Rebirth.

After months of silence and countless listener inquiries, the Rule Your Pool podcast is officially back – and it's bringing more than just water chemistry wisdom to your ears. In this highly anticipated return episode, host Eric Knight rejoins co-host Jared to explain his journey, announce exciting changes to the show's format, and reveal why this "rebirth" might be exactly what the pool industry needs right now.

The Return Everyone Was Waiting For

The podcast's hiatus left many listeners wondering what happened to their trusted source of pool knowledge. Eric Knight addresses this head-on, explaining his transition from Orenda to Watershape University wasn't about abandoning his mission – it was about expanding it.

The entirety of my reason for leaving is to expand education. That's what I love to do. I can't explain to you what it feels like to be in front of a classroom full of a few dozen or even a few hundred people. And you can see it on the students' faces that they're having an epiphany.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

Knight's passion for education remains unchanged, but his platform has evolved. At Watershape University, he's building comprehensive online learning systems that go far beyond chemistry, covering everything from construction techniques to business fundamentals. This transition allows him to serve both seasoned professionals looking to expand their skills and newcomers trying to break into the industry.

Beyond Chemistry: A Broader Vision for Pool Education

While water chemistry will always remain a cornerstone of the show, the new Rule Your Pool podcast is casting a much wider net. The expanded format will cover pool construction, design, engineering, air quality, and business insights – essentially everything needed to truly "rule your pool."

For pool professionals, this means access to specialized knowledge about construction challenges like building pools on hillsides, creating proper retaining walls for vanishing edges, and understanding rebar and bond beam construction. For homeowners, it offers invaluable insight into why quality pool construction costs what it does and what goes into creating a pool that will provide years of enjoyment rather than headaches.

This podcast has been reborn in a sense that we're going to cover more than just pool chemistry now. We're going to cover pools in general. You're going to rule your pool. But this is also for pool pros who are going to get a lot of information about pool construction, design, engineering, business, you name it.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

The Reality Check: Why Pool Professionals Matter More Than Ever

One of the most compelling discussions in this episode centers around the critical importance of professional pool service and the challenges facing the industry. Knight and Jared highlight a sobering statistic: over 50% of residential pools in the United States are maintained by DIY homeowners.

While homeowners can certainly handle basic chemical maintenance, the hosts emphasize the dangers of DIY approaches to electrical and plumbing work. Pool service technicians must be proficient in multiple disciplines – they need to understand electricity (where mistakes can be fatal), plumbing, chemistry, and equipment operation, all while working efficiently across multiple properties daily.

It's incumbent upon the professional to have more education in that discipline, to be able to offer some value that the homeowner can't just do themselves... The last thing you want is homeowners trying to replace a pump and dealing with electrical panels and doing all those things.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

This reality underscores why continued education is so crucial for pool professionals. As Knight points out, when a pool service technician makes chemistry mistakes, homeowners lose trust and may turn to unqualified contractors for other services, creating a cascade of problems that ultimately hurts everyone involved.

Working With Water, Not Against It

Despite the expanded focus, water chemistry remains central to the podcast's mission. Knight offers a profound perspective shift that could revolutionize how both professionals and homeowners approach pool maintenance. Instead of trying to impose our will on water, we need to understand that water simply wants to achieve equilibrium.

This philosophical approach to water chemistry isn't just theoretical – it has practical implications. When we recognize that water follows natural laws and physics rather than human desires, we can work with these principles instead of fighting against them. The result? Better water quality, fewer chemical battles, and more satisfied swimmers.

Water behaves extremely well when you give water what it wants. But what people want, of course, like I said before, is disinfection. I want that water to be safe, clean, and clear.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

Knight's background as a competitive swimmer who became seriously ill from poor indoor air quality gives weight to his emphasis on proper disinfection and water treatment. His personal experience drives his commitment to health and safety in aquatic environments.

Technology and Innovation: The Industry's Rapid Evolution

The podcast also touches on the remarkable technological advances that have transformed the pool industry in recent years. Since Knight entered the industry in 2016, innovations in automation, filtration, heating, and water treatment have been nothing short of revolutionary.

From advanced filter media like crushed glass to more efficient heating systems, from sophisticated automation apps to nano bubble technology and improved ozone delivery systems – the options available to pool owners and professionals have expanded dramatically. These technological advances will be regular topics on the revamped podcast, with industry experts sharing insights about cutting-edge solutions.

The show plans to feature subject matter experts from equipment manufacturers and technology companies, focusing on education rather than sales pitches. As Knight emphasizes, the goal is to introduce ideas and innovations that can help listeners make informed decisions about their pools.

A New Era of Collaboration

Perhaps most importantly, this podcast rebirth represents something bigger than just a format change – it's a model for how different companies in the pool industry can collaborate for the greater good. Despite Knight's move to Watershape University, Hassa and Orenda remain the title sponsors, demonstrating that education and industry advancement transcend individual company interests.

This collaboration extends to the show's approach to sponsors and partners. Rather than traditional advertisements, the podcast will feature companies only when they can provide genuine educational value or unique insights to listeners. It's an approach that prioritizes listener benefit over commercial interests.

The partnership also highlights the ongoing relationship between Knight and Jared, who continues his work with Hassa and Orenda. Their weekly conversations and continued collaboration ensure that the podcast maintains its practical, problem-solving approach while expanding into new territories.

Looking Forward: What This Means for Pool Owners and Professionals

As the Rule Your Pool podcast enters this new phase, listeners can expect a more comprehensive resource for all things pool-related. The show will continue to address the practical challenges that prompted many of the original episodes – those calls to customer service lines about recurring problems that needed industry-wide attention.

For pool professionals, this expanded format offers opportunities to learn about aspects of the business they might not encounter daily, from advanced construction techniques to business management strategies. For homeowners, it provides deeper insights into the complexity and craftsmanship that goes into creating and maintaining a quality pool.

The hosts acknowledge they have a backlog of 30-40 episode topics they never got to cover in the original run, ensuring plenty of chemistry content alongside the new construction and business topics. This blend of foundational knowledge and cutting-edge innovation positions the podcast to serve both newcomers seeking basic understanding and veterans looking to expand their expertise.

The return of Rule Your Pool represents more than just a podcast relaunch – it's a recommitment to education, safety, and excellence in the pool industry. By expanding beyond chemistry while maintaining focus on core principles, Knight and Jared are creating a resource that can truly help listeners rule their pools, whether they're maintaining a single backyard oasis or serving dozens of customers across a service route.

As the pool industry continues to evolve with new technologies, regulations, and consumer expectations, having a trusted educational resource becomes increasingly valuable. The reborn Rule Your Pool podcast aims to be exactly that – a reliable source of practical knowledge, industry insights, and expert guidance for anyone serious about pool ownership or professional pool service.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Welcome Back - The Podcast Returns
• 05:00 Eric's Journey to Watershape University
• 12:00 Expanding Beyond Chemistry
• 18:00 The Importance of Pool Professionals
• 25:00 Working with Water's Natural Behavior
• 32:00 Industry Technology and Innovation
• 38:00 New Collaboration Model and Sponsors