Customer Rating:      Summary: Great Resource for Pool Owners Comment: We bought a house with a pool & spa and the previous owners were kind enough to take all of the materials pertaining to both. Never owning a pool before, we were clueless. This book has been very helpful! I highly recommend for the new pool owner and it could prove to be useful for the experienced pool owner as well.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Simple Pool Instructions for Professionals to the Novice Comment: Whether you are a pool novice or expert, this book makes understanding pool maintenance simple. Dan provides a detailed manual on pool construction to water chemistry. There are many pictures and diagrams that lend a visual aid to help understand pool and spa dynamics. The importance of regular maintenance is addressed by providing solutions for the busy pool owner. In addition, Dan integrates helpful tips for professionals on how to deal with problems like phosphates and green algae. This book alone will save a person hundreds of dollars in pool maintenance expense.
Customer Rating:      Summary: A Big Job Made Easy! Comment: Pool maintenance remains one of my biggest chores. I've always felt I couldn't pass it off to my wife and kids--a burned out pump from low water levels or an algae outbreak from unbalanced chemicals was just too much of a risk. This book will lighten my load. It provides step by step guides and anyone (wives and children included) can follow with success.
I'm meticulous with my own pool & heretofore I would NEVER have considered doing anyone else's pool - it just wouldn't be worth it, whatever it paid. Not only has Dan Hardy helped me ease my own workload, I'm confident that I could be a successful "pool guy." He'd done a great job with this book. Who could have imagined a book about pool maintenance could be interesting? We'll this one is, and it's a great reference to boot. It's earned a permanent spot on my shelf.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Great Information For Pool Owners and Fun to Read Comment: I never knew it could be so fun and entertaining to read a book on pools. The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners & Professionals: A Step-by-Step Maintenance Guide by Dan Hardy is a great book for pool professionals and homeowners alike. The author draws from his own personal experiences and he has seen it all and done it all when it comes to pools, spas and hot tubs.
The book is written in first-person language and contains colorful personal stories that make it a very easy but informative read. The author is definitely not afraid to tell you his opinion on the best types of pools, equipment, and what to do and not to do in regards to pools, spas and hot tubs.
It also has wonderful photos of pools and equipment that are both informative and entertaining. Reading this book is like having your own personal "pool technician" on hand to tell you all about different types of pools, water volumes needed, water chemistry, cleaning the pool, pool safety, and much more.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Meet the "Pool Doctor" Comment: The title of this book might lead one to believe it to be yet another dry how-to kind of book. Though it does include much needed how-to information, it also includes fun stuff such as the history of pools. For those who are interested, they date back to 2500 B.C.
But there is so much more to this book than background information and history. Just as the title claims, the book covers every aspect of pool maintenance and is equally suited for homeowners and professional. A case in point is the detailed chapter on equipment which gives loads of technical information about pumps (complete with drawings), filters and more. The information is easy to read, yet technical enough to satisfy the needs of the professional.
Throughout, Hardy proves time and again that he is indeed an authority when it comes to pools. He knows his business and he knows how to convey what he knows to both the lay person and the professional alike. For example, in the water chemistry chapter, he stresses the importance of checking water quality, then tells how to determine such qualities as pH and hardness, which are common tests. But he doesn't stop with what's common. He goes on to discuss other topics such as advanced testing for iron and copper as well as what he says is the controversial topic of cyanuric acid, also known as CYA or simply stabilizer. When it comes to stabilizer, Hardy points out the importance of draining the pool when levels are too high.
This whole issue of chemicals is thoroughly examined. Along these lines, the reader will find valuable information in the chemical treatment charts which are easy to read and interpret.
As any one with a pool in their backyard knows, you don't just put it in and forget about it. Maintaining a pool requires ongoing attention. This book guides you along the way, so if you can't have the "pool doctor" Dan Hardy making house calls every day or so, you can settle for the next best thing and have his book on your shelf.
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