, preventative maintenance in any kind of home problem is important. What kind of preventative maintenance can a homeowner do for their pool?
Joe Puccio:
It’s always good if you can have a maintenance company take care of it. Mainly, just keep the equipment working properly and then everything else kind of falls in place.
Tom Tynan:
What is the number one mistake people make with their taking care of their own pools?
Joe Puccio:
Chemistry. Most of the time they over chlorinate their pool, they’ll put too much shock in. Just keep the chemistry right. You don’t have to over chlorinate.
Tom Tynan:
What are the pieces of equipment that need the most maintenance or repair?
Joe Puccio:
Naturally, the filter. Your pumps for leaking, and because anytime you have a leak, it dilutes the chemicals. So it’s very important to make sure you don’t have any leaks.
Tom Tynan:
What’s the most critical time of year when the filter gets the dirtiest?
Joe Puccio:
Winter as far as dirt and debris getting in the pool and then summer, more chemistry.
Tom Tynan:
Joe, in Clean and Clear Pools, I know you guys get called out for inspections that are on pools may be 20 years old and haven’t really been maintained well, or they just don’t seem the same anymore. What are the things you do when you do those inspections?
Joe Puccio:
Well, on the inspections, we like to make sure the electrical is working properly. The grounding, the bonding. Also, we want to make sure that there’s no leaks and damaged equipment and valves that aren’t working properly. That’s the main things we look for.
Tom Tynan:
So it sounds like your number one inspection that you go to first is for safety.
Joe Puccio:
Absolutely. We like to make sure that it’s safe.
Tom Tynan:
Like vacuum cleaners and stuff and they’re not working, can they bring them in and get them fixed?
Joe Puccio:
Absolutely. We are the warranty station for Jandy and Polaris. Yes, we can fix all that in house.
Tom Tynan:
You have a lot of automated components you could put on a pool. Explain some of the new automations that are available for people.
Joe Puccio:
Well, on the new automations, most of them are operated by apps. So you can be at home or you can be in London and still operate your pool. The new automations are much more precise as far as setting times, so it’s almost a must if you have a new pool to have an automated system.
Tom Tynan:
What can people do who are DIYers that want to take care of their pool, can they come to you and get the advice and their equipment fixed and things like that if they bring it in and talk to you?
Joe Puccio:
Yes. The people in my store are trained and I set that store up for do-it-yourselfers. We have all the testing equipment to test the water, to test salt cells. And I will answer questions for the customer as well.
Tom Tynan:
That level of expertise is what makes Clean and Clear Pools my certified pool maintenance, pool repair and pool products HomeShow Pro. For homeshowradio.com, I’m Tom Tynan.
