Pool Safety Alert: Chemical Hazards You Must Know

A clean pool should never cost a pair of lungs or a blown-up skimmer. We take you straight into the chemistry that turns everyday products into hazards—how waterlogged trichlor creates choking fumes, why a puck in the skimmer sends an acid slug through your heater, and the exact mixes that can explode with shocking force. With clear examples from the field and a sobering real-world fatality, we unpack what causes these reactions and show you how small changes in habit prevent big emergencies.

We break down the most dangerous pairings—trichlor with cal hypo, trichlor with liquid chlorine—and explain safer dosing strategies that rely on circulation and dilution in the full pool, not the skimmer or a five-gallon bucket. You’ll learn why calcium chloride must stand alone or it will cloud and crust your surfaces, plus how clarifiers and metal sequestering agents clash to make water milkier, not clearer. We also cover phosphate removers, overdosing pitfalls that flatten chlorine levels, and the foaming mess that follows heavy-handed enzyme or certain algaecide use—along with fast fixes and better habits.

Safety extends beyond the waterline. We outline storage and transport rules that keep acid and liquid chlorine apart in your truck and shed, reduce spill risk, and meet local compliance requirements. From opening unknown trichlor buckets without taking a lungful, to spacing chemical additions and ventilating work zones, these are practical steps any homeowner or pool pro can follow to avoid injuries, fines, and costly repairs.

• trichlor fume risks in wet buckets, feeders, and floaters
• why tablets in the skimmer damage heaters and stain surfaces
• explosive reactions between trichlor and cal hypo or liquid chlorine
• safe handling of calcium chloride as a standalone addition
• clarifier and metal sequestering agent conflicts that cause cloudiness
• phosphate remover timing and avoiding overdosing
• enzyme and some algaecide foaming and how to fix it
• storage and transport protocols to separate acid and chlorine
• city compliance, p

Send us Fan Mail

Support the Pool Guy Podcast Show Sponsors! 

HASA 
https://bit.ly/HASA

The Bottom Feeder. Save $100 with Code: DVB100
https://store.thebottomfeeder.com/

Try Skimmer FREE for 30 days:
https://getskimmer.com/poolguy 

Get UPA Liability Insurance $64 a month! https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBA

Pool Guy Coaching: https://bit.ly/40wFE6y

Support the show

Thanks for listening, and I hope you find the Podcast helpful! For other free resources to further help you:
Visit my Website: https://www.swimmingpoollearning.com
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SPL
Podcast Site: https://the-pool-guy-podcast-show.onpodium.com/

UPA General Liability Insurance Application: https://forms.gle/F9YoTWNQ8WnvT4QBA

Pool Guy Coaching Group

Join an exclusive network of Pool Service Technicians to access the industry’s leading commercial general liability insurance program. Protect your business.

Premium is $64 per month per member (additional $40 for employees and ICs)

$59 per month for Pool Guy coaching Members - join here! https://www.patreon.com/poolguycoaching

Limits are $1,000,000 in occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate - Per member limits

     [ $1,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 aggregate available for $75 per month ]

$50,000 in HazMat Coverage - clean up on-site or over-the-road

Acid Wash Coverage - Full Limits