You’re Not Testing the Pool, You’re Testing a Lie - Rudy

Pool Pros text questions here

This Friday episode blends industry culture, community engagement, and high-level water chemistry into one unapologetically direct conversation. Rudy challenges a foundational assumption in pool care—that water can be “captured” and tested as-is—and dismantles it by exposing the dominant role of temperature in every chemical interaction.

Along the way, he introduces new listener giveaways, reinforces the importance of mentorship in the industry, and delivers a mix of humor and hard truth that defines the Talking Pools voice.

🎁 Listener Giveaways Announcement

•  New recurring giveaway: Talking Pools Podcast shirts (by Revved Up Apparel) 
•  Format: 
  •  A hidden “buzzword” will be placed in select Friday episodes 
  •  Listeners must submit the buzzword when prompted on the podcast’s Facebook page 
  •  Winners selected at random 
•  Previous winners and prizes included: 
  •  Sunglasses 
  •  Blu-ray XL product packs 
  •  Jack’s Magic swag 

👉 Designed to reward loyal listeners and increase engagement within the community.

🏆 2026 Mentor of the Year Award

•  Nominations open now through May 15, 2026
•  Submit at: mentoraward.com
•  Focus: Recognizing individuals who have mentored and elevated others in the pool industry
•  Selection process: 
  •  Merit-based (not popularity-driven) 
  •  Top 10 finalists recognized 
  •  One winner receives a custom championship belt

Sponsors include:

• Blu-ray XL (Title Sponsor) 
• Revved Up Apparel (Sponsor) 

👉 Core message: The industry grows faster when knowledge is passed forward, not rediscovered.

🧠 Main Topic: The Temperature Illusion in Water Testing

Key Thesis:
You are not testing the pool—you are testing a changing sample removed from its original environment.

🌡️ Temperature: The Dominant Variable

•  Temperature doesn’t just influence chemistry—it redefines it
•  Every test result is condition-dependent
•  Once a sample is pulled: 
  •  Gas exchange begins immediately 
  •  Chemical equilibria shift 
  •  Results begin drifting 

👉 The number you read is not what the water is—it’s what the water became

⚗️ Core Chemical Impacts of Temperature

1. Gas Solubility & pH Shift

•  Higher temp → lower gas solubility 
•  CO₂ leaves water → carbonic acid drops → pH rises
•  This is not an error—it’s natural equilibrium behavior

2. Reaction Speed

•  Hot water: 
  •  Faster chlorine consumption 
  •  Faster oxidation 
•  Cold water: 
  •  Slower reactions 
  •  “False stability” 

👉 “Fast” doesn’t mean broken. “Slow” doesn’t mean stable.

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