from Hawaii were included in this region. The Southwest represents 26 percent of the responses we received in this year’s survey.

Responses to the survey were particularly heavy from Texas and Arizona, and are thus more reliable of the maintenance preferences of those two states in particular.

Service technicians responding to the survey reported a higher use of test strips than for all other testing methods: test strips are is used by 55 percent. About 52 percent of respondents use DPD and 28 percent use OTO to assess chlorination levels. ORP is used by only 7 percent of those who responded.

Respondents from this region indicated a preference for trichlor tabs as a chlorination method: 83 percent use trichlor. This area pays an average price of about $149.99 for 50 pounds, or $3.33 per pound of available chlorine. Liquid chlorine is used less frequently with 66 percent claiming usage. Here, the cost of liquid chlorine was reported to be $3.25 per gallon.

Calcium hypochlorite is also widely used by 59 percent of those responding to the survey, where they pay a relatively low median price of $2.15 per pound of available chlorine. About 24 percent of respondents use dichlor, paying a median price of between $3.56 and $4 per pound of available chlorine, depending on whether or not the dichlor is anhydrous.

Many professionals in this region have pools equipped with automatic cleaners. One hundred percent reported that at least one of their pools has a cleaner with a median of 95 percent of all pools employing a cleaner. Slightly more service professionals reported the use of pressure side cleaners over suction side cleaners, used in 50 percent and 46 percent of pools respectively, with 4 percent of pools using robotic cleaners.

Chlorine generators are common for service professionals in this region. While 97 percent of those responded have a generator on at least one of their pools, an average of 17 percent of all their pools are so equipped.

Fifty-five percent of respondents indicated that about 5 percent of their pools utilize UV; 59 percent of respondents said 11 percent of their pools incorporate ozone; and 14 percent of respondents indicated that their pools have AOP systems on less than one percent of their pools.

Florida

The service industry in Florida is large enough for it to qualify as a separate region. Florida represents 12 percent of the responses received.

Floridians have typically reported a high use of liquid chlorine in years past, and again this year they reported relatively high trichlor use. About 85 percent of Florida service professionals reported relying on liquid chlorine. Compared to the rest of the country, they get a great deal on the chemical at an average price of $1.00 per gallon.

Trichlor use is just as common, used by 85 percent of respondents, averaging $144 per 50 pounds, or $3.16 per pound of available chlorine.

Fifty-four percent of service professionals reported using calcium hypochlorite at $2.48 per pound of available chlorine. Because only 7 percent reported using dichlor, data was insufficient to provide pricing.

Responses to our survey indicate that service professionals in Florida primarily use DPD as their means of accessing chlorine concentrations; 99 percent of respondents use this method. Test strips used by 46 percent of respondents and OTO and ORP were used by 8 percent of respondents.

Salt water chlorine generators are commonly encountered by Florida pool techs. A total of 99 percent of professionals responded that they have at least one pool on their route with a generator, and of the pools reported for this region, 40 percent employ a chlorine generator.

Most Florida pool professionals encounter automatic pool cleaners in the pools that they service. A total of 99 percent reported an average of 63 percent of their pools have a cleaner.

Every year, Floridians usually report among the highest use of suction side cleaners in the country. . Suction cleaners were reported by 39 percent of respondents, while pressure cleaners are employed by 33 percent of those responding, and robotic cleaners used by less than 28 percent.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents indicated that about 14 percent of their pools utilize UV; 31 percent of respondents said 3 percent of their pools incorporate ozone; and 23 percent of respondents indicated that their pools have AOP systems on 1 percent of their pools.

Southeast

The Southeast includes Alabama; Arkansas; Georgia; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Mississippi; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; Virginia; and West Virginia. The Southeast represents 13 percent of the responses we received in this year’s survey.

Service professionals in the Southeast reported the highest general use of calcium hypochlorite over any other part of the nation at 93 percent. But a large number of service professionals also use trichlor and liquid chlorine: 64 percent use trichlor and 50 percent use liquid chlorine in this region. Dichlor was reported to be used by 57 percent of survey respondents.

It is interesting to note the Southeast has softer water than much of the rest of the nation, which could explain why higher amounts of calcium can be added to the water to protect plaster pools.

Most service professionals in the Southeast reported that they purchase calcium hypochlorite in 100 pound increments at a median price of about $169, which is $2.60 per pound of available chlorine. Trichlor is purchased in 50-pound increments at about $171, or $3.80 per pound of available chlorine – the highest in the country. Meanwhile, a gallon of chlorine costs about $3.28.

The average price of dichlor is between $5.38 and $6.36 per pound of available chlorine – the highest in the country.

Respondents from this region seem to favor the DPD method for testing chlorine: Seventy-one percent of this area reported using DPD, while 57 percent also uses test strips. ORP and OTO was used by 21 and 29 percent of respondents, respectively.

Service professionals in the Southeast report to working with chlorine generated pools more than many other parts of the country. 100 percent of service professionals have at least one pool with a chlorine generator on an average of 49 percent of the pools that they service.

A large number of the respondents from this region also reported that their pools are equipped with automatic pool cleaners: one hundred percent responded that at least one pool serviced has a cleaner with about 40 percent of all of their pools are so equipped.

More professionals in this region reported using pressure side cleaners at 55 percent. Suction side cleaners and robots are in use in 15 and 30 percent of their pools respectively.

Fifty percent of respondents indicated that about 4 percent of their pools utilize UV; 57 percent of respondents said 2 percent of their pools incorporate ozone; and 36 percent of respondents indicated that their pools have AOP systems on 2 percent of their pools.

Northeast

The Northeast includes Connecticut; Delaware; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; and Vermont. The Northeast represents 7 percent of the total number of responses that we received in this year’s survey.

About 75 percent of those responding to the survey reported that they use trichlor to sanitize the pools they service. Dichlor use is also common in the Northeast, where it is also used by 63 percent of those responding to the survey. Meanwhile, calcium hypochlorite is used by 63 percent of respondents, and liquid chlorine by 100 percent.

Respondents from the Northeast declare an average liquid chlorine cost of $2.70 per gallon, and $152 for a 50-pound bucket of trichlor tabs. For trichlor, this works out to $3.36 per pound of available chlorine.

For Dichlor, respondents indicated they pay between $4.72 and $5.58 per pound of active chlorine, depending on whether or not it is anhydrous. They pay a median price of $2.42 per pound of available chlorine for calcium hypochlorite.

For testing purposes, most professionals reported to using test strips, employed by 88 percent. However, DPD is also a popular testing method with 63 percent of respondents using this method. Only 13 percent of the respondents from this region reported to using OTO, while 25 percent said they used the ORP testing method.

According to our survey, 75 percent of the technicians from the Northeast region of the country have at least one salt water chlorine generated pool, in use on an average of 25 percent of the pools they service.

All of the service technicians reported that at least one of their pools is equipped with an automatic pool cleaner, at 36 percent of the pools they service. Of those that use automatic cleaner, 22 percent are pressure side cleaners. As usual, this region also asserts the highest national use of robotic swimming pool cleaners at 75 percent. Only 3 percent reported that their pools are equipped with a suction side cleaner.

Forty-two percent of respondents indicated that about 10 percent of their pools utilize UV; 25 percent of respondents said 3 percent of their pools incorporate ozone; and only 8 percent of respondents indicated that their pools have AOP systems on 3 percent of their pools.

Midwest

For our survey, the Midwest region of the country includes the following states: Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; North Dakota; Ohio; South Dakota; Wisconsin; and Wyoming. The Midwest represents 4 percent of the responses we received. For an area so large, the relatively low survey participation provides the least statistical accuracy.

Service technicians responding to the survey reported a higher use of test strips than for all other testing methods: test strips are used by 80 percent. About 20 percent of respondents use all other test methods.

Respondents from this region indicated an equal preference for trichlor and liquid chlorine as their disinfection method: 100 percent use both. They seem to pay a lower average price for trichlor, at an average of $135 for 50 pounds, or about $2.98 per pound of available chlorine.

About 40 percent of respondents reported using calcium hypochlorite. This area pays an average price of about $3.38 per pound of available chlorine for calcium hypochlorite. The cost of liquid chlorine was reported to be $2.88 per gallon.

Data was insufficient to provide pricing on dichlor.

All professionals in this region declare they have pools equipped with automatic cleaners: 100 percent reported that at least one of their pools has a cleaner with an average of 35 percent of all pools employing a cleaner. Slightly more service professionals reported the use of suction side cleaners over pressure side cleaners, used in 16 percent and 11 percent of pools respectively, while 73 percent reported to using robotic cleaners.

Chlorine generators are common for service professionals in this region. While 100 percent of those responding have a generator on at least one of their pools, an average of 25 percent of all their pools are so equipped.

Eighty percent of respondents indicated that about 2 percent of their pools utilize UV; 40 percent of respondents said 1 percent of their pools incorporate ozone. Interestingly, numerous service technicians said they were not at all familiar with AOP.

Information contained in this survey is presented for informational and historical purposes only and is not meant to encourage readers to set prices in restraint of trade or in violation of any laws.

Regional Automatic Cleaner Usage