
About
Rule Your Pool is a podcast by Orenda Technologies. This show was created for pool owners, operators, and service pros who want the best water quality possible. If you want to know what's really going on with your swimming pool chemistry, this might be the podcast for you. Each week, we'll cover a new topic related to swimming pools, water chemistry, or indoor air quality. With our help, you'll be able to rule your pool without over-treating it with chemicals and wasting money.
Latest Episodes
View all 190 episodesService 2211: Essential Water Chemistry is now available on Watershape.org
Water Chemistry vs. Natural Stone
Ep 187Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filtration (w/ Matt Mueller)
[00:00] - Intro [01:50] - Matt Mueller's Background [08:49] - Issues that Led to Reverse Osmosis [11:03] - Draining and Refilling Depends on Tap Water Chemistry [12:33] - The RO Process [17:17] - The RO Experience, from a Customer's Perspective [21:34] - Is Dilution the Solution to Pollution? [23:14] - Density Stratification [29:36] - How Low Should You Go? [34:32] - What is Osmosis? [36:09] - Is it Drinking Water Safe? [37:27] - Flow Rates [39:00] - How Much Does RO Filtration Cost? [41:19] - Biofouling [46:06] - What Can Be Removed from Water? [47:10] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 186186. NEW COURSE! C4633: Advanced Inflatable Watershape Installation Workshop
You asked, so we answered. Thanks to feedback from students, instructors and sponsors like you, we are pleased to announce a new advanced construction course, addressing an underserved segment of the swimming pool industry. Construction 4633:Advanced Inflatable Watershape Installation Workshop (8) This eight (8) hour course packs in two days worth of information into one action-packed workshop. You will learn the five fundamental steps to selecting and installing an inflatable watershape. Learn how to select the right inflatable watershape for your clients to harmonize with the aesthetic of their home's architectural style and their landscape design. Apply our core design principles to WOW your clients and make their dream become reality. What you will learn Installation techniques and best practices Leak prevention and repair (besides duct tape) Ongoing maintenance, including: Avoiding swimming with sharp objects Maximum chemical levels to avoid a lawsuit Crafting a limited lifetime warranty that absolves you of any and all responsibility for literally anything that can go wrong Tips and techniques for effective photography of the completed project to add to your portfolio Cost: $8,000 ...or just 8 easy payments of $1000, if you want to be like that. And oh yeah... Happy April Fools Day. ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 185Allergic to Chlorine? A Microbiology Lesson (w/ Roy Vore, Ph.D.)
[00:00] - Intro [01:10] - Degrees of Chlorine Exposure [03:51] - Our Bodies Produce Chlorine [08:16] - Drinking Water is Chlorinated [10:27] - Combined Chlorine and other Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) [16:07] - Prolonged Exposure to Chloramines and Bacteria [23:28] - Is Swimmer's Ear an RWI? [27:03] - Disinfection Contact Times (CT) and Cleaning Agents [28:13] - Organic and Inorganic Chloramines [30:09] - Chemistry by Committee [39:43] - Our Industry Lacks Academic Research [42:20] - CMAHC [44:21] - Back to Bather Comfort and Irritation [47:55] - Signs of Trouble [50:00] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 184Personalized Pool Chemistry (w/ Keegan Rivera)
[00:00] - Intro [01:12] - Keegan's Background [03:45] - Using Engineering to Simplify Pool Care Advice [05:43] - The Reality of Algaecides [07:07] - Access to Information has Increased [08:55] - Personalized Calculations for YOUR Pool [10:56] - Common Homeowner Questions [12:31] - Take the Quiz, Order your Kit, and Customize it as Needed [14:22] - PersonalizedPool.com, and the My Pool Plan app [21:43] - This is innovative and the first of its kind ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 183AI: My Unsolicited Opinions
[00:00] - Intro [00:55] - I remember when AI came out [03:03] - An uncertain future [04:23] - AI recognizes AI [06:24] - Truth and reality are blurred now [07:26] - The Trades are the future [09:07] - Humanity must prevail [10:46] - Mass disruption [12:05] - Automation is already here [14:27] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 182Understanding Adjusted Alkalinity
00:00] - Intro [00:36] - Adjusted Alkalinity on a Pool Store Printout [01:34] - Adjusted Alkalinity = Carbonate Alkalinity [03:10] - Cyanurate and Borate also contribute to Total Alkalinity [04:42] - Increasing CYA increases TA. About 1/3 of CYA is Cyanurate Alkalinity [06:14] - Is Adjusted Alkalinity the "Real" Alkalinity? [07:37] - One Breath Summary ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 181Swim School Chemistry (w/ Olympian Davis Tarwater)
00:00] - Intro [02:20] - Davis Tarwater's background [08:24] - Water quality challenges [18:20] - Swimmer irritation [24:31] - Embrace the pH rise and plan for it [26:56] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 180Dad Mode: Unlocked
[00:00] - Intro[01:43] - New Baby and 2026 Goals[05:44] - Service 2211 has been recorded, and will soon be online[07:48] - 2026: A Building Year for Watershape U[09:01] - Watershape U = Education + Reinforcement and Networking[12:10] - The new WU Service Track[13:33] - Upcoming WU Classes at Shows[20:20] - Closing[21:27] - Service 2211: Essential Water Chemistry - Unit A, Part 1[24:49] - Learning Outcomes and Introduction[27:13] - A.1 Hydrolysis, Saturation and Solubility[31:51] - A.2 Water Chemistry Ranges ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 179Winterizing Pools Against Crystals (w/ Rob Romano and Bill Drakeley)
[00:00] - Intro[00:33] - Pool industry lifers[07:25] - How pools are winterized in the Northeast[11:51] - How cold is too cold to plaster?[16:50] - Calcium chloride in the plaster mix[22:06] - Freeze damage protection[27:40] - Dilution's impact on the LSI during the winter[33:51] - Testing fill water, and smart winterizing[36:10] - Company culture of learning[45:21] - Scale vs. calcium crystals[52:50] - Accountability[1:00:40] - Water and air physics[1:10:38] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 178Protecting Pool Plaster (w/ Jeff Smith)
______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 177Reinforced PVC Membranes (w/ Tony Jordan and Jeremy Heersink)
[00:00] - Preface - Education Vacation Recap[03:10] - Actual Introduction[09:13] - New WU Class - C3291: Reinforced PVC Membrane Workshop[14:35] - PVC membranes in cold climates[16:33] - Installation and costs[30:46] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 176Essential Pool Equipment Taught by the Masters (w/ Rocco Russo)
[00:00] - Intro[01:12] - Introducing Rocco Russo[06:15] - AI Displacement vs. Tribal Knowledge[08:49] - 2025 Trainer of the Year[20:50] - What to expect from S1311: Essential Pool Equipment - The Core Four[33:44] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 175Tile Mastery (w/ Jimmy Reed)
[00:00] - Introducing Jimmy Reed[07:58] - Weeks of precise prep work before tile goes in[12:12] - The challenge is the point.[13:46] - The Art and Science of Tile Work[15:23] - C2611: Essential Tile Workshop[18:58] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 174Hands-on Plastering Education (w/ Jon Temple)
[00:00] - Intro[01:32] - Introducing Tempool[04:33] - Common denominator lately: Residue[06:21] - Easily distorted mix ratios[23:22] - Rock-to-Rock Pebble Finish Exposure[24:54] - Standardizing Systems[26:50] - Exposure problems and Hot starts ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 173Shotcrete Science (w/ Charles Hanskat, P.E.)
[00:00] - Introducing Charles Hanskat, P.E.[01:26] - Shotcrete History[06:39] - Shotcrete depends on velocity for compaction[09:44] - Wet mix vs. Dry mix. What's right for you?[11:38] - Water, Cement, and Time[15:39] - Slump[17:58] - Compressive strength[19:46] - Aggregates[21:25] - Standards and Minimums[24:36] - Shrinkage and Cracks[32:10] - Ideal conditions and Curing[39:21] - Weepers[42:29] - WU and ASA Shotcrete Certifications[46:15] - Closing ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 172Social Kick (w/ Bryan Lundquist)
[00:00] - Introducing Bryan Lundquist[02:15] - Swimming Talk[15:48] - Cloudy water, from a swimmer's perspective[20:53] - Changing expectations of water quality[27:09] - ChloramineConsulting.com[29:33] - Showering before swimming, and not peeing in the pool[36:27] - Swimming in natural water (a lake)[40:24] - Unqualified Pool Advice ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 171My statement of purpose.
[00:00] - Intro[00:58] - To pool professionals.[05:41] - To you, the individual listener.[08:47] - To the industry in general.[11:28] - To homeowners.[18:30] - To me.[21:20] - Upcoming education events. ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool
Ep 170Rebirth.
You asked for more podcasts and great information. But instead, we brought Eric back.The new email address is [email protected] notes optional. ______________________________Connect with us! Realize your full potential.Watershape University®Water chemistry questions?Orenda®Questions? Comments? Or apply to sponsor the show:[email protected] Facebook: @ruleyourpoolYouTube: @rule-your-pool