
About this episode
Welcome to the episode where three seasoned pool pros from opposite sides of the planet casually admit…
👉 nobody does floccing the same way
👉 everyone thinks they’re right
👉 and somehow… they all still get paid
Yes, this is the “we’ve been doing this for 60+ years combined and still argue like it’s day one” episode.
🌏 What You’re Walking Into:
Lee is holding it down in New South Wales, Nick is on vacation but somehow still talking shop, and Shane is over in New Zealand ready to throw powdered alum at anything that looks remotely green, brown, black… or emotionally unstable.
There’s rugby rivalry. There’s mild political comparisons. There’s a toaster in a service truck.
Yes… a toaster. Priorities.
🧪 Today’s Topic: FLOCCING POOLS
Or as this episode proves:
“Three techs. Three methods. Same result. Total chaos.”
🧨 What Gets Unleashed:
- Shane goes full “dump it in the skimmer and let God sort it out”
- Nick mixes it like he’s crafting a potion in a backyard cauldron
- Lee shows up with a watering can like she’s baptizing the pool into clarity
And somehow…
👉 All of it works
👉 None of it matches the label
👉 The label contradicts itself anyway
(Seriously… one product says pH 6.5–7… then immediately says 8.2. Pick a lane, chemicals.)
🧠 Key Takeaways (If You Can Call Them That):
- Floc doesn’t care about your feelings… but it does care about pH, alkalinity, and whether your pump is garbage
- Dead spots in circulation will ruin your day faster than a customer saying “it was clear yesterday”
- You can underdose floc… or overdose it and create a science experiment that fights back
- Sometimes the best method is:
👉 brute force
👉 blind scooping
👉 and emotional detachment
🧟♂️ Real Field Horror:
One pool described as:
“You couldn’t see your fingertip in it.”
Another featuring:
“a new species growing out of the skimmer.”
Congratulations. You’re not a pool tech anymore.
You’re a biological researcher with a net.
⚡ Rapid Fire Chaos:
- Floc floating instead of sinking? Congrats, you broke physics.
- Cartridge filter + alum tablet? Enjoy your new brick.
- Customer vacuuming after floc? Say goodbye to all your hard work.
🧬 The Unspoken Truth:
There is no single “right” way.
There is only:
👉 what works
👉 what you think works
👉 and what you’ll defend in a Facebook argument at 2AM
🏁 Final Thought:
This episode isn’t about floc.
It’s about the reality that in this industry:
Experience beats instructions.
Results beat theory.
And everyone secretly thinks their way is the best… even when it’s not.
📬 Got a better method?
Email it in.
Rudy will route it to the appropriate host…
…and they will absolutely argue about it on air.
🎧 Listen. Learn. Disagree aggressively.
Welcome to Talking Pools.
Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:
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