Poolean Blog
Plain-English guides to pool water chemistry, lifeguard staffing, pool logs and maintenance. Rules differ by state and county, so check your local health code.
Water chemistry 7
- Cloudy Commercial Pool Water: What Should You Check?Check if you can see the main drain, test chlorine and pH, check the filter pump, and know when the MAHC says to close a cloudy pool.5 min read
- Commercial Pool Chlorine Range: What Should You Use?The CDC model code's free chlorine minimums, the label and closure limits above them, and how to write a chlorine range sheet for each pool.5 min read
- Commercial Pool pH Range: How to Set Your Site's LimitsThe pH range in CDC's model pool code, the pH levels it treats as closure triggers, and how to record pH and follow up at your own site.5 min read
- High Combined Chlorine in a Commercial Pool: What It MeansLearn what combined chlorine is, how to calculate it, the 0.4 ppm action level in CDC guidance, and what to record and who to call.5 min read
- How Often Should Commercial Pool Water Be Tested?See the CDC's pool testing intervals (before opening, every 2 or 4 hours, weekly, monthly) and build a schedule that fits your local code.5 min read
- Pool Chemical Usage Forecasting: How to Estimate UseEstimate each pool's chemical use from your records, work out days of supply, and set an order date without guessing at doses.5 min read
- Pool Chlorine Dropping: What to Do Before It Gets Too LowLearn what an early chlorine warning means, how to check current water conditions, and what to record when staff respond.5 min read
Lifeguards and staffing 6
- How Many Lifeguards Does a Pool Need?How CDC's model pool code sets lifeguard numbers by zones, rotations and supervisors, plus a worked example to check against your local code.6 min read
- Lifeguard Call Out Procedure: What Should You Do?Set a clear lifeguard call-out process for manager notification, qualified replacements, coverage checks, and unresolved shifts.5 min read
- Lifeguard Certification Tracking Spreadsheet: What to IncludeBuild a lifeguard certification tracking spreadsheet with verified records, expiry dates, renewal steps, and clear manager checks.5 min read
- Lifeguard Chair Placement: Blind Spots and 3D Pool ModelsHow to check lifeguard chair positions for full zone views, 20-second reach and glare, and how a 3D pool model helps you prepare.5 min read
- Lifeguard Staffing Forecast: Weather and Pool CrowdsUse weather, holidays and past counts to estimate hourly crowds, then staff every zone with rotations, breaks and backup.6 min read
- Weekly Lifeguard Schedule Template: How to Build OneBuild a weekly lifeguard schedule around pool hours, staff qualifications, breaks, coverage needs, and approved changes.5 min read
Pool operations 4
- Commercial Pool Opening Checklist for the SeasonA seasonal pool opening checklist: health department approval, equipment, test kits, chemicals, staff papers, first water tests and records.6 min read
- Daily Commercial Pool Opening ChecklistA daily commercial pool opening checklist: staff, before-opening water tests, the site walk, and when the pool must stay closed.5 min read
- Pool Reopening Checklist: What to Check After a ClosureWhat to check before reopening a pool after a closure for poop, lightning, chemistry or equipment, and what to record.5 min read
- Pool Supervisor Site Visit ChecklistLearn what to review during a pool supervisor visit and how to record concerns, staff feedback, and follow-up work.5 min read
Maintenance 2
- Build a Commercial Pool Preventive Maintenance ScheduleBuild a pool maintenance schedule from equipment manuals, the CDC's model code, local rules, service history, and clear task owners.5 min read
- Pool Leak vs Evaporation: How Can You Tell?How EPA's bucket test compares evaporation with a leak, what to record, warning signs of a leak, and when to call a leak professional.5 min read
Safety 2
- How to Write a Pool Lightning Closure PolicyUse National Weather Service guidance and the CDC's model code to plan pool storm closures, shelter, staff roles, records, and reopening.5 min read
- What Goes in a Pool Fecal Incident Response Log?A field-by-field fecal incident log based on CDC's Water Contamination Response Log, plus what to record before a pool reopens.5 min read
Records and logs 5
- Commercial Pool Water Test Log Template: What to IncludeA ready-to-copy pool water test log template with the fields the CDC model code lists, plus rules for test times, blanks and corrections.5 min read
- How to Prepare Pool Records for a Health InspectionA records checklist for pool health inspections, built from the CDC model code: permits, water logs, certificates, incident logs and earlier findings.5 min read
- NYC Pool Inspection Data: How Often Violations Were FoundSee how often NYC routine pool inspections recorded violations, how indoor and outdoor results differed, and what the counts cannot tell us.4 min read
- Paper vs. Digital Pool Logs: What Should You Compare?Compare paper and digital pool logs on required fields, corrections, access, work without a signal, retention and exports, with a test you can run.5 min read
- Which Pools Need Attention Before a Health Inspection?Rank your pools before inspections using CDC's model inspection form: current hazards, record gaps, past findings and open repairs.6 min read
Running a pool company 5
- How to Choose Pool Management Software: A Demo ChecklistCompare pool software through practical questions about water records, staffing, maintenance, access, offline work, exports, and pricing.5 min read
- How to Compare Pool Operating Costs Across Your SitesCompare similar pools using clear records for chemical use, water loss, closures, staffing gaps, and costs over matching periods.5 min read
- How to Manage Multiple Pool Sites Each MorningA morning review for pool companies: what each site reports, which problems come first, and a template to track who owns each follow-up.5 min read
- Pool Management Software Comparison: What Each Tool DoesCompare spreadsheets, DigiQuatics, HydroApps, scheduling software, and Poolean on the jobs a commercial pool team does every day.5 min read
- When to Reorder Pool Chemicals: Chlorine and AcidUse stock counts, daily use, delivery times, and a supply buffer to decide when each pool needs its next chemical order.5 min read
Using Poolean 6
- How Does Poolean Work Without a Signal?Learn which records stay on your phone, how offline entries keep their times, and what to check when uploads resume.5 min read
- How to Import Pool Records Into Poolean: What to PrepareLearn how to prepare an export, review pool and equipment records, and confirm what can transfer before you switch.5 min read
- How to Log Pool Water Tests in PooleanRecord water readings and test photos from a phone, review flagged results, use early alerts, and match your logging to public testing guidance.5 min read
- How to Record Site Visits and Follow Tasks in PooleanLearn how pool visit records, guard photos, assigned tasks, and progress reviews support a clear supervisor handoff.5 min read
- Poolean Equipment QR Code and NFC Lookup: How It WorksHow QR codes and NFC tags open equipment records, what works without a signal, and a tagging checklist based on CDC daily checks.5 min read
- Poolean Property Manager Read-Only Pool View: What Can You See?What property managers and boards see in the read-only pool view, how to read logs and closures, and which questions to ask the operator.5 min read
For operators 15
- Breakpoint Chlorination Math for Commercial PoolsSize a breakpoint dose from the MAHC 10x rule, pool volume and product strength, and learn when water exchange or the air plan is the better fix.9 min read
- CYA to Free Chlorine Ratio: Working the 45:1 MathRun the MAHC 45:1 CYA to free chlorine ratio as a daily number, see how trichlor feeds drift toward it, and work the drain-and-refill fraction.8 min read
- Chemical Feeder Interlock: Monthly Challenge Test and RecordsHow to run and log the MAHC monthly chemical feeder interlock challenge test, what to do on a fail, and a 30-pool calendar that catches missed tests.9 min read
- Hyperchlorination Math: CT Values and the CYA Drain TableHow to get hyperchlorination hold times from the MAHC CT value, when CYA forces a drain, and how to pick 20, 30 or 40 ppm to reopen on time.9 min read
- Langelier Saturation Index Worksheet for Commercial PoolsWork the MAHC Annex Langelier formula and factor table by hand, with an indoor and an outdoor example, a lever order and a 30-pool monthly sheet.8 min read
- Lifeguard In-Service Training Plan That Meets MAHC 6.3.3.4Build a lifeguard in-service plan around MAHC 6.3.3.4: the four record fields, the consecutive rescue demo, certificate rules and a 20-pool season plan.10 min read
- Lifeguard Rotation Math: Zones, Relief and the 60-Minute RuleTurn MAHC 6.3.3.1 into a rotation worksheet: zones, relief guards, minutes per station and handoff time that keep every guard under 60 minutes.9 min read
- Monthly Pool Client Report for HOA Boards and HotelsBuild a one-page monthly pool report for HOA boards and hotels: exceptions first, then water replacement, chemistry and flow trends, closures and repairs.10 min read
- NYC Pool Inspections by Month: When Violations PeakNYC routine pool inspections by month, indoor versus outdoor, and re-inspection rates, with a readiness calendar and every caveat in the data.9 min read
- Pool Chemical Release Response Plan: HAZMAT Decision PointsBuild the MAHC accidental chemical release plan: five required procedures, HAZMAT decision points, weekly supply checks, storage rules and a drill sheet.9 min read
- Pool Records Audit: MAHC 6.4.1 Checklist and 3-Year RetentionAudit your pool records against MAHC 6.4.1: the 17 daily items, inspections, logs and 3-year retention, with a worksheet and a sample audit.10 min read
- Pool Supervisor Route Planning: Visit Frequency and Drive TimeSet supervisor visit frequency from code floors and risk tiers, check it against visits-per-day math, and rebuild the route when a supervisor is out.9 min read
- Pool Turnover Time and Flow Rate: Auditing Your Pump RoomTurn flow-meter readings into turnover hours, check filter loading, read the MAHC bather-load method, and set a trend rule that flags falling flow early.8 min read
- Pool Water Replacement Math: 4 Gallons per Bather and DilutionTurn daily attendance into the MAHC discharge volume, count backwash correctly, and use the dilution formula to predict CYA, TDS and calcium after a drain.9 min read
- Qualified Operator Coverage: MAHC's 2-Hour Rule for Many PoolsClassify each pool under MAHC 6.3.1 as onsite, within 2 hours or weekly contract, then size operators, drive time and visit records for 10, 30 or 60 pools.10 min read