Remote control automation in the pool industry has been around for quite a while.  Starting with wired remotes, to short-range wireless... pool owner's have been able to operate and view their equipment from remote controls for the last 2-3 decades.  However, it's been pretty limited, somewhat cumbersome, and expensive.

The pool industry is also FINALLY starting to catch up to the Google Nest, Amazon Alexa, and various other home, auto, landscape automation control methods.  Due to limitations with older equipment, valves, and far-reaching wi-fi signals, pool automation has often lagged behind, which has presented different set of obstacles to overcome.

A newer automation released from Pentair a little over a year ago could shape the industry and automation moving forward.  It's NOT the bells and whistles, expensive type of automation.  It's a simpler, wifi based with smart relay automation that surely has room to grow.  The Pentair IntelliConnect is aimed to replace the standard Intermatic T104 (or similar) mechanical time clock.  Very simple!

The Pentair IntelliConnect IS NOT designed to be installed on more complex pool/spa combos, or equipment with multiple pieces of equipment.  It's just designed to work with pool or spa only and 5 devices.  Wire your Pentair IntelliFlo communication wires, Pentair IntelliChlor salt system, light, and heater if you have one.  You create your account, enter your registration number that's provided right on the inside of the power center... and voila you're connected.  Of course, mounting and electrical from each piece of the equipment will need to be completed first!

The "advanced" capabilities that render this automation promising and closer to Google, Amazon, and other automation devices are these 3 simple items...

• Smart Relays. Each device can be told to communicate exactly the way the device was intended.  You have Jandy/Zodiac or Hayward LED color-lights?  It will talk to these lights and enable them to operate each color mode as intended.
• Updates.  As more features are added, Pentair can update the IntelliConnect directly to the mobile device app.
• Wifi.  As long as your wifi signal is strong to the power center... you will be OK.  Set-up is lightning quick.  If you have limited wifi from your wireless router to the pool equipment area... consider adding an extender in between.  Extenders are very cheap these days, and can be seamlessly integrated.
• Not reliant on temp sensors.  The IntelliConnect takes it's info from Accuweather to enable freeze protection. If Accuweather says it's at freezing temps, your pump will turn on (if enabled).Above anything else, this is how the IntelliConnect separates itself from other automation systems... and will surely be incorporated into future enhancements.

If you have a simple set-up, pool or spa ONLY. with 5 devices or less. you may want to look into the IntelliConnect.  You'll be able to control your system from your mobile device. Operate your equipment without having to go the the equipment panel at night.  And be able to view status and alerts right from your mobile device.

Expect to pay anywhere from $500.00 to $700.00 for installation... a far cry from the $2,500.00-$4,500.00 for most complete, higher-end pool automation installs.  

If you do have a pool/spa combo or want something with more customization... check out the Pentair IntelliCenter (new), Pentair IntelliTouch (the predecessor bul ultra reliable) to the IntelliCenter, Pentair EasyTouch and EasyTouch PL4.  All systems work great, they just need to be fit with your needs and pool equipment requirements.

If you have any questions on which system is best for your pool equipment, you can contact anyone at Love Pool Care... we'll be sure to help any way we can.  Love Pool Care sells, programs, repairs, and installs any type of automation from Pentair, Zodiac/Jandy, or Hayward.

Within the next few weeks, our company moving on down the road to our very-own new building.  It's been a goal and a dream to be able to finally do this for our company.  

It validates the hard work and customer service we've ALL put in to establish our company as one of the best companies in Phoenix.  We're a bit aways from reaching our potential, so we have a lot of work to do.  We can't wait to get settled in!

We'll be in our current location for the next few months while we prepare our new building for action.  Once our move is completed, we'll promise to open our doors for everyone to see. Changes are coming!

New Address
22410 N. 18th Dr.
Phoenix, Arizona 85027

Whether you're building a new pool, or renovating your existing pool the myriad of choices can leave you in a hazy fog. Design, shape, amenities, size, depth, color, tile, equipment, automation, etc... it all can be overwhelming. Below is a sampling of information that can help you get comfortable with "some" of the options available to you.

Interior Surfaces...

• White Marble Plaster.  Still beautiful and a popular choice for budget-conscious clients.  Plaster is not as strong or resilient as it once was, making diligent maintenance and proper water chemistry a must.
• StoneScapes Mini-Pebble.  Our most popular choice and extremely customizable with colored glass and/or shell additives.  Mini-Pebble is resilient, strong, and beautiful.
• ​StoneScapes Touch Of Glass.  Looking to add pizzazz to your interior surface? These are sparkling glass bead additives we can add to any pool finish.  We can also create custom blends.
• StoneScapes Puerto Rico Blend.  Like Touch of Glass, the Puerto Rico Blend are glass bead additives to your Mini-Pebble surface.  The only difference is that these are more "petite" pieces of glass.
• ​QuartzScapes Regular Series.  Quartz is strong!  Priced slightly higher than most Mini-Pebble aggregates, but adds a sleek, smooth, and elegant feel to any pool interior.  Application technique is critical in achieving a gorgeous, consistent QuartzScapes surface.
• QuartzScapes Caribbean Series.  An upgrade from the QuartzScapes Regular Series. The Caribbean Series contain vivid blue, gray, and black hues that give the appearance of the water on the Caribbean islands.
• ​QuartzScapes Reflection Series.  An upgrade from the QuartzScapes Regular Series.  The Reflection Series provides a sprinkle of sparkle to the QuartzScapes surface.  
• ColorScapes.  A mixture of ceramic-coated Quartz Crystals and Plaster.  Pricing for this material can range from low to high end, depending on the mixture colors.  Not as strong as QuartzScapes, but beautiful nonetheless!
• ​JewelScapes Classic Series.  The crown jewel of surfaces!  A glass aggregate surface that is distinctive and colorful.  JewelScapes is costlier than all other aggregates, but lives up to it's cost... a true difference maker.  Also available in different upgrade series that are listed below.
• JewelScapes Opal Series.  The Opal Series contains an icy blend of crystal clear glass beads with high quality pigments.
• JewelScapes Reflective Series.  The Reflective Series contains all glass beads with an assortment of bold colors.
• JewelScapes ONE Series.  The ONE Series contains different mixtures of glass bead and Mini-Pebble and Regular Pebble.
• ​JewelScapes Blend Series.  The Blend Series are batches of glass bead and/or pebble that can be custom mixed in with any Series.
• All 1" Tile.  Stunning and sophisticated. Tile prices ranges can be vastly different, as glass tile is more expensive than ceramic tile.  Preparation and application techniques are critical in achieving long-lasting all-tile pool or spas.  

Waterline Tile...

• ​​1", 3", 6" Waterline Tile.  6" is the still the most popular waterline tile.  However, 1" waterline tile has grown in popularity and provides a unique backsplash to your pool interior.
• We proudly provide tile from 3 distributors:  Noble Tile Supply, National Pool Tile, and Lightstreams Glass Tile

Spillways & Water Features...

• We take our spillways very seriously.  All of our spillways are custom-crafted, waterproofed, and designed to spill AWAY from the spa wall. You can check out our video of a 3 spa spillway project we designed and installed right here and pics of this project right here.
• Copper Spillways.  The beauty of copper is it fits perfectly with Arizona's history, landscape, and natural color.  Each spillway will patina over time to give it beautiful hues of green, gray, and blue.
• Travertine Spillways.  Travertine spillways can be customized with a short or long radius.  Each of our spillways are honed and shaped to create beautiful sheets of water.  View one of our projects right here.
• Water & Fire Features.  Our features are designed to work within the confines of the environment.  Movement of water is beautiful to watch and listen to.  You can view a water and fire project right here.

Depth Conversions...

• From Diving Pool To Play Pool. More and more pool owners are deciding that their diving board days are over.  Shallow play pools give you better overall use of the pool, and expands its capabilities... such as volleyball, basketball, and greater safety for children.  
• How Is This Done?  We layout the pool area to be filled, snap lines, raise or delete the main drain, fill and compact, and use shotcrete to fill!  Don't let this confuse you... we can make this a reality for any pool.
• Sun Shelfs.  Like depth conversions, Sun Shelfs can provide long, wide areas to lounge.  Sun Shelfs are usually built near the entry steps with a depth of about 9"-12".  These are great for extra space to sit in a partially submerged lounge chair, toddlers, or even dogs.  You can view one of our projects that contain both a Sun Shelf and Depth Conversion right here.

Pebble Rolled Bond Beam Conversions...

• Out With The Rolled Bond Beam.  Many pools were constructed in the 1990's with Pebble Rolled Bond Beams.  These beams rolled out of the water and provided a rounded edge alongside the beam of your pool.  The fact is many of these beams are now cracking and deteriorating, causing extreme injury potential and being extremely unsightly.
• In With Natural Stone.  Many of our clients are choosing Flagstone or Travertine to replace the failing Pebble Rolled Bond Beams.  We completely remove the pebble and shotcrete down to the original bond beam of the pool.  We then re-build using Flagstone or Travertine.  The end result is stunning.  There's a major difference in quality of projects like this, so be very careful in choosing the right contractor for this type of work.  You can view one of our projects right here.

Decks...

• Acrylic.  Acrylic is still our most popular and affordable choice when it comes to renovations.  We provide several different patterns: Lace, Flagstone 2 Color, Flagstone 3 Color, and Stamped With Custom Color.  All of these patterns are beautiful and will complement any work being done to the pool's interior surface.
• Travertine Pavers.  Far and away our preferred choice when it comes to accentuating your pool deck and/or patio.  Travertine Pavers can be used as an overlay on top of your existing deck (in most cases) or we can rip up your existing concrete deck and apply new pavers and coping.  Travertine Pavers are forgiving, natural, and resilient.  No worries about cracked concrete.  You can view one of our Travertine projects right here.
• Belgard Pavers. Another popular and gorgeous way to achieve a completely different look to your deck is through the use of Belgard Pavers.  As with Travertine Pavers, Belgard Pavers can be used an overlay over existing concrete or as a standalone set with polymeric sand.  These pavers do achieve higher temperatures than Acrylic or Travertine, but the look is worth it.  You can view one of our projects right here.

Equipment...

• Equipment Matters!  No matter how beautiful your pool looks, it makes no sense to have faulty equipment.  Any pool must be able to move water efficiently, filter that water properly, and be able to clean itself.  If we can achieve these 3 things, your newly beautifully renovated pool will stand a better chance of staying beautiful.

Just a nod to all of our dedicated, hard-working employees who helped us achieve more recognition from our clients.  Love Pool Care has one again received the Angie's List Super Service Award for 2016!  Great job, everyone... looking forward to an even busier and successful 2017!

Love Pool Care Blog Special!  Click link below to set up!  We've created a very easy web form that gets you on our schedule. Just select your option, submit and we'll take care of the rest!  This offer will only remain valid until our schedule becomes full, so please contact us immediately to get put into our rotation.

Our hottest February on record!  This has left our pools feeling very confused... and our Service Technician's begging for just a few more 70 degree days!  
​
With swimming season not too far away, it means attending to some pools that could use an acid wash, tile or pebble waterline cleaning, or just new water. It really makes a difference, swimming in fresh water, with a clean surface and clean tile.  If your pool hasn't been drained within the past 3 years, you may want to consider having this work performed. 

Every so often something hits you that will pause you in your tracks​, enough to shake you, and hurt you.  Especially when something is out of your control.

Back in 2008, in my office sat a mid 50's gentleman named Stan. No experience, pot belly, a bit of a red-flag on his resume.  Not much to go on. What was present, was his dogged determination to land the open position as our pool service technician.  I'll never forget Stan looking at me point-blank, telling me he'd outwork every one of our twenty-something employees and would make me proud.

Stan was hired.  Stan held up to his end of the bargain... and then some.  He may not have been the most knowledgeable. His pools may not have been altogether perfect all the time.  But, I can tell you this.  Stan ran our twenty-something employees under the table.  His truck started at 4:30 most summer mornings. He arrived at the office on Saturday's to clean his truck.  He made extra visits to our client's pools on the weekends. He cared about each client.   In turn, our clients loved him. Stan didn't need to be managed every minute of the day because he took pride in his job.  He embodied great work ethic. 

October 2015, after about a total of 8 years with Love Pool Care, Stan was offered a position to go back to his previous career (inside office equipment sales).  It was time, as our brutal summer and monsoon weather can understandably take a toll after a few years. 

​​My last communication with Stan was the second week of October 2015.  His W-2 was just returned to our office, with a hand-scribbled note on the envelope stating "deceased".

This couldn't be true! Everything just kind of stood still when that unopened envelope was delivered to me.​
I emailed Stan asking if everything was OK.  No response.  I called his last known cell number, only to go unanswered. I searched obituaries, and scoured the Internet for any information.  Nothing of significance.​

My last grasp was leaving a voicemail at a number that was listed several pages in on Google.  Fortunately, I received a call back later that night.  It was his ex-wife, and she did confirm... Stan had passed away in late October 2015 from unexplained causes. Our conversation was pleasant, but brief.  I really didn't know what to say or ask.  ​

I have to say that this has affected me a great deal. I do not know if he had a funeral? I don't know about his family?​ Or friends?​ The finality of this has left me sad and confused.  I wanted the opportunity to stand up and tell his family and/or friends how important this man was to me. And our company.  I wanted to share stories.  I wanted that opportunity!  This man gave me all he had for 8 years!  I don't care if he had his "ups and downs"... we all do! The silence or lack of communication to me prevented this from happening.​

Stan was no longer that pot-bellied fella.  The physical activity of his job kept him in shape. He played golf with his friends.  He was quick witted, sarcastic, and funny. He rarely took a day off, even for vacations.  Stan had integrity.  And that's how I'll always remember him.

Thank you, Stan!  We all love you here.  You'll be remembered.  

With the advancement of automation technology between Pentair, Zodiac, and Hayward... programming has become mainstream.  That's great news for pool owner's as prices are finally coming down, while giving you more capabilities than ever before.

Our preferred choice of automation is the Pentair EasyTouch or Pentair IntelliTouch WITH ScreenLogic.  ScreenLogic essentially will turn your wired system into a wireless remote capable of allowing you to access and program your equipment from your Android, Apple, or desktop applications.  Macros can be used with the IntellITouch, allowing you to fully customize how you want equipment to operate.  Obviously, the more pieces of equipment you have, the more you'll be able to take advantage of the macros.  If macros aren't your thing, the EasyTouch performs just as well.

Another nice benefit with any automation system is the communication with Variable-Speed pumps.  The relationship between Variable-Speed pumps and wireless automation will allow you to dial-in the pump and hopefully save on additional energy costs.  Costs to operate your pool system have nose-dived with the proliferation of variable-speed pumps.  Having automation control these pumps has allowed us to take advantage of these savings even further.

Whichever system your prefer and end up installing, take the time to fully understand how set-up and programming works.  Most of the issues are self-diagnosed and are the result of poor programming of your equipment.

Of course, we at Love Pool Care can provide installation and repair of any system.  In addition, we can provide programming to your automation or variable-speed pumps very easily.  Contact us anytime, and we'll be more than happy to help.  

Throughout the year, our company works very hard.  VERY hard.  I'm not the type of boss in which we're "OK" with being content with our work inside and outside of the office.  Not a day goes by in which we're not trying to improve our system.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?), my staff gets to hear my ideas and decision-making pretty much daily.  I guess it's the fear of losing touch with our clients... which will never happen as long as my name is the company name.  

So, this means changing, adapting, learning, creating, trying, hurrying, listening, and implementing.  Every day.  With one constant... we have some pretty amazing employees.  Most care very much.  They may not understand the passion that I express... but they're damn good people and they try their best to make our clients happy with Love Pool Care.  The only way I can repay them is to work my tail off and help make our company the best in the Valley.

I'm very grateful to have a caring office staff that puts up with my constant managing, a repair staff that is second to none, service techs that follow our system, and renovation crews that make us proud.  

Just a big thanks to everyone at LPC, including our wonderful clients.  Carry on...

Thinking of adding a water feature to your pool?  There are many different designs to choose from, but be careful.  The water feature must blend in with the aesthetics of the pool, backyard, and region.  A common mistake we see are water features that are too small or too big for the pool.  Here are a few helpful hints when trying to decide...

• Be original, but not over-the-top gaudy.  Try to decide on a design that blends in with the environment and your pool.  A stacked stone wok pot wouldn't look good on a contemporary, modern pool.  
• Make sure the existing equipment can handle another return line.  This usually means the pump!  Variable-speed pumps work great for custom-built water features because you can control the speed.
• We like "real" rock.  The faux rocks may be for some people, but nothing beats boulders taken from the quarries around Arizona.  The rocks can be used for the stacked stone or large, boulder waterfalls large enough that require a crane to set in place.
• Stay away from salt systems with natural rock water features!