Sometimes, people say really nice things about my site;
sometimes they don't.

April 15, 1998

Last summer, I found your site and worked up the courage to try out your grocery store recommendations! (I had been brain-washed by the pool store and so was fearful.) What a great, easy, inexpensive summer we had by the pool!

Thanks!

Penny L.

February 27, 1998

First of all, I would like to say that I am impressed.

I have been working on, building or servicing pools for 29 years. This is the first time I have heard anyone talk the way that I do. I don't have a store and probably never will. If I did, I would be forced to sell the junk products, just to pay the rent. I get most of my work from word of mouth although I also advertise in the yellow pages. . . .

Beginning about 10 years ago, I started having problems with the pool stores giving bad information and overselling chemicals. . . .

Unfortunately, if these stores were honest with the customers, they wouldn't sell much. I have tried to learn as much as I can about chemicals as I can, and I return to these new pool customers as often as need be till they learn what they need. I usually send them to a catalog company and have them order a bulk buy for the first season. They usually get their chemicals before I finish building their pool. This way I get them in the habit of buying at a reduced rate, learn about the chemicals, and helps to keep them from the pool stores.

This way, most of my customers can maintain their pools by themselves in less than 1/2 Hr per week. I can take care of any residential pool in 10 minutes per weak if set up properly. My goal with each customer is to have them doing it in less than 1 hour per week the first season.

We set each pool up with automatic cleaners, chlorinators, timers, and DE filters. . . .

It's kind of funny though: some customers end up going to the pool stores if they need something quick. Still, every time they do, they get suckered into buying something they don't need. The pool stores try to tell the customers how wrong I am about their chemicals and how they really need Bio Guard, Soft Swim, Baquacil, or some other BS item.

Before I go, I have a couple of questions. [Technical pool stuff omitted] Sorry to rattle on like this, but it's refreshing to hear someone else speak the truth.

Thanks,
Mr. Withers

( Withers Pools - Setting the Standards is our Motto)

Note from Ben: This letter was long, so I've omitted quite a bit. I've never met Mr. Withers, but he sounds like he might be the kind of builder and service person you're looking for, if you are near Hollywood, MD. He's in the phone book.

March 16, 1998

Very, very nice, Ben.

Had lunch with David and he mentioned what you were publishing. . . .

I still use the tips you gave me years ago and have saved Big $$ by using bleach and baking soda.

Hope to see you in the future.

Scott S.

Note from Ben: Scott is a local spa owner; we attended the same college.

May 29, 1997

Great site and service....

I work part time for a pool supply store in my area....

The information that I have gained from this page and others in your area hopefully will keep me from making some incorrect decisions.....

Thanks,
Gregg R.

May 11, 1997

Wow! I've been keeping my 20x40 vinyl in ground pool up for seven years now and learned more about pool chemistry browsing your site than I had ever learned in the past.

I just replaced my liner a few weeks ago and was toying with "alternative chemistry". I installed a used "Caribbean Clear" system and have been disappointed with the pool's clarity. After having skimmed your site, I'll be on my way to the store to get some stain and scale remover to get the copper out and start over. Before I installed the CC unit, I filled the pool, triple dosed it with super sock it and started my usual chlorine regimen. I have, but did not add the cyanuric acid stabilizer and have only shocked the pool once a week with 2 gallons of chlorine bleach.

Once again, thanks for the good info and a dynamite site!

Jim D.

May 18, 1997

Hi,

I am not quite clear on who created the site, but I have spent 2 years looking for 2 products in particular for my 3 ½ year old son! Nobody has them... I found them due to your site!

Thank you!
Treasure

Note from Ben: Last year, my site was harder to find. Also, I sorta avoided identifying myself. As you can see from the next quote, not everyone in the pool business thinks my site is a good idea.

February 4, 1998

Dear Mr. Powell,

I happened across your pool solutions web site and had to respond to your article "10 Tips you pool dealer won't give you." I am in the pool business myself and find your article to be irresponsible!! First you have assumed and communicated to the Home owner that we in the pool industry are dishonest and not intelligent.

You have no right telling the public that a dealer who uses a computer for a water analysis is "not to sharp on pool chemistry". I have been in the industry for over 16 years and I am very sharp on pool chemistry!! I have never been a advocate for alternative sanitizers and prefer chlorine chemistry; however, you have preset the consumer that all dealers rip off their customers. And there are many more items that I feel you need to reconsider your wording.

I agree that the consumer must be properly informed. However I disagree with your methods.

Please reconsider your methods seriously!

Thank you for your time.

Connie [last name omitted]

Note from Ben:
I wrote Mrs. [name omitted], offering to correct any statements that contained errors, if she would point out the errors; she elected to not respond. I also pointed out that the page she referred to did not say what she quoted. That page, which contained 10 tips on one page, has since been divided into 10 individual pages. However, the section she refers to is still found, with similar content at Tip #5. I did revise the section she objected to, so it was less pointed. I did not say, all dealers were not "to sharp on pool chemistry", as she wrote. I did say that some dealers know less about chemistry than they should . . . and that this affects pool owners negatively: I believe this to be true. Oh, well!

Note from Ben:
Some other mail I've received from dealers is not printable, so I won't. On the other hand, occasionally an individual in the pool biz gets carried away in the other direction, such as here. Talk about 'purple prose'! [I can't identify anything about this person: not everyone their organization feels the same way as they do.]

[Date omitted]

Hey Ben,

Hi! I must say, you are an amazing dude!

That website of yours is a glowing gleaming infrared jewel in the vacuum of space -- the Labour of the Centuries . . .(HG Wells). Anyhow I appreciate the tremendous effort you have placed in your fine information resource. . . .

[Comments omitted]

Thanks for your kind mention of [name omitted] and your restraint . . .

Have a most excellent weekend . . .

your friend,
[name omitted]

May 13, 1997 \ I appreciate all your hard work. You da man!! Goldie F.

Note from Ben: Not everyone is flowery!

April 16, 1998

Just a note to tell you that we tried many of the "grocery store" chemicals last year (our first pool year), and found they worked very well, and saved us lots of money. We appreciate the information you provide. Keep up the good work.

Thanks,

Dan G. & family

April 18, 1998

We installed our 30,000 gallon gunite pool last year. I purchased a Taylor test kit from you and managed the chemicals in our pool myself. I spent extremely little time keeping my water crystal clear ( and safe ) while spending no money on the gadget products promoted in the pool industry.

Best $60 I spent last year!

Rick L.

March 3, 1998

I love your site. I have saved time and MONEY by following your advise. I never knew a pool could be so easy to maintain. One question, I'm curious to know about a "High Ph Pool".

Thanks,

Gene N.

Note from Ben:
Gene's question has to do with comments I've made about the benefits of operating pools at a higher than typical pH. I've posted a page -- it's pretty technical -- at www.poolsolutions.com/hiphpool.html which covers the topic. I'm working on a simpler version.

Gene N.

Note from Ben:
I'll rotate quotes in and out -- but I'm not trying to start a competition. I'd much prefer real criticism that I can learn from. A couple of the folk here have not only said nice things, but helped me correct errors.

But . . . if you REALLY want to be on this page, and you are a dealer, FLAME me! The flames I've gotten so far are really amusing. Unfortunately, [name omitted]'s comments were the only ones decent enough to print! Still, I may get around to some of the others, and use the [expletive deleted] format made so popular by a corrupt president who preceded the current one.

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