Day on the road with Adam from Jim’s Pool Care

This day-in-the-life look at Adam Post, a Jim’s Pool Care franchisee, shows him servicing a 60,000-litre pool, diagnosing a blocked chlorinator cell, and restoring full circulation in a single on-site visit. It feels representative because the work moves from basic cleaning to testing, chemical balancing, and equipment troubleshooting, all within the same job. You will see how the day flows from the first skim and vacuum through to water testing, system fixes, final checks, and the wrap-up.

Watch the video above, or keep reading to see what a full working day actually looks like.

Morning: What Happens From Arrival to Water Testing?

This Jim’s Group ride-along follows Adam Post, a Jim’s Pool Care franchisee working inside the system founded by Jim Penman. The day starts with basic cleaning gear already out and ready to use: a net, a skimmer, brushes, and the rest of the everyday kit.

The first job shown is a 60,000-litre pool. That tells you this is not just a quick skim and go. Adam begins by checking the pool’s cleaning equipment, including the robot cleaner and the filter canisters that catch dirt before it builds up in the water.

He explains the job in plain language while he works. One part of the process is checking the skimmer basket, which is where the water gets sucked in from the pump and where leaves and debris get trapped. In this case, the basket is already fairly clean because there are not many leaves around the property. Even so, there is still visible dirt on the bottom of the pool, so the cleaning part of the visit continues.

From there, the day moves straight into vacuuming. Adam describes it as the same principle as vacuuming inside a house, except water creates the suction instead of air. A reducer gets fitted so the suction becomes stronger, which lets him clean the pool properly rather than just pushing debris around.

That detail shows what a normal pool care day actually involves. The work is hands-on, methodical, and visible. You can see the difference as it happens. That is one reason Adam says, “I actually find vacuuming pools quite rewarding, it’s like mowing the grass.” If you like work where you can see the result straight away, this kind of routine makes sense.

Before Adam tests the water, he also explains where to take the sample from. He does not test near the chlorinator because fresh chlorine is coming straight out there and would give a false reading. Instead, Adam takes the sample from the furthest point away so he gets what he calls a neutral test. A service visit is not just physical cleaning. It also relies on process, judgment, and knowing how to avoid bad readings.

Midday: How Does the Workload Build Through the Visit?

Once the cleaning is under control, the day shifts into testing and water balancing. This is where the pace of the job changes. It is still practical work, but now the focus is on reading the pool properly and deciding what to adjust.

Adam uses what he calls a spin test. A water sample goes into the testing setup, and the discs tell him exactly what is in the pool water. On this visit, the chlorine level is high because it is winter. Adam also notes that the salt is good, the CYA is good, the hardness is good, the pH is slightly up, the alk’s down, and the chlorine is high.

That leads to a few decisions straight away. The pool’s running time and output need to be reduced because it is making too much chlorine. Adam also mentions another chemical that will reduce the chlorine in the pool.

Then he moves to alkalinity. Adam has bicarb soda on hand and explains exactly why he uses it. It increases the alkalinity in the pool and stops the pH bounce. This is the sort of detail that answers a common question about mobile franchise work: Is it repetitive? The answer here is no. Some parts are routine, such as skimming, vacuuming, and testing. But the actual decisions change based on what the water tells you on each stop.

The energy of the visit also comes through clearly. There is no sign of sitting around or stretching the job out. The flow is inspection, clean, test, adjust, skim again, then move to the equipment issue. There is no lunch break mentioned in the ride-along, but there is also no sign that the work is rushed. It is steady and practical.

Afternoon and Wrap-Up: How Does the Day End on Site?

The second half of the visit shows the part that many people would not expect if they only think pool care means skimming leaves. Adam spots a massive calcium deposit on the chlorinator cell. He explains that this is the by-product of making chlorine.

The problem is serious because the build-up is blocking the flow. The pump is running, but there is only minimal water moving through the system. Adam makes the diagnosis clearly. The pump itself is fine. The real problem is that the filter is dirty and the chlorinator cell is blocked.

He says the system has probably not been serviced for three or four months. Adam also gives one of the more practical rules in the whole ride-along: you really should backwash your filter every month. That line captures another part of the job. A pool care franchisee is not just doing the work. Adam is also educating the client while he works.

From there, the job becomes a service and maintenance call as much as a cleaning visit. Adam uses acid to burn off the calcium and warns viewers to be very careful with chemicals. The warning is blunt and worth keeping exactly as spoken: “Never mix acid, as I’ve got here, with chlorine, because it makes mustard gas.”

That moment shows the harder edge of the work. Pool care is not casual. You need to know what chemicals do, how equipment works, and how to fix a problem safely in the field. This is where a day can shift from routine cleaning to fault-finding.

Once the cell is cleaned, the result is immediate. Full flow returns through the system. Earlier, the flow was just a dribble because the blocked cell stopped water from getting through. After the cleaning, circulation is back, and the chlorinator is working efficiently again.

Adam then ties the diagnosis back to the bigger issue. The reason the pool goes green is a lack of chlorine, and in this case, that traces back to the pump not working efficiently and the chlorinator not working efficiently either. You are not just cleaning what is in front of you. You are solving why the problem happened.

What Does the Day Look Like in Numbers?

Here are the concrete numbers stated in this ride-along:

• Pool size serviced on camera: 60,000 litres
• Jobs completed in the video: 1 full-service visit, shown from cleaning to equipment fix
• Filter service gap mentioned: probably three or four months
• Recommended backwash frequency: every month

Would Adam Post Do It Again?

Based on the way Adam Post talks through the work, the answer looks like yes.

The biggest clue is how he talks about the actual tasks. He does not describe them as a chore. He says, “I actually find vacuuming pools quite rewarding, it’s like mowing the grass.” That tells you he enjoys the visible part of the work, where you can look back and see a clean result.

He also seems comfortable with the more technical side. He explains water testing, chlorine output, alkalinity, calcium build-up, blocked flow, and chemical safety in a calm, matter-of-fact way. That suggests the work suits someone who likes practical problem-solving, not just manual labour.

What is hard? The ride-along points to three things. First, poor maintenance upstream creates bigger problems on-site, like a filter that has not been serviced for three or four months. Second, chemical handling matters, and mistakes can be dangerous. Third, you need to know how to diagnose the system properly instead of guessing.

What may surprise people is how much technical judgement sits inside what looks like a straightforward cleaning job. On the surface, this visit starts with nets, baskets, and vacuuming. Very quickly, it becomes a chemistry and circulation problem too.

Who does this work suit? It suits someone who likes being out on the road, working with their hands, seeing visible results, and fixing practical problems as they come up. It also suits someone who can explain things simply to customers while getting the job done.

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