poolnerd

What’s Covered

Unfortunately, many folks in the pool construction business are not very knowledgeable. Some are even downright (gasp!) dishonest. They have opinions based on the way “things have always been done,” or are merely trying to sell the products their companies offer, usually for a larger piece of the commission pie.

This leaves the consumer feeling confused, unsure.

This website aims to empower by providing some basic knowledge for dealing with these unprincipled salespeople.

The topics I cover in here are intended for those homeowners who are — or will be — building their own pool, what we call an “owner-builder” in this area. Also, those who are considering a pool, or are having their pool built by a contractor can find some background info. Folks in other segments of the pool business who are just starting out can gain some insight, too.

Please note that most of the topics here pertain to inground gunite or shotcrete pools. However, some topics, such as hydraulics or design, apply to any type of pool.

About the Humble Webmaster

This website is run by me, Tom Potter. I own a swimming pool design and construction corporation based in Los Angeles County, California. I started the company in May of 1987, and have slowly built it into what it is today: one of the most-respected firms of its type in the area, known for top-quality construction and solid customer service.

I have experience in pretty much everything to do with pools and spas. I started out in sales of aboveground (Doughboy) pools as a high school job. I also learned basic repair skills: replacing motors and seals on pumps, fixing leaks in PVC pipe, replacing filter elements, stuff like that. While in college, I worked for three years at a pool maintenance and repair company in Encinitas (north San Diego county). I was the route supervisor and repairman. Moving on into the construction realm, I next worked at a company in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles, where I learned the ins and outs of excavation, plumbing, gas lines, electrical, masonry, and so on. That company also sold fiberglass spas, both portable and inground. I also did a lot of office-type stuff there, too: pulling permits, sales, fielding customer complaints, placing orders, coordinating jobs.

In January of 1987 I got my contractor’s license for pool construction, then opened my own business. Since then I’ve done subcontracting work for other pool builders (plumbing and electrical), repairs (from fixing pump leaks to fixing structural defects), remodels and renovations, as well as construction of new pools and spas, which is now the bread-and-butter segment of my business. I also have a website that sells designs for custom pools, and have done consulting work.

About This website

All of the information on this website is offered free of charge. Maybe I’ll get some good-karma points or something for offering free information to the universe. Hopefully, I’ll get enough bucks from those Google Adsense ads to pay for my web hosting.

Anyway, if you find the info here of any worth, please let me know, either through comments (preferably) or email. After all, we all like some encouragement from time to time. And spread the word to any friends or family considering adding a pool to their lifestyle.

One other thing — since most of my time is taken up by running a business and by my family, I’ll only be able to post sporadically, maybe a couple of times per month. Over time, though, a small library of posts on a variety of topics should be built up.

Requests: Any Stuff You’d Like to See Covered?

If you have questions, or can think of subjects you’d like covered, please let me know. The old adage, “The only stupid question is the one left unasked,” certainly applies here. Ask away — hey, you can get free advice from someone who gets close to three figures per hour for consulting work.

Contact Me

Please leave questions, opinions, compliments and scorn in the “comments” section that’s most appropriate. This allows others to gain from shared insights. If you need to contact me, email me at:

nerd (at) poolnerd (dot) com

(I typed it like so ‘bots won’t get the address and flood my inbox with spam.)