How One Mistake on a Pool Job Nearly Bankrupted Me

When Everything That Can Go Wrong, Does: A Pool Pro's Nightmare

Picture this: you're 3,000 miles away from your business, enjoying some time on the East Coast, when your phone starts buzzing with updates from a major commercial job back home. What should have been a routine equipment upgrade turns into a heart-stopping series of failures that could have bankrupted your company. This is exactly what happened to Steve from the Talking Pools Podcast, and his story serves as a crucial wake-up call for every pool professional about the hidden dangers lurking in our industry.

In a recent episode, Steve shared the harrowing details of how one seemingly straightforward pool job nearly destroyed his business—and the hard-earned lessons that could save yours. From exploding equipment to manufacturer failures, this story has everything a pool pro never wants to experience but absolutely needs to hear about.

The Perfect Storm: When Historic Properties Meet Modern Pool Systems

The trouble began with what seemed like a dream client—a prestigious commercial property in Santa Monica with pools that required specialized attention. But as Steve explains, these weren't your typical poolside installations:

The pools are on the third floor at one of the properties, and across the street we do the other property, and they're on the fifth floor of the pool. In both of the equipment rooms, the pumps and the filters and everything, they're in the basement. And it's a historic property. So it's not like we can just cut everything out and bring it up to the deck or something like that.

— Steve, Talking Pools Podcast

This unique configuration created a nightmare scenario that most pool professionals never encounter: extreme head pressure that pushed equipment far beyond its designed limits. The numbers tell the story—with head pressure sitting at 35-40 PSI when pumps were off, and commercial filters rated for only 55 PSI maximum, the system was essentially a ticking time bomb.

The consequences were both spectacular and terrifying. Steve describes scenes that sound more like industrial accidents than routine pool maintenance: bulkheads shattered into pieces across equipment rooms, multiport valves with gaping two-inch holes, and pump seals blown out so violently that technicians had to approach equipment with their hands up, ready to duck for cover.

The Golden Rule Broken: Why Timing Matters in Pool Business

One of the most critical lessons from Steve's ordeal involves a fundamental business practice that many pool companies live by—never schedule major jobs when key personnel are out of town. As Steve admits:

We have a golden rule normally that we don't schedule big jobs when Jen and I are out of town. But the guys, they're really good usually, and they do a great job.

— Steve, Talking Pools Podcast

This deviation from standard protocol, while understandable given reliable staff, created the perfect conditions for disaster. When complex technical problems arose during the equipment installation, the decision-makers who understood the full scope of the project's challenges weren't available to provide immediate guidance or make critical judgment calls.

The timing issue highlights a broader challenge in the pool industry: balancing business growth with operational safety. While it's tempting to take on lucrative projects regardless of scheduling, Steve's experience demonstrates why certain protocols exist—and why breaking them can have catastrophic consequences.

The Manufacturer Betrayal: When Expert Advice Goes Wrong

Perhaps the most infuriating aspect of Steve's story involves the failure of manufacturer support. In an industry where technical specifications can mean the difference between success and catastrophe, relying on manufacturer expertise should be a safe bet. Unfortunately, Steve learned that even this fundamental trust can be misplaced:

And, man, sometimes the manufacturers are really awesome. And Pentair, you guys took a flop on this one. And he actually doesn't work there anymore. So if he did, I would have had a bone to pick with both him and probably his boss. Because he spec'd out this job for me.

— Steve, Talking Pools Podcast

This manufacturer failure wasn't just disappointing—it was potentially business-ending. When you're dealing with complex commercial installations, especially those involving unique challenges like extreme head pressure, manufacturer specifications become the foundation upon which entire projects are built. A wrong specification doesn't just mean equipment failure; it means potential liability, safety hazards, and massive financial losses.

Steve's approach of always involving manufacturers in complex projects is sound business practice, but his experience reveals a crucial caveat: get everything in writing, document all recommendations, and maintain clear records of who provided what specifications. As he learned from a previous project, having text message records of manufacturer recommendations can be the difference between eating a costly mistake and getting proper compensation.

The Pressure Cooker: Understanding Head Pressure in Pool Systems

For pool professionals who haven't encountered extreme head pressure situations, Steve's experience provides a masterclass in the physics of water and the limits of equipment. The scenario he describes—35-40 PSI of head pressure when pumps are off—represents a fundamental mismatch between system design and equipment specifications.

Commercial Pentair filters rated for 55 PSI maximum operating pressure were being subjected to pressures that left almost no safety margin for normal operation. When pumps engaged, pressure spikes would instantly exceed design limits, leading to catastrophic failures that turned equipment rooms into hazard zones.

The historic nature of the property compounded these challenges, making traditional solutions impossible to implement. As Steve notes, the cost to properly re-engineer the system would reach seven figures, forcing the property owners to accept ongoing operational challenges rather than invest in a complete redesign.

This situation illustrates why pool professionals need to develop expertise in system hydraulics and equipment limitations. Understanding head pressure, flow rates, and equipment specifications isn't just technical knowledge—it's risk management that can prevent both safety hazards and financial disasters.

Insurance and Protection: The Safety Net That Saves Businesses

While the main story focuses on technical failures, the episode also touches on crucial business protection strategies through its insurance segment with Pat Grignon. The discussion of additional insured provisions and comprehensive coverage takes on new meaning when viewed through the lens of Steve's equipment failures.

The conversation about subcontractor relationships and insurance coverage highlights how complex commercial projects require multiple layers of protection. When equipment fails catastrophically, as in Steve's case, having proper insurance coverage and clear contractual relationships with subcontractors and manufacturers becomes the difference between a costly lesson and business bankruptcy.

The residential examples discussed in the insurance segment—leak detection requiring concrete removal, coping replacement, and equipment pad work—seem almost quaint compared to exploding commercial equipment, but they represent the same fundamental principle: understanding exactly what your insurance covers before problems arise, not after.

Lessons Learned: Building Resilience in Pool Operations

Steve's near-disaster offers several crucial takeaways for pool professionals at every level. First, the importance of maintaining operational protocols even when they seem unnecessary. The "golden rule" about not scheduling major jobs during owner absences exists precisely because complex problems require experienced decision-making.

Second, the critical need for documented manufacturer consultations and specifications. While involving manufacturers in complex projects is essential, getting recommendations in writing and maintaining clear records of who provided what specifications can provide crucial protection when things go wrong.

Third, the value of understanding equipment limitations and system hydraulics. Pool professionals who can recognize when head pressure, flow rates, or other system parameters approach equipment limits can prevent catastrophic failures before they occur.

Finally, the absolute necessity of comprehensive insurance coverage and clear contractual relationships. When technical failures occur, having proper protection in place determines whether your business survives to learn from the experience.

The Silver Lining: Why Pool Professionals Choose This Industry

Despite the harrowing nature of his story, Steve also reminds us why pool professionals often love their work, even when it occasionally tries to kill them:

That's the greatest thing about this business is that, you know, if you have these appointments, and you have these kids and these wives and husbands and stuff, that you're able to actually go and do that... this business creates a lifestyle that is like no other.

— Steve, Talking Pools Podcast

This perspective provides crucial balance to the technical challenges and business risks inherent in pool work. Yes, equipment can explode, manufacturers can provide wrong specifications, and complex projects can threaten business survival. But the pool industry also offers flexibility, independence, and the opportunity to build something meaningful while maintaining work-life balance.

Steve's story ultimately isn't just about a job gone wrong—it's about the resilience required to succeed in an industry where technical expertise, business acumen, and crisis management skills are equally important. For pool professionals willing to learn from others' expensive mistakes, his experience provides invaluable insights that could prevent similar disasters in their own operations.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Business Lifestyle Discussion
• 08:15 The Commercial Pool Challenge Setup
• 12:30 Equipment Failure and Head Pressure Issues
• 18:45 Manufacturer Consultation Problems
• 25:20 Insurance Discussion with Pat Grignon
• 35:40 Lessons Learned and Prevention Strategies