Cicileo Pools Internship Learning Objectives

1. Learn the process of analyzing chemical tests and maintaining pool chemistry.
Evaluation/ Verification
a. Perform tests on several pools over three weeks and monitor the changes
over the duration of the time.
I was able to preform chem tests on several of the pools and spas for
alkalinity, Chlorine, and pH monitoring. I saw how pools can be effected from
week to week if to much chlorine is added or too much acid is added.
Depending on the pools finish and pluming very little chlorine is needed and
basically no acid is needed either. This applies to pools with rare and unique
finish on pool tiles, wood spas, and beach shell pools. The ideal pH for a pool
is 7.4 because it is the same pH as the human eye and other mucous
membranes within the human body. The ideal chlorine content in a pool is
between 1-3 ppm. The higher the chlorine content the more likely you are to
get red eyes when swimming.
b. Receive the bosses feedback of shortcoming and what was done correct.
I was corrected for the way I poured the chems into the pool at first. It is
supposed to be no higher than 12 inches from the water and also poured into
the pool where a shadow is hitting the pool preferably. The sun has an
uncanny ability to zap the chemicals before entering the pool if poured
directly in sunlight. He said that I picked up on the tests very quickly and
performed the tests with great consistency and accuracy.
c. Read the manuals and other mediums to discover proper conditions and
SOPs of the chemistry pool kit.
By reading several pool chemical manuals and watching videos I discovered
several things:
Chlorine Test (1-3ppm): There are three different kinds of tests to
determine the parts per million of Chlorine in a pool. The most
commonly used and reliable is a comparator kit, an instrument that
tests via a computer, and test strips. The comparator is a tests that is
done by using liquid from the pool adding a sequence of drops that
very based off the specific kit bought and comparing the sample to a
given color array signifying the ppm of chlorine in the pool. Testing
for a commercial account is done every hour, and for residential it
should be done two to three times a week.
pH Test (7.2-7.6): I will only address the most accurate way of testing
pH on the pool which is currently a titration test in many kits available
in any pool store. Very similar you add several drops of two bottles
into a cuvet and shake up the water. You must make sure that the water
is also received from elbow depth in the pool to ensure water is not

getting pulled that will vary much in temperature. All tests should be
done immediately after pulling the water as well.
Alkalinity Test (80-120): This had a separate vial in the test I
personally used. I have seen several test kits though online and via
other aquatic engineers that included an alkalinity test. There is a 25
mL vial that you fill up and add a sequence of drops. One of the
solutions turns the water green and by adding another once it hits its
titrant point turns pink. My boss would frequently not take the pH due
to its direct correlation to alkalinity. Alkalinity basically limits drastic
changes in pH chemically speaking without getting into to much
detail.

2. Grasp the inner workings of the financial responsibilities of running a business.

Evaluation/ Verification
a. Meet with my boss to go over the way he sets up books, sends out
invoices, and breakdowns of monthly services/ extras.
This was a very touchy endeavor for my boss to do. This business is not the
normal business where there are set prices and things are the way that they
are. It seems to me that the successful pool entrepreneurs do services that set
them apart from the rest of the crowd. Those things they do they also do not
like sharing and letting others in on. It was different between my boss and I
for about a week after he showed me his booking method/ service charges. I
received a very brief and hasty break down of how they run everything on
QuickBooks. They showed me an initial statement they give all clients, an
example of a monthly service bill, and several pages of random charges that
arise throughout the business. In short from what I received from the meeting
was that billing runs like any business off QuickBooks. QuickBooks can be
set up to have repeating service charges and routine services. If anything is
added extra for that month on top of the usual billing cycle then it needs to be
entered in manually to the system. One thing that I want to look into when I
buy the program is setting up automatic payments. My boss did not have this
feature set up for his account but I think I saw it as an option in the home
screen of the program. It is a two hundred dollar program that can be bought
off amazon so as soon as I have the money I will purchase it and play around
with it a little more.
b. Set up a month of billing for 35 pools all inclusive of chemicals as well.

Because I do not have the two hundred dollar QuickBooks program I

generated an excel sheet similar to what I saw from my boss on his
QuickBooks. It appeared to be simple in layout and very similar to many
invoices for any entrepreneur. There was a section for the clients name,
clients address, monthly service explanation, and monthly service fee. I
copied in an excel spreadsheet at the end of this document that will give me
the guidelines and starting point for when I do get QuickBooks.
3. Familiarize myself with the equipment pieces of a pool/ spa, and how to service them.
Evaluation/ Verification
a. Clean several filters
I cleaned a total of around twenty-five cartridge filters, and ten sand filters.
The sand filters are very easy to clean for routine maintenance. There is
simply modes of backwash and rinse that need to be ran for anywhere
from two minutes to five minutes depending on the size of the filter. With
sand filters there is a large amount of water leaving the pool going through the
filter that removes all the debris from the sand. Water being such a valued
commodity in Santa Barbara make is difficult of where and when to do the
cleaning. It is best to find a part of the yard where it will not run off into the
street or puddle in the yard somewhere so the home owner does not get
alarmed by the amount of water being used. There is a bleeder valve at the
top of the filter that is used to remove air from the filter. A delicate O-ring is
part of that valve creating a seal so water cannot escape the filter from the top
valve. This is something I learned to watch out for when removing and
tightening the valve as it can be very problematic if something happens to that
O-ring. I did not replace the sand in any of the filters, which I wish I was able
to do, but learned this is a very rare occurrence with these kinds of filters.
The cartridge filters take a lot more time and are a bit more complicated in
comparison to the sand filters. They are cheaper for the homeowner which is
basically the only reason why these are still around. Before taking apart the
filter you must shut off the intake and returns to the pool to ensure water
doesnt come rushing through the system while you are cleaning it. This only
needs to be done if the maintenance room is below the water level of the pool.
Is the maintenance room is above the water level of the pool then gravity will
not push water through the pipes. In this case the intakes and returns to the
pool do not need to be turned off if there are check valves before the pump
and after the heater. Inside the system are four filter cartridges, a cap and
bottom where the cartridges sit, and several gaskets that prevent the system
from leaking. Everything gets pressure washed, including the inside of the
system. It takes about an hour to clean and re-lube the whole system. The
same water ordeal that I explained with the sand filters is also present when
washing the four filter cartridges. Once finding a good spot to wash the
cartridges and filter components it takes about forty-five minutes to clean
everything. Once clean, reassembly of the system is quick and easy. Before
turning the pump back on to till the system with water open up the close

intake and returns from the pool if those were closed. Then simply turn on the
pump and ensure there are no leaks in any of the system. I learned that this is a
good time to pour phosphate remover into the pool skimmer so it get caught in
the four clean filter cartridges and removes the phosphates from the water as it
passes through the system. This is better done in the system because
phosphates look like dirt at the bottom of the pool when they react with the
chemicals placed in the water. If they are not removed then they will
eventually get back into the water and create algae problems once again.
4. How to diagnose/ treat unique pool water problems.
This is a hard thing to address because there is always learning and growing that
happens just as on any job. The most common unique problem that I found was
phosphates in a pool and how it would make the water murky from the organic matter
of dead skin, pee, sunscreen, animal droppings and a variety of many other things.
From the experience that I found on the job if my boss didnt know what the problem
was he would call around to several people to get their opinion before concluding his
own idea about the problem and choosing an option. I guess this is a common thing in
the pool industry as there are many many problems that become hard to remember
them all. Personally, as I experience more problems I will create a list so I dont
forget and can address everything on spot at any time. My boss had a Bromine spa
that rotted out the pipes and had to replace several hundred thousand dollars of
damage. All I found from that is when the water turns blue it is a bad sign because the
copper pipes are getting dissolved in the ground. Another tip I found was if the water
is murky it could be three things, one, phosphates being more than zero, two, a dirty
cartridge filter, and three, not a long enough run time on the pump filter. Other than
that I did not see many unique water problems.
Evaluation/ Verification
a. Have my boss test me on several different scenarios of specific pool
problems.
This actually worked out very different than I thought because it actually
was a back and forth quiz rather than me just being quizzed. Due to my
chemistry background I already understand what is going on in the water and
chemical tests much better than most pool maintenance repair men/ women. I
even got my boss out of trouble with several of what I call internet diagnoseers for their pools. One client talked about adding a UV light at the main
water line into the house to make the water softer thus reducing the frequency
of cleanings for her salt water cell. I informed her that this is a false idea that
someone is trying to make money off of because it does not work. This is due
to the ions of Ca 2+ and Mg2+ and how they are not photosynthetic
compounds. Meaning they do not change or leave the water when excited by
any light source. UV is a catch phrase that is commonly used as a business
ploy to blow smoke into the buyers eyes with sciencey sounding words.
I would say that my boss helped me more with the tricks of the trade and
how to be more efficient and I was able to help him with some of the nuances
behind the chemistry he was doing with all the tests of the water content.

Name

Address

Monthly Service
Weekly Pool and
Spa Maintenance
Replace Pump
Pump Recycle Fee
Weekly Pool, Spa
and Water
Maintenance
Drain and refill
Weekly Spa
Maintenance
Filter Cleaning
Weekly Pool and
Spa Maintenance
Phosphate remover
Acid wash on tile
line
Weekly Pool
Maintenance
Salt Water Cell
cleaning

John

34 Oakwood Drive,
Glastonbury, CT 06033

Robert

560 Beacon Ave., Holbrook,

NY 11741

Michael

498 Snake Hill Court,

Melbourne, FL 32904

William

7959 North 2nd Drive, Bel

Air, MD 21014

David

150 Atlantic Lane, Yorktown

Heights, NY 10598

Richard

8077 Sherman Street,

Libertyville, IL 60048

Weekly Pool and

Spa Maintenance

145.00

Joseph

7440 Peninsula Lane,

Depew, NY 14043

Weekly Pool and

Spa Maintenance
New Spa Cover

200.00
695.00

Thomas

286 Hill Field St., Eau Claire,

WI 54701

Charles

14 Glenlake Drive,
Bradenton, FL 34203

Christo
pher

410 Illinois Ave., Macomb, MI

48042

Daniel

9135 Gainsway Dr.,

Moorhead, MN 56560

Weekly Pool and

Spa Maintenance
Auto-vac install

200.00
400.00

Matthe
w

9476 Livingston St.,

Mundelein, IL 60060

Weekly Pool and

Spa Maintenance

160.00

Weekly Pool and

Spa Maintenance
stain removal x 6
Weekly Pool
Maintenance
New Skimmer
Basket
Weekly Spa
Maintenance
Spa Drain and Refill

Weekly Pool and

Charge
220.00
1675.00
50.00
320.00
30.00
100.00
90.00
245.00
30.00
350.00
220.00
75.00

875.00
150.00
130.00
30.00
110.00
60.00