In the early 90’s, I started coming across – and fixing – extremely rare pool maintenance problems no one else had been able to crack. They were like puzzles to me, and I started realizing that I was on a different playing field.
I remember being called to one house near where I live, where the pool owner was pretty distraught. The second he poured shock into the water, it would turn into what looked like black sand on the bottom of the pool. The owner had scrubbed and brushed, and it would not come off, and he had called several pool companies. Nobody knew what to do.
I had seen nothing like it.
I recalled thinking “what would turn shock black?” and concluded that the only thing it could be was some sort of metal – magnesium, iron, something – interacting with the shock and separating into the water. So I got some Metal Free and poured 2 quarts (!!) into the pool. I waited 2 days, backwashed the filter, and there was my answer – a solid stream of rusting water coming out! I shocked the pool again, no black looking sand on the bottom!! Problem solved!
That was one of the earliest moments when I realized I could do something that no one else could. And somewhere around that time people started calling me “Mike the Pool Doctor.” The term stuck, and I’ve been known as that ever since.
By the mid-90’s, I noticed I was helping my clients save an average of 20-40% on chemicals. There was no secret – I just knew what worked and what didn’t. So when I went out to see my clients’ pools, I didn’t need to guess at anything - I fixed it the first time. Right then and there.
By the early 2000’s, I was mastering the complexities of 45,000 - 55,000 gallon swimming pools. Huge prospects – from hotels, casinos, and apartment complexes,– were calling me saying “No one else can fix this. Can you help?”
And those clients have stuck with me for 20+ years.
All of these early experiences were building blocks for mastering my craft and becoming a true pool care expert. And some odd years later, I’m still at it – fixing pools, saving clients money, and helping them avoid huge problems ahead of time.
It’s in my blood, and it’s still something I love to do.
Why Pool School Videos?
A couple of years ago, I had the epiphany that I could help a LOT more people who don’t have access to the information that I do. In fact, I often come across people who are trying to do everything on their own, and my heart goes out because I really just want to help.
They’re usually caught in this chaotic cycle of trusting one guy on YouTube for this, and one guy on Reddit for that, and this blogger for this. And in a number of cases, the information is wrong!
I want people to be able to rely on
a single source of information for all their pool-related questions, and to eliminate that voice inside them that asks “will this actually work?” every time they have a problem with their pool.
Almost all of what you can do for your pool can be accomplished on your own. You just have to know what to do, and how to do it.
In the early 90’s, I started coming across – and fixing – extremely rare pool maintenance problems no one else had been able to crack. They were like puzzles to me, and I started realizing that I was on a different playing field.
I remember being called to one house near where I live, where the pool owner was pretty distraught. The second he poured shock into the water, it would turn into what looked like black sand on the bottom of the pool. The owner had scrubbed and brushed, and it would not come off, and he had called several pool companies. Nobody knew what to do.
I had seen nothing like it.
I recalled thinking “what would turn shock black?” and concluded that the only thing it could be was some sort of metal – magnesium, iron, something – interacting with the shock and separating into the water. So I got some Metal Free and poured 2 quarts (!!) into the pool. I waited 2 days, backwashed the filter, and there was my answer – a solid stream of rusting water coming out! I shocked the pool again, no black looking sand on the bottom!! Problem solved!
That was one of the earliest moments when I realized I could do something that no one else could. And somewhere around that time people started calling me “Mike the Pool Doctor.” The term stuck, and I’ve been known as that ever since.
By the mid-90’s, I noticed I was helping my clients save an average of 20-40% on chemicals. There was no secret – I just knew what worked and what didn’t. So when I went out to see my clients’ pools, I didn’t need to guess at anything - I fixed it the first time. Right then and there.
By the early 2000’s, I was mastering the complexities of 45,000 - 55,000 gallon swimming pools. Huge prospects – from hotels, casinos, and apartment complexes,– were calling me saying “No one else can fix this. Can you help?”
And those clients have stuck with me for 20+ years.
All of these early experiences were building blocks for mastering my craft and becoming a true pool care expert. And some odd years later, I’m still at it – fixing pools, saving clients money, and helping them avoid huge problems ahead of time.
It’s in my blood, and it’s still something I love to do.
-Mike Steele
You can learn how to maintain your pool the right way, straight from The Pool Doctor!
