Want to Get a Pool? Read This Before You Buy

The Smart Way to Own a Pool: Safe, Clean, Clear Confidence

A swimming pool isn’t just a backyard feature — it’s an investment in your family’s health, happiness, and time together. The dream of a private oasis has become more attainable than ever, with residential pool installations up more than 20% in recent years.

But while excitement builds around design choices and backyard transformations, the true key to successful pool ownership lies in knowledge. From picking the right materials to mastering daily maintenance, every great pool owner starts with education — and every great professional stays successful with it.

That’s where HASA and Orenda Technologies come in. Together, we’ve made pool care simpler, safer, and smarter — so you can enjoy your water, not worry about it.

Choosing Your Perfect Pool

Cementitious Finishes (Pebble, Plaster, Quartz): Design Freedom + Chemistry that Plays Nice

If you want creativity, cementitious finishes are your playground. Pebble, plaster, and quartz can be sculpted and colored to match almost any design vision—your only real limits are imagination, budget, and the skill of your builder. In the Western U.S., where pools are typically operated 12 months a year, these finishes are the go-to choice thanks to availability and the fact that year-round operation lets pros manage chemistry continuously instead of “closing and forgetting” for a long freeze. The LSI-first approach that Orenda teaches keeps these surfaces protected while you enjoy the design freedom they offer.  

With cementitious surfaces, LSI balance is everything—especially at startup and during seasonal swings. Orenda’s startup articles explain why curing cement contains calcium compounds (notably calcium hydroxide) and how filling with LSI-balanced water prevents early etching, dusting, and discoloration. In practice: keep LSI in the green, mind temperature (LSI drops as water gets colder), and manage pH under the pH ceiling for predictable behavior. 

Because much of the West does not experience extreme winter freezes, pools can run all year without the deep off-season exposure that drives low-LSI damage elsewhere. Even so, when temperatures dip, follow Orenda’s winterization by LSI guidance: anticipate colder water, keep LSI non-aggressive, and prevent calcium crystals or “winter dust.”

Northeast Reality Check: Fiberglass & Vinyl Liner Pools

In colder regions like the Northeast, fiberglass and vinyl liner pools are common solutions for shorter swim seasons and winterization. Here, LSI still matters—even for non-cementitious surfaces. Low-LSI winter water can fade vinyl or degrade fiberglass gelcoat (“chalking”), which is frequently misdiagnosed as scale. Orenda’s guidance is blunt: if you hold summer chemistry targets through winter without adjusting for temperature, you’re likely running aggressive water that harms finishes. 

A separate but related pain point is confusion around some warranty or routine care recommendations that underemphasize LSI. Orenda’s position: use the LSI as the objective measure of water balance year-round (not range chemistry alone), and you’ll protect gelcoats and liners from cold-water aggression. 

Creatively, fiberglass and vinyl can look great, but they’re inherently more constrained than custom cementitious work when it comes to shape, size, and surface artistry—another reason cementitious surfaces dominate West-coast design-driven projects. 

Why Low CYA + Liquid Chlorine Matters (Everywhere)

No matter the surface, over-stabilization slows chlorine’s reaction speed and makes breakpoint chlorination and parasite control harder—especially if CYA creeps toward 100 ppm. Orenda’s “Minimal CYA” pillar and over-stabilization explainers show why liquid chlorine (unstabilized) keeps disinfection fast and predictable, while pH-ceiling management prevents runaway acid use. 

Why Liquid Chlorine Leads the Way

When it comes to keeping water clean and safe, liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) reigns supreme. It’s instant, powerful, and predictable — killing bacteria and algae without adding unwanted stabilizers like CYA or calcium.

HASA Sani-Clor® takes that performance further. Using patented multi-stage filtration technology, our liquid chlorine is purified to last longer — even after 10 days in the back of a service truck under the summer sun**. It leaves behind only a trace of salt, soft on skin and gentle on cementitious finishes like plaster, pebble, or quartz.

Simply put: Sani-Clor® gives you cleaner water, longer shelf life, and fewer headaches — all with chemistry that’s finish-friendly, affordable, and safe.

Smarter Chemistry, Stronger Results

With a little understanding and the right tools, you can balance your pool like a pro:

• Keep pH between 7.4–7.8 and alkalinity between 80–120 ppm.

• Maintain free chlorine at 1–3 ppm for perfect disinfection.

• Use breakpoint chlorination to eliminate chloramines and prevent cloudy water.

And if you ever need a hand troubleshooting? Meet Crystal, your new sarcastic AI chemistry assistant — now live at orendatech.com and hasa.com. Crystal walks you through real-world pool chemistry problems, from LSI balancing to chlorine demand issues, with a touch of humor (and the occasional roast).

Education That Pays You Back

At HASA, we believe smarter pros make stronger profits. That’s why we invest in CPO® certifications, academies, and hands-on education that teach how to apply Orenda’s LSI-based approach, use enzymes like CV-600 and CV-700, and control phosphates with PR-10,000 for cleaner, more efficient water.

The result? You save time, save money, and protect every surface — all while delivering the kind of crystal-clear results customers brag about.

People. Pools. Profit.
That’s not just our slogan — it’s our mission.

Safety First: Clean Water Without the Risk

Liquid chlorine is naturally alkaline, stable, and safe to handle — no fire hazards, no dangerous reactions. Unlike trichlor or cal hypo, it doesn’t burn hot, fume aggressively, or damage delicate surfaces. The only real risk? Maybe a few bleached shirts.

Still, every chemical deserves respect. Always wear respective protective attire, and store chlorine in a cool, ventilated area. HASA’s returnable container program makes storage safer, cleaner, and more sustainable — eliminating thousands of single-use plastic jugs every year.

Break the Myths, Beat the Problems

Overusing trichlor or cal hypo can quickly raise CYA or calcium hardness, reducing chlorine efficiency and making algae prevention harder. Just four tablets a week can push stabilizer to 100 ppm in as little as five weeks — less than one summer month.

Liquid chlorine avoids that trap. It provides instant active chlorination with no buildup, making it the most effective choice for shocking, daily sanitation, and algae control. Pair that with pH control under the Orenda ceiling, enzymes, and phosphate removers, and you’ve got the ultimate system for saving product and beating summer problems before they start.

The Reward: Water Worth Protecting

Every great pool professional knows: chemistry isn’t just math — it’s mastery. Each gallon of liquid chlorine represents precision, trust, and consistency. Every clear pool you leave behind is a reflection of your craft.

By using HASA Sani-Clor® and the tools that complement it — from the Orenda app to industry software partners like Skimmer, Pool Brain, PSS, and Pay the Poolman — you’re not just maintaining water. You’re building a business that runs smoother, cleaner, and smarter than ever before.

The Final Dive

Owning a pool should be about joy, not stress. When you understand your water, everything else falls into place.
That’s what HASA stands for — clean chemistry, clear education, and confident professionals who take pride in doing it right.

Because at the end of the day, this industry isn’t about chlorine.
It’s about People. Pools. Profit.
And it’s about you — the pro who makes crystal-clear water look effortless.

** Hasa plants in the California, Arizona, and pacific North West territories utilize patented special filtration technologies to ensure the maximum sodium hypochlorite purity and hence maximum strength, stability and longevity of our product.