JNT Pool Service

08/11/2026

07/16/2026

🔥 Wildfire Smoke & Your Swimming Pool 🔥

If you've noticed your pool looking dull, cloudy, or dirtier than normal, the wildfire smoke is likely part of the reason.

Smoke carries tiny particles of ash, soot, and organic material that eventually settle into your pool. This can:

- Increase chlorine demand
- Clog filters more quickly
- Cause cloudy water
- Throw off water chemistry
- Leave a fine layer of debris on the pool floor

What you can do:
✅ Test your water more frequently.
✅ Keep your chlorine in the proper range.
✅ Run your filter longer than normal.
✅ Empty skimmer and pump baskets often.
✅ Brush and vacuum the pool to remove settled ash.
✅ Clean or backwash your filter as needed.
✅ As a preventative, consider using Revive to help remove fine particles and improve water clarity after heavy smoke conditions.

Even if your pool is covered, smoke particles can still find their way into the water.

If your pool is struggling to stay clear or you're tired of chasing the chemistry, JnT Pool Service can help get it back on track.

Stay safe, and hopefully we'll all be seeing blue skies again soon.

07/10/2026

The Hidden Cost of an Undersized Gas Supply

I often hear homeowners say, "The heater lights, so the gas line must be fine." Unfortunately, that's not always true.

One of the most overlooked causes of premature pool heater failure is an improperly sized gas system. This can include:

An undersized gas meter

Gas piping that is too small

Excessive pipe length without proper sizing

Too many appliances sharing the same gas line

When a heater doesn't receive the gas volume it was designed for, it can operate with an improper air/fuel mixture. This often leads to low flue gas temperatures, allowing acidic condensation to form inside the heat exchanger and combustion chamber.

The attached photos show the results:

Heavy rust throughout the combustion chamber

Corrosion on internal components

Damage caused by excessive condensation dripping inside the heater

This isn't normal wear and tear. It's often the result of an installation issue that could have been prevented.

Before installing a new pool heater: ✔ Verify the gas meter is properly sized for the total connected load. ✔ Size the gas piping according to NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code) and the heater manufacturer's requirements. ✔ Measure gas pressure under load—not just static pressure. ✔ Never assume the existing gas line is adequate simply because an older heater "worked."

A properly sized gas supply doesn't just improve performance—it can add years to the life of your heater and save thousands in premature replacement costs.

The heater is only as good as the gas system feeding it.

06/29/2026

Three valve replacement with true union valves, and as much 2in I could do.

06/20/2026

I had an interesting conversation with a customer today and wanted to get some opinions.

The customer contacted me because a pool heater was displaying error codes and wanted it troubleshot. After diagnosing the issue, I charged for the service call. The customer felt that troubleshooting and a free estimate were essentially the same thing.

My view is that they are two different services.
A free estimate is: • "How much would it cost to replace my heater?" • "What would it cost to install a new pump?" • "Can you give me a price for a new filter?"

Troubleshooting is: • Determining why a heater is showing error codes. • Diagnosing why a pump won't start. • Finding the cause of a leak. • Testing equipment to determine whether it can be repaired or needs replacement.

In this case, the customer felt that because a replacement option was discussed after the diagnosis, the entire visit should have been considered a free estimate.

So I'm curious:

Do you consider troubleshooting and diagnosis to be the same thing as a free estimate?

Or do you view diagnosis as a professional service that should be billed separately from a replacement quote?

I'm interested in hearing opinions from both customers and service professionals.

Edit- Here is a play by play taken from text messages and phone conversation.

Customer: Good morning. Are you able to troubleshoot a Hayward pool heater? I am located in Belvidere.

JNT: I can. I am behind because of the rains this past week. Are you getting an error code?

Customer: I had LO codes, but backwashing solved it for a few weeks. Now I have an H5 code. It is not heating to proper temperature.

JNT: I'll come out and take a look.

JNT travels to the property, diagnoses the heater, and determines the issue.

JNT: I apologize our conversation was rushed. This diagnosis is a service call and I do charge for it. If you decide to move forward with replacement, I will deduct this service call from that invoice.

Customer: You don't do free estimates?

JNT: Estimates are free when I can provide them without diagnostic work. In this case, I had to inspect and troubleshoot the heater to determine the cause of the problem and whether repair or replacement was appropriate. That is considered a service call rather than a free estimate. If you move forward with the heater replacement, I will credit the service call toward the installation invoice.

Customer: Hey man, you either do free estimates or you don't. This comes across as some sort of racket or shakedown.

JNT: Looking back at our first conversation, you contacted me to troubleshoot a Hayward heater that was displaying error codes. Troubleshooting and diagnosis are service calls because they require testing and determining the cause of the problem. If you had contacted me simply looking for a price to replace a heater, that would have been a free estimate.

Customer: Troubleshooting and estimates are the same thing.

JNT: I'm currently in the middle of another job and can't step away to talk at the moment. However, if you'd like to discuss it further, feel free to call me between 4:00 PM and 4:30 PM while I'm traveling to my next appointment.

Phone conversation occurs.

Customer: Diagnostics should be free. Other companies do it for free.

JNT: I disagree, but I understand your position.

Customer: This feels like a shakedown.

JNT: You know what? Consider the service call free and hangs up the phone.

Curtain closes.

06/07/2026

Every once in awhile there are perks to this job. Here is one of them.

05/31/2026

⚠️ A Little Tingle and a Big Reminder ⚠️

As many of you know, I always strongly suggest installing electrical conduit whenever possible. I know it's an added expense, and it's easy to look at it as something you can save money on. But sometimes a few extra dollars today can prevent a really bad day tomorrow.

Today's reminder came while I was replacing a pressure switch on a pool heater. I suddenly felt a tingle through my wet hands and quickly realized I had become part of an electrical circuit. While leaning over the heater, I had planted my foot on the ground for leverage and unknowingly completed the path to ground.

After some investigating, I found the culprit—a damaged power cord running from the outlet to the heater. Years of exposure, along with what appears to be some assistance from our local ground squirrels, had left the insulation chewed away and the conductors exposed. Fortunately, this ended with nothing more than a lesson learned and a story to share.

Electrical wiring around pools is exposed to weather, moisture, rodents, landscaping equipment, UV rays, and time. While conduit may not always be required, it provides an extra layer of protection that can help prevent situations exactly like this.

Take a few minutes to inspect your pool equipment wiring and cords. If you see cracked insulation, exposed conductors, or signs of rodent damage, don't ignore it.

Water and electricity don't give second chances very often. Luckily I had on thick soled shoes. Imaging a homeowner, child, or guest trying to get something that fell out of the pool with only bare feet.

Any electrical work shoud be done by a licensed electrican. Please remember. Any code means it is bare minimum. No code exists that says you cant go above and beyond minimum.

Stay safe out there.

Tom

05/29/2026

Do your pool steps need some TLC?

This rejuvenation process isn't cheap, but it's well worth it. We sand the treads, repair cracks, and apply new paint and gel coat to bring your steps back to life and improve both appearance and safety.

Give JnT Pool Service a call if your pool steps are showing their age. We'd be happy to discuss your options and provide an estimate.

05/28/2026

Our first liner of the year is done. Here are the photos.