It’s springtime, which means it is pollen season. Not only is everybody loading up on allergy medicine, but your customer’s pools are likely filled with pollen, blooms, mulch, spring flowers, left-over leaves, and grass clippings. This can lead to cloudy water, clogged filters, and other issues that make it difficult to enjoy the pool.
Rising water temperatures mean pools have become steeping teacups. Algae blooms can come quickly and get out of control. As a pool professional, there are steps you can take to help your clients keep their pools clean and clear throughout pollen season. And, of course, Skimmer pool service software can help.
Here are six tips for managing pollen season.
6 Tips for Pool Pros to Manage Pollen Season
1. Require a photo to complete a service stop
In Skimmer, you can require your technicians to take a photo in order to finish their route stop. You can set this up by going to your Settings > Service Emails > check the checkbox to Require a Photo with Each Stop.
Doing this will enable experienced pool professionals (you!) to visually monitor algae bloom. If you have a team in the field or even newer team members who are less experienced, this will ensure no algae slips through your vigilance.
Here is an example photo of a completed route stop inside the Service Email.
2. Educate your customers
Educating your customers about proper maintenance during pollen season can prevent more work for yourself and save your customer money. Make sure they understand the importance of regularly skimming the pool and maintaining proper water chemistry. If not, they may have to have their pool shocked or treated with algeacide.
Create a custom message to let your customer know you’re clearing out springtime debris in the pool upon every visit, but that taking care of their pool is a partnership between you both. It helps if they can keep the pool area clear and the pool skimmed to maintain balance.
The easiest way to do this in Skimmer is with a Service Email. In the app, go to your Settings → Service Email Messages. Here you can draft a message like the one below and save it for when you need to use it in the future.
“Between visits, we encourage you to help us maintain the quality and safety of your pool by keeping the area clear of springtime debris (like grass clippings) and doing a little skimming of debris on the water.”
You can also consider educating pool and spa owners on phosphates:
“Springtime debris like grass clippings, leaves, and pollen are phosphates. At high enough levels, phosphates enable algae growth in your pool (and use up chlorine!). Our goal is to keep phosphate levels low enough that they won’t help algae grow.”
If you’re treating their pool with algaecide, phosphate remover, or need to shock the pool, create a custom message for your team to drop into a customer’s Service Email.
“This week, we used [insert chemical] in your pool. Please do not swim for the next 24 hours.”
3. Step up your readings
Maintaining proper water chemistry is important year-round, but it's crucial to maintain a healthy pool during pollen season.
Some readings to keep in mind include:
- Filter pressure - Making sure the filter is properly functioning and clean is of utmost importance. Compare your filter pressure readings to the baseline filter pressure configured in Pool Info. We also recommend enabling technicians to create work orders in the field to ensure rapid turnaround.
- Temperature - Warm pools are higher risk. Compare your temperature readings to the baseline temperature in Pool Info. Consider the possibility of selling chillers, or heater/chiller units. Help your customers protect the safety of their swimming pool, increase your revenue per pool, and reduce the amount of required care. If you sell pool covers, consider selling to customers so they can protect their pool and can keep their water chemistry more consistent.
4. Set up a checklist item
Sometimes technicians need a little reminder to stay vigilant about algae. A great way to communicate with your team in the field is to create a checklist item. In Skimmer, navigate to Settings → Service Checklist to add a universal checklist item, or go to the individual customer to add a checklist item for only those who need it. This way, you can set up a reminder that must be cleared for your technician to look out for algae as they brush the pool.
5. Filter Cleanings
During pollen season, pool filters can become clogged with debris. Make sure to clean the filters regularly to prevent this from happening. If your client has a sand filter, backwash it frequently to remove any debris that may have accumulated. If the filter needs replacing, do so promptly to ensure the pool stays clean and clear.
This is another great opportunity to allow your technicians to create work orders. This way, they can alert the office of potential problems with the filter and get them repaired quickly.
6. Wear Sunglasses
This hot tip is an easy one to commit to. You just need to wear sunglasses in the field on sunny and overcast days. Why? The polarization of the sunglasses helps cut through the glare of the water, making it easier to see into the pool and spot any abnormalities.
With these tools in your toolbelt, this pollen season will be a breeze. Remember to stay vigilant by doing visual checks, chemistry checks, and regular skimming, and build a partnership with your customer to help with some of that load.
Pool pros can do all of this in one app with Skimmer, a pool service management software that enables you to schedule your team, communicate with your customers, invoice, and keep track of billing.
If you aren’t already a member of the Skimmer community, watch this demo and discover how Skimmer can help you build a successful and profitable pool cleaning business this season.
