Artisans in April 2021. The group has 3,879 members and growing, and it is among the more popular groups for pool and spa professionals.
In addition to providing a platform for pool pros to throw out ideas and get help with technical problems, the group has a “files” page where members can find technical bulletins on chemistry by the late industry expert Robert Lowry.
It also has several useful guidance forms and applications that were relevant during the early stages of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Talking Pools
Talking Pools, a private Facebook group of 3,525 members, gets a lot of daily traffic by pool and spa professionals. It was created in September 2019 by Rudy Stankowitz, a 30-plus-year industry veteran and President/CEO of Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants, LLC.
Stankowitz says he started the group to give back to an industry that’s been very good to him. He hoped the members would use the group to share knowledge and tips of the trade as well as provide both rookies and veterans with answers to everyday problems.
In addition to functioning as an advice and answer platform, the members of the group have done a lot of meaningful service for the pool industry.
For example, in 2020, members had 600 masks manufactured and shipped to professionals who work on swimming pools across the United States at a time when masks could not be found.
They also kept pool service professionals working at the onset of the pandemic.
Working together, Talking Pools group members contacted legislators in states where poolrelated businesses were ordered closed and not considered essential. They successfully had that legislation changed.
They also contacted the CMAHC (Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code) and had the designation of Aquatics Service Professional added to their member classifications.
On May 2, 2020, this group held the first Virtual Trade Show in any of the industries — the Talking Pools Shelter-In-Place Trade Show Event.
The members of this group have also been involved in collecting raw data from the field aimed at showing that aluminum sulfate (alum) is capable of removing cyanuric acid from swimming pool water when added in a specified manner.
In October 2021, the Facebook Page also started its own podcast, the Talking Pools Podcast, where you can learn about swimming pool hacks, tricks, and ancient pool pro secrets.
CPO
The Certified Pool Operator – CPO Facebook Group is a private group for Certified Pool/Spa Operators everywhere to chat, share tips, ask questions, etc. Exclusive to those who have passed the CPO course, administrators require verification with a CPO card. The group was started by Steve Sherwood in January 2010, with Wayne Ivusich as an additional administrator, and Rudy Stankowitz helps monitor the page. The group has more than 2,900 members and enjoys a fair amount of traffic at about 26 posts a month.
It is international, with members in Australia, Central and South Africa, Canada, Mexico, South America, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Italy, and more.
The CPO Facebook Page is a great tool for service techs because there’s almost always someone available to answer questions.
It is also a platform to provide webinars for those who teach.
Webinars have featured all kind of industry experts, educated in water chemistry, equipment and even construction, with well-known speakers such as Rudy Stankowitz, Bob Lowry, Kim Skinner, Greg Garrett, Harold Evans, Eric Knight, and more.
14 PSI
The 14psi Pool Industry Lounge is made up of industry members who discuss all facets of the pool business. It was created in March, 2021, by Jeff Hampe, with John Poma as an additional administrator. The group has 3,595 members and gets a lot of traffic at about 19 posts a day.
The name — 14 PSI — comes from the fact that atmospheric pressure, or one bar, equals 14.5 PSI. When pools are operated at sea level, with a basic pump and filter, to equalize
