Skip to content Quick answer: After 27 years of servicing pools around Fort Worth, Noah's advice comes down to twelve rules. Five are about how to work with a pool company so you stop thinking about the pool: delegate it, let the system run, speak up early, cover the equipment in a freeze, and give feedback fast. Seven are about the pool itself: test weekly, never mix chlorine types, keep chemicals out of the garage, deep-clean the filter, keep dissolved solids down, watch the waterline, and treat algae before you can see it. Each one below has Noah's explanation, and most have a short video.
I learned pools from my dad and I've been servicing the DFW mid-cities since the late '90s. These are the things I say on almost every quote call. Nothing here is complicated. Most pool problems come from skipping the simple stuff for two weeks in July.
These five rules are the ones Noah gives every new customer. Follow them and the pool stops being something you think about.
Your time is your life, and it is precious. People ask me, "What's your recommendation for pool owners?" Without hesitation: find a way to delegate the pool's management. Teaming up with a company that takes the water, the cleaning, and the equipment off your plate at a price that makes sense will change your quality of life more than any other backyard decision.
That's why we offer different service tiers. Whatever your budget, there's a plan that gives you freedom from the pool.
Pool maintenance is many visits a year, not a few. Clients who follow our system start to forget they have a pool, because the recurring problems that used to interrupt their peace get handled before they show up. Same day each week, same checklist, readings written down, chemicals brought with us and leftovers taken away. The consistency is the product.
If anything looks off, tell us the same day. We would much rather hear about a concern early and investigate than find out a month later that something has been bothering you. We care about this and we're committed to getting it right, and prompt communication is how trust gets built on both sides.
One of the fastest ways to reduce risk in a short cold snap is to put a tarp over all the equipment on the pad. If you put a heat source under the tarp, do not put yourself at risk of fire, shock, or toxic fumes. For the full winter plan, read our guide to Texas pool freeze protection.
We respect your time, so our communication is always concise. The faster you read or listen and reply, the faster we can give you the best possible service. Thanks in advance for skimming our few emails. We promise not to waste your time.
The best way to reach us is the main line, 817-269-4520, or service@noahspoolservice.com.
Seven things that prevent most of the service calls we get. Each one is a short video from Noah.
The most important thing in pool care isn't a product. It's consistency. Algae starts growing inside the filter, where it's dark, warm, and fed, and by the time you can see green in open water you're already behind. Weekly testing catches it while it's still a small chemistry correction instead of a recovery job.
Going out of town? Test the day you leave and have someone test once while you're gone. A pool can turn in a Texas week.
How often to test pool water →Sodium dichlor, calcium hypochlorite, and trichlor are all sold as chlorine, and they are chemically different. When they meet, in a bucket, a skimmer, or an inline chlorinator, they can produce heat, gas, and fire. No flame required. I've seen fences, equipment, and a truck burn from it.
One product, one container, one scoop. Read the label every time, even if you've done it a hundred times.
How to store pool chemicals safely →Chlorine fumes rust tools, bikes, and water heaters, and a leaking container can damage a car parked next to it. Heat breaks the product down, so a season's worth bought in May is weaker by August. Use a shaded, ventilated deck box away from the house, keep chlorine products separated from each other and from acid, and only buy about six months at a time.
On weekly service, nothing gets stored at your house. We bring what the pool needs and take the leftovers.
Where to store chlorine, acid, and test kits →Backwashing helps, but nothing replaces taking the filter apart and cleaning it. We've pulled 40 to 50 pounds of debris out of a single filter. A dirty filter strains the pump, cuts circulation, and is where algae lives. Plan on a full disassembly about every three months, more often under heavy trees.
If you do it yourself: 40-degree tip, low pressure, keep your distance, or you'll tear the grids.
Cartridge vs sand vs DE filters →Every time water evaporates it leaves its solids behind, and every tap-water top-off adds more. Over a few years the water concentrates like a syrup: it feels sticky, it's harder to balance, and it eats more chemicals. Three habits keep it in check: a clean filter, partial drains and backwashing, and controlling debris before it breaks down. Most North Texas pools benefit from a partial drain about once a year.
Watch the TDS meter test →That white crust on tile and stone comes from the stone itself. Natural rock leaches lime, calcium, and iron into hard North Texas fill water, and it shows up first at the waterline. Seal the rock, keep the chemistry where scale can't form, and treat existing buildup with the right product. Pouring acid on tile etches it and makes the next layer stick faster.
Preventing calcium buildup →Around here algae isn't a question of if. Spores blow in off Joe Pool Lake, Lake Arlington, and Lake Grapevine, and humid days drop them into your backyard. The two defenses that work are a clean filter and a preventative, non-reactive algae treatment from March through September. Waiting until the water turns green means you're treating a bloom instead of preventing one.
How to identify and kill pool algae →Delegate it. A pool is many visits a year, and the owners who enjoy theirs most are the ones who handed the water, cleaning, and equipment to a company that shows up every week. Everything else on this page is what Noah tells people who want to understand what that company should be doing.
Every week, year-round, even when the water looks clear. Algae starts in the filter where you can't see it, and weekly testing catches chemistry drift while it's still a small correction. Test more often after heavy rain, a heat wave, or a party.
Not in the garage. Use a cool, shaded, ventilated spot away from the house and vehicles, keep chlorine products separated from each other and from acid, and only buy about six months of chlorine at a time. Never let two chlorine types meet.
For a short cold snap, put a tarp over everything on the equipment pad and keep the pump circulating. If you use a heat source under the tarp, make sure there is no risk of fire, shock, or fumes. For a longer freeze, follow our Texas pool freeze protection guide.
More answers on the FAQ page and the pool maintenance guide.
Give us your address and we'll quote your pool from satellite imagery, usually the same day, no appointment needed. Then the other eleven rules are our problem.
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