Good questions. Straight answers.

All 52 cities across San Diego County, from coastal (Encinitas, Carlsbad, La Jolla) to East County (El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee), North County inland (San Marcos, Escondido, Poway), South Bay (Chula Vista), and backcountry (Alpine, Ramona).

Weekly pool service starts at $199 per month. Final pricing depends on pool size, spa or water features, and the condition of the pool when we take it over. Flat-rate quote up front.

Basic chemicals (chlorine, acid, balancing) are included in weekly service. Larger items like phosphate removers or shock treatments for unusual conditions are itemized separately.

No long-term contract. Service is month-to-month. If we're not doing our job, you can leave. That's the whole business model.

Yes. We carry general liability and workers' comp insurance. License info is in our footer.

Credit card on file (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover), ACH/bank transfer, and check. Invoicing is automatic monthly.

Same day every week. We run fixed routes by area so you'll know exactly when to expect us.

No. We access through the side gate, do the work, and leave. You'll get a service report after every visit.

A standard residential pool takes 20 to 35 minutes. Pools with attached spas, waterfalls, or larger features take longer.

Yes, except for vacation coverage. Your regular tech knows your pool. That's a deliberate design choice, not a bonus.

Call or text the number on your service report. We'll respond same-day during business hours for most issues.

Yes. Pool + spa is standard. Water chemistry gets balanced on both, equipment on both is inspected. Pricing scales with complexity.

Most light to medium green pools are swimmable in 24 to 48 hours. Severe swamps with black algae can take 3 to 5 days.

Usually one of three things: low sanitizer, high stabilizer (CYA), or phosphate overload. Chronic green pools often have a combination. Fixing it long-term means addressing the root cause.

You can. But shock without consistent filtration, brushing, and follow-up chemistry usually doesn't hold. Most DIY green pool treatments rebloom within a week.

Almost never. Even heavily green pools recover with chemical treatment and filtration. Draining is a last resort when stabilizer (CYA) is way too high.

Green algae floats in the water and is easy to kill. Black algae roots into the plaster — harder to treat, often requires manual brushing with a wire brush and targeted treatment at the roots.

In San Diego, absolutely. SDG&E's TOU rates make single-speed pumps expensive to run. Variable-speed pumps pay for themselves in 2 to 3 years through energy savings, and they're now required by California Title 20.

Pumps: 8 to 12 years. Filters: 10 to 15 years (cartridges and DE grids need periodic replacement). Heaters: 8 to 15 years depending on use. Salt cells: 3 to 7 years.

Mostly Pentair and Hayward, plus Jandy for automation. We pick based on reliability and parts availability — not just rebates.

Usually yes. Common codes are ignition failure, pressure switch, or flame sensor — all field-serviceable. We'll diagnose first, then quote the repair.

Yes. Pentair IntelliCenter and Jandy iAqualink are our most common installs. Lets you control pumps, heaters, lights, and water features from your phone.

No. Usually you replace one component at a time as things fail. We'll flag equipment that's aging so you can plan, not react.

Free chlorine: 1-3 ppm. pH: 7.4-7.6. Total alkalinity: 80-120 ppm. Calcium hardness: 200-400 ppm. CYA (stabilizer): 30-50 ppm for chlorine, 60-80 for salt pools.

Usually one of: high bather load, sunlight (low CYA), phosphates, or organic debris. We'll identify the root cause during service.

Normal in San Diego. Our water is hard and slightly alkaline out of the tap. Weekly acid additions are routine. Salt pools drift high faster due to the salt chlorination process.

Weekly minimum. More often if the pool is getting heavy use, after heavy rain, or after wind events (Santa Anas). That's what your weekly service visit does.

Not routinely — phosphates aren't a daily concern in most pools. If chlorine demand goes high or algae keeps coming back, we'll test and treat with phosphate remover.

Yes, when balanced. Properly balanced pool water is similar in chemistry to drinking water with sanitizer. Our weekly service keeps it that way.

San Diego County water sourced from the Colorado River (through Vallecitos, Rainbow, Helix, and Otay water districts) runs 14-20 grains per gallon. That calcium deposits on tile as water evaporates.

Test calcium hardness — San Diego County typically tests 250-500 ppm out of the tap, but evaporation concentrates it up to 800+ ppm in pools over time. East County and parts of North County inland are worst.

Yes. Calcium scales up salt cells (reduces output), clogs heater exchangers, and crusts up cartridge filters. Annual equipment cleaning matters more here than in soft water areas.

El Cajon, Rancho San Diego, Lemon Grove, Granite Hills, and La Mesa (all on Helix WD at 16-20 gpg). San Marcos, Bonsall, and Rainbow are close behind on Vallecitos and Rainbow MWD.

Yes. Bead blasting with food-grade aggregate is the standard treatment. Acid washing works for lighter buildup. Either way, your tile comes back looking new.

Plaster: every 8-12 years. Polished quartz: 12-18 years. Pebble finishes (PebbleTec, Pebble Sheen): 15-25 years. Harsh water chemistry shortens lifespans significantly.

Plaster is smoothest and cheapest but shortest-lived. Quartz adds crystalline aggregate for durability. Pebble uses exposed aggregate for a mottled textured look — longest lasting but rougher underfoot.

7 to 14 days total. Drain + chip-out (1-2 days), new tile/coping if needed (1-3 days), surface application (1 day), cure and refill (3-5 days), startup chemistry (2-4 weeks to fully cure).

Not typically for resurfacing. But upgrading to a variable-speed pump, heater, or LED lights may qualify for SDG&E or state rebates. We help with paperwork.

Usually, yes. Matching new tile to a new finish is way easier than trying to do it later. It's also the moment the pool is drained, so access is easy.

Same chemistry (chlorine disinfection) — the salt cell just generates chlorine automatically. Water feels softer, chlorine spikes are rare, and you stop hauling chlorine from the store. It's not maintenance-free though.

Every 3-6 months in San Diego (more often in hard water areas). Scale buildup on the cell plates reduces chlorine output. Cleaning is a quick acid soak.

3 to 7 years typically. Cells in hard water areas (San Marcos, El Cajon, Rancho San Diego) wear faster. Regular cleaning extends life.

Modern pool equipment is salt-rated. Older metal fixtures (ladders, lights, handrails) can corrode faster. Plaster and tile are fine. Stone coping may need sealing to prevent salt damage.

Yes. Commercial service includes required daily chemistry logging, San Diego County Environmental Health compliance, and addressing any cited deficiencies.

If they're on the property, we service them under the same contract. Cleaner than juggling a second vendor for water features.

Usually yes. We coordinate the transition, assess what's been deferred, and get it caught up quickly.

Yes. Commercial pools require compliant drain covers under the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. We inspect and flag anything that's not current.

For critical issues (major leaks, safety hazards, electrical/gas concerns), yes. Most non-critical issues get scheduled first thing next morning.

We'll try. Emergency green pool recovery depends on severity and our route capacity. Call — we'll tell you fast what's possible.

Slightly higher service call fee. Parts and labor are at our standard rates. We don't surprise markup for urgency.

Call immediately. That's highest priority. We'll get there same-day during business hours or first thing in the morning, and walk you through anything you should do in the meantime.