Mike the Poolman

Mike the Poolman

My Story and Education

My journey in the swimming pool industry began in 1992. I was short on money and needed to pay the rent and took a part-time job servicing pools for a  couple managing Premier Pools & Spas Service Department out of their home. We discovered that I was a natural and within six months I was  hired to be a salesman in the pool construction department. That didn’t work out too well and I was transferred to the remodel department. That didn’t work out either and I found myself back in the (now in-house) service department. I didn’t realize it for years to come but thanks to the owner’s insistence that I attend new construction and remodel sites, I had gained invaluable knowledge as to how pools are built, remodeled, the sales process, customer relations, and, my own maturity. Before long I was asked to manage the service department and in 1995 Premier Pools generously sold part of their service route to me.

On October 1, 1995 my business launched and with it I devoured every swimming pool educational course I could find near and far. Within a few years I unexpectedly found other pool techs calling me for advice and demand for my services has consistently grown. I think I was born to be a pool man- I love to fix things and i love to learn new things- two requirements for a great mechanic 🙂

The second most asked question I get: How did I come up with the name Mike the Poolman ? Quite innocently- when I worked for Premier a few of our customers’ children (now grown and with their own children!) used to refer to me as “Mike the Pool man”. It was fun and I went with it never realizing it would become as marketable or successful as it has.

Years later my simple philosophy remains the same:

DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THE CUSTOMER AND BUSINESS WILL THRIVE.

Continuing Education

Industry Education Courses Completed, 1992- present

 

  • Sta-Rite Water Hydraulics (by the immortal Fred Hare), 3 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ 1993
  • Ray Pak, Heater Installation & Repair, 8 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ 1994
  • Ray Pak, Heater Installation & Repair, 8 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ 1995
  • Jandy Industries, Electronic Control System Repair, 3 hrs, Novato, CA ~ November 1994
  • Teledyne LAARS, Heater Service Training, 16 hrs, Rancho Cordova, CA ~ December 1994
  • Polaris, Operation & Repair of Pool Cleaners, 3 hrs, Orangevale, CA ~ January 1995
  • Kreepy Klear, Installation of Chlorine Generators, 3 hrs, Rancho Cordova, CA ~ March 1995
  • N.S.P.I. Pool Tech I, 48 hrs, Sacramento City College, CA ~ February – April 1995
  • Kreepy Klear, Chlorine Generator Warranty School, 4 hrs, Rocklin, CA ~ November 1995
  • Sta-Rite Water Hydraulics National Training, 24 hrs, Waterford, WI ~ January 1996
  • Western Pool & Spa Show, 16 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 1996
  • Michael Orr Solar (CPO), Solar, Walking on Roof Training, 2 hrs, Stockton, CA ~ April 1996
  • Michael Orr Solar (CPO), On site SOLAR Training, 18 hrs, Folsom, CA ~ April 1996
  • San Diego IPSSA Table Top, Basic Electricity, 3 hrs, San Diego, CA ~ January 1997
  • N.S.P.I. Pool Tech II, 40 hrs, Sacramento City College, CA ~ March 1997
  • Western Pool & Spa Show, 15 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 1997
  • Michael Orr Solar (CPO), On site SOLAR Training, 12 hrs, El Dorado Hills, CA ~ April 1997
  • Understanding Electrical Circuits for Portable Spa Systems, 1.5 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ April 97
  • Pool Industry Expo, Basic Electricity, 4 hrs, Monterey, CA ~ October 1997
  • Pac Fab Pool & Spa Electrical Testing Course, 8 hrs, Walnut Creek, CA ~ December 1997
  • Mother Lode Dive Center, Basic SCUBA Certificate, Sacramento, CA ~ January 1998
  • Western Pool & Spa Show, 17 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 1998
  • Western Pool & Spa Show, 16 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ February 1999
  • Sta-Rite Advanced Water Hydraulics National Training, 19 hrs, Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV ~ March 1999
  • The Pool Dentist Underwater Pool Repairs, 8 hrs, San Diego, CA ~ September 1999
  • The Pool Dentist Underwater Rebar Removal, 16 hrs, San Diego, CA ~ October 1999
  • The Pool Dentist Underwater Plaster Patching, 8 hrs, San Diego, CA ~ November 1999
  • Western Pool & Spa Show, 16 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ February 2000
  • The Pool Dentist Underwater Rebar Removal, 16 hrs, San Diego, CA ~ September 2000
  • Western Pool & Spa Show, 11 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ February 2001
  • Polaris Electronic Controls & Cleaner Repairs, 3 hrs, Folsom, CA ~ February 2003
  • Ray Pak Heater Troubleshooting & Repair, 8 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ December 2003
  • Western Pool & Spa Show, 10 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2004
  • Why Pools Crack seminar, 3 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2004
  • Gas Pipe Socket Fusion Qualified, 2 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2004
  • Ray Pak Heater Troubleshooting & Repair, 8 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ November 2004
  • Sta-Rite University, Heater Installation & Service, 8 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ January 2005
  • Pentair Electronic Controls, 6 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ February 2005
  • Western Pool & Spa Show, 2 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2005
  • The Nuts & Bolts of Remodeling a Pool, 2 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2005
  • Why Pools Crack seminar, 3 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2005
  • Goldline Controls, Aqua Logic & Salt Generators, 7 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ December 2005
  • World of Concrete, Concrete Repair, Part I: Essentials, 3 hrs, Las Vegas, NV ~ January 2006
  • World of Concrete, Concrete Repair, Part II: Crack Repair & Protection Methods, 3 hrs, Las Vegas, NV ~ January 2006
  • Sta-Rite University, Heater Repair, 4 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ February 2006
  • Solar Depot Thermal Workshop, 8 hrs, West Sacramento, CA ~ February 2006
  • Pentair Electronic Controls, 3 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ January 2007
  • Jandy Electronic Controls, 8 hrs, Rancho Cordova, CA ~ January 2007
  • Certified Pool Operators course (CPO) by NSPF, 16 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ April 2007
  • Soils Engineering for Pools and Retaining Walls, 4 hrs, Monterey, CA ~ September 2007
  • The Anatomy of a Perfectly Engineered Pool, 4 hrs, Monterey, CA ~ September 2007
  • Repairing Severely Damaged & Distressed Pools, 4 hrs, Monterey, CA ~ September 2007
  • All About Gunite & Shotcrete, 4 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2008
  • Rebar Installation & Structural Engineering in Swimming Pool Construction, 4 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2008
  • Pentair IntelliFlo VS+Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS) Pump Training, 4 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ December 2008
  • Pentair 2009 Equipment Training Workshop, Automation and Heaters, 7 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ January 2009
  • Advanced Electrical, 2 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2009
  • Anti-entrapment and Our Changing Industry, 2 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2009
  • Practical uses for Variable Speed Pumps, 2 hrs, San Diego, CA ~ January 2010
  • Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act, Safety around the Pool, 2 hrs, San Diego, CA ~ January 2010
  • Pentair Pool 2010 Equipment Training Series, 9 hours, Sacramento, CA ~ February 2010
  • Swimming Pool Repair and Remodeling, 2 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ February 2010
  • Advanced Electrical for Swimming Pools, 2 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ February 2010
  • Pentair Controls and Communication, 1.5 hrs, San Diego, CA ~ January 2011
  • Electrical for the Service Tech, 1 hr, San Diego, CA ~ January 2011
  • Zodiac/ Jandy: Installation, Operation & Troubleshooting of Electronic Controls, 6 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ February 2012
  • Advanced Electrical for Swimming Pools, 2 hrs, Long Beach, CA ~ March 2012
  • PG&E Certified Aquatic Equipment Installer (CAEI), 8 hrs, Sacramento, CA ~ October 2012
  • Pentair University, Easy Touch Programming, 3.5 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2016
  • Pentair University, Heater Troubleshooting, 3.5 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2016
  • Pentair University, Intellitouch Programming, 1.5 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2016
  • Pentair University, Automation Overview, 1.5 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2016
  • Pentair University, Screen Logic Networking, 1.5 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2016
  • Pentair University, Pentair ETools, 1.5 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2017
  • Pentair University, Intellifo Pump Changes through Time, 1.5 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2017
  • Pentair University, 16 hour training course, Reno, NV ~ October 2018
  • Pentair University, Screen Logic Installation & Programming, 2 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2019
  • Pentair University, Lighting w Illuminated Water Features, 1.5 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2019
  • Pentair University, Ultra Temp Heat Pump & Hybrid Overview, 2 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2019
  • Pentair University, Advanced Automation Troubleshooting, 2 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2019
  • Certified Aquatic Energy Installation (CAEI) Course, 3 hrs (FPSIE) Sacramento, CA ~ December 2019
  • Pentair University, Intellicenter Programming, 1.75 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2021
  • Pentair University, UltraTemp Heat Pump Troubleshooting, 1.75 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2021
  • Pentair University, Intellichlor/ iChlor Salt Generators, 1.75 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2021
  • Pentair University, Orenda Water Chemistry, 1.75 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2021
  • Pentair University, Gas Heater Troubleshooting, 1.75 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2023
  • Pentair University, Intelliflo3 VSF Pump, 1.75 hrs, Reno, NV ~ October 2023
  • Pentair University, Water Hydraulics, 1 hr, Reno, NV ~ October 2023
  • Pentair University, Intellicenter Programming, 1 hr, Reno, NV ~ October 2023

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