Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book, with easy to understand explanations
Review: As a brand new pool owner, I wish I had this book as I was overseeing the pool construction!!! I found the explanations most informative. Helped me to understand the complexities of water chemistry. Great drawings and pictures! Covers everything from minor maintenance to major fixes. (some I would never think of tackling myself)
Rating: 
Summary: help! i'm drowning in so much information
Review: Despite my title for this review, this is an excellent, very detailed manual that merits reading for those who are in the pool business or want a reference tool for things no one else seems to know or understand. The author is an expert in his field, so anyone can learn from him no matter how much they already know. That was my problem. Having bought a house with an inground pool, I had to learn fast and this book was the wrong one for me, initially. Nonetheless, it will stay in my library as a reference tool for troubleshooting.
Rating:
Summary: THE POOL MAINTENTANCE BIBLE
Review: Great book. I consulted this book extensively while consulting with my pool builder...I even bought him a copy. If you like delving into things, and don't have a Phd hydrodynamics, aquatic chemistry, or electrical engineering, this book will submerge you in swimming pools but not drown you. I also liked that he is opinionated...if he didn't like something, he said so and told you logically why. The book might help you avoid costly mistakes. If you want to buy just one book on swimming pools this is it. One criticism I have is the lack of detailed, critical discussion of alternative sanitizers i.e. sanitizers otherthan chlorine.
Rating:
Summary: excellent for the do-it-yourself and save pool owner
Review: I have purchased 4 books in search of practical reference for pool maintenance. This book is outstanding. In this genuine book the author offers a comprensive introduction and reference based on experience and intuition. It is well written and easy to understand.WM Lucking PhD (Engineering)
Rating:
Summary: Professional Service Man's Bible
Review: I purchased this book before I became involved in the complex industry. It soon became my biggest source for knowledge and has really helped me reach my position now. I strongly recommend this book to anyone considering entering the industry or already involved. It is a very helpful book
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Pool Maintenance Manual
Review: I really liked this book. Alot of information, but written in a way everyone could read. You don't have to be in the business to own this book, although if you are a recommend this book two fold. If u are in the pool maintenance business you must have this book as your bible and quick refrence. I am a pool technician and do use this book often.
Rating:
Summary: Professional Service Man's Bible
Review: I'm not in the pool maintenance trade but I've owned and maintained a pool, built two fish ponds and am currently having a pool, spa and koi pond built. Being an engineer by education, I was thirsting for in-depth information and wasn't disappointed. My pool plaster will be black and I was especially interested in Tamminen's very detailed opinions on the controversial topic of pool start-up after plastering and how to avoid mottling from plaster dust (a BIG problem with colored plaster.) But there's a wealth of other tips as well. For instance, I'm installing a sand filter, despite claims that it can't filter particles as small as those trapped by a DE filter, based on the comparative information in this book. A sand filter promises relatively low maintenance and my dark bottom doesn't require the same high clarity as a white plaster pool. I might have liked more info on the hazards of installing rocks in the water on a notched bond beam, under-edge fiber optic pool lights and ways to hide pool tiles. But those would more appropriately be in a book dedicated to pool design and construction rather than pool maintenance. Also, the discussion of fish pond design and maintenance was a bit too rudimentary to be of much value, although, like the rest of the book, the author wasn't shy about stating his opinions strongly. I liked that. All in all, this is a treasure trove of very practical information that should really prove its worth after my pool is completed....
Rating:
Summary: Great for handyman pool owners, not just those in the trade
Review: I'm not in the pool maintenance trade but I've owned and maintained a pool, built two fish ponds and am currently having a pool, spa and koi pond built. Being an engineer by education, I was thirsting for in-depth information and wasn't disappointed. My pool plaster will be black and I was especially interested in Tamminen's very detailed opinions on the controversial topic of pool start-up after plastering and how to avoid mottling from plaster dust (a BIG problem with colored plaster.) But there's a wealth of other tips as well. For instance, I'm installing a sand filter, despite claims that it can't filter particles as small as those trapped by a DE filter, based on the comparative information in this book. A sand filter promises relatively low maintenance and my dark bottom doesn't require the same high clarity as a white plaster pool. I might have liked more info on the hazards of installing rocks in the water on a notched bond beam, under-edge fiber optic pool lights and ways to hide pool tiles. But those would more appropriately be in a book dedicated to pool design and construction rather than pool maintenance. Also, the discussion of fish pond design and maintenance was a bit too rudimentary to be of much value, although, like the rest of the book, the author wasn't shy about stating his opinions strongly. I liked that. All in all, this is a treasure trove of very practical information that should really prove its worth after my pool is completed....
Rating:
Summary: Everything you want to know about pool maintenance
Review: In Arizona, pool care is a common teenage chore, just like snow shoveling in more northerly areas, so I'd had some pool experience when I moved into a house of my own. (Thanks, Dad.) This book will tell you everything there is to know about pool care. Other homeowners have complained that there's too much information, but I think the information is presented in such a way that you can skip the gory details. The author mentions that the chapter on water chemistry is optional, for example, but if you want details, they're there. After we moved in, we had some out-of-town friends stay with us, and being from Chicago, they were curious about owning a pool. They were even more surprised when I could answer every question, from the workings of pool filters to pool chemistry -- I told them it was all in the book. This book is about maintenance as well, and not just the theory of it. With this book on top of the pool heater (don't worry, the heater was off), I stripped my DE filter all the way down to the piping and cleaned it from top to bottom. If you want to know about pools, this is the book. You also get a different perspective on movie and sports stars -- you see them form their pools, as with the description of John McEnroe's pool filter. While not exactly cocktail party chatter, it does liven up the presentation.
Rating: 
Summary: Although detailed, this book can be used by anyone.
Review: Now that my book has been in print for 3 years, I have had the chance to see both ordinary homeowners and pool technicians use it. My 12 year old nephew surprised his family and cleaned the pool filter, following the steps in the book. But at the same time, a friend who has been in the pool business for 20 years told me he keeps a copy of the book in his truck and refers to it almost daily, especially when trying to troubleshoot heater problems. These anecdotes are gratifying, because the purpose of the book was to put useful information in the hands of everyone, regardless of technical ability. If anyone has feedback on how future editions can be even more user-friendly, I'd like to hear about it. Thanks!
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